Building a Positive Classroom Culture: Insights from Anna Kramer and Shawn Connolly

In this episode, we are joined by Anna Kramer and Shawn Connolly, middle school science teachers at the International School Nido de Aguilas in Santiago, Chile. With a combined experience of over 20 years, Anna and Shawn bring a wealth of knowledge and passion for student-centered, inclusive learning environments. Together, they discuss the critical aspects of building classroom culture that fosters collaboration, clear expectations, and respect for every student. Anna's commitment to equity and inclusion has seen her classroom featured in educational publications, while Shawn’s outdoor education background lends a unique perspective to his emphasis on structure and safety in learning. Both believe that establishing strong routines and a positive classroom culture is a long-term process, one that evolves and solidifies over time. In today’s episode, Anna and Shawn delve into topics including the stigma around classroom management, the importance of coaching, and the need to involve students in creating a sense of ownership in the classroom. They offer insights on being proactive, modelling the need to adapt, and the power of teacher talk in developing a presence that fosters respect and engagement. Additionally, they highlight how to communicate effectively with parents and maintain cultural awareness in diverse learning environments. Timestamps [03:05] Anna & Shawn Introduce Themselves [04:25] The Importance of Coaching [6:00] The Stigma Around “Classroom Management” [8:12] The Importance of Being Proactive [10:10] Involving Students in Making it Make Sense [11:03] Developing Presence through Teacher Talk [13:10] Classroom Culture is a Long Game [14:03] Follow Your Own Routines [16:00] Keep it Positive & Collaborative [20:00] Model the Need to Modify [22:00] Cultural Awareness & Respect [24:38] Communicating with Parents [27:20] Contact Information for Anna & Shawn Notable Quotes “[...] something I have to remind myself of every year, just that setting up your classroom culture, curating a classroom culture, is a loooong game. I think every year it’s hard at the beginning and then it gets easier and then it gets hard again and then it gets easier and there's this moment maybe a month before the end of the school year where you realise "Oh this is what I’ve been building, it's here, it's finally here!’” “[...] I know that if I hold to it here, like it may be slow now, but by the time we get to April, May,  June it will be so much better and we’ll be able to have a lot of fun and have a lot of flexibility in the class because all of these little structures we’ve set up are second nature at that point.” Check out the course related to this episode! ⁠Strategies for Learning Let’s Connect Connect With Anna Kramer [email protected] Connect With Shawn Connolly [email protected] Connect With Kailyn Fullerton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaifull/ X: @kaifull Website: www.upstream-collaborative.org Connect with Celiah Bunsie LinkedIn: ⁠⁠Celiah Bunsie⁠⁠  Connect With Dana Specker Watts  LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/danaspeckerwatts/⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/teachwatts⁠⁠⁠ Connect With Mike LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-pierre/⁠ More Resources David Stroupe’s  “Growing & Sustaining Student Centred Science Classrooms” Book Carol Ann Tomlinson’s “What No One Told Me About "Classroom Management" as a New Teacher” Article Edutopia’s How to Set Up a Learner-Centered Classroom Video Head over iss.idu to check out ISS website for events and more. Sign up for Moreland University to elevate your career as an educator at www.moreland.edu Join the community of professional educators considering the role of inclusion in the classroom culture at seniainternational.org Check out inspirecitizens who inspire schools to live their mission of global citizenship at inspirecitizens.org The ISS EDUlearn® Passport is the ultimate subscription for your PD. Try it out now: ⁠⁠https://lnkd.in/gqytehA3⁠