Overview #4. The Classroom Atmosphere: Warm, Respectful, Orderly, Productive and Non-Competitive

While our small class sizes and low student/teacher ratios contribute to our peaceful, orderly atmosphere, it is our methods and procedures that make the real difference.

Children learn to treat each other with courtesy and respect. The teachers set the example, greeting each child with a handshake when they arrive and bidding them a good evening in the same manner when they leave. Children are respected as active, participating members of the class, and are encouraged to share in the task of keeping the classroom clean and tidy. When they arrive, they choose a responsibility that they must complete during the school day, from feeding a member of the school's menagerie to setting serviettes on the tables at snack time. As well as teaching some valuable skills, these responsibilities help to develop their sense of self-esteem and belonging. The children learn practical skills such as pouring drinks, folding laundry, tying bows, and doing up buttons, using logical methods that simplify learning.

Next: Classroom Activities: Building Knowledge Incrementally, While Having Fun.