A Model for the Creation of
Meaningful Community College Learning Experiences

Creating a
SAFE SOCIAL
Environment

 

Collaborative Learning
The Teacher as Role Model
Social Justice

 

Probably most of us remember classes where the students just seemed to click together as a team, where they were supportive of one another and where the learning seemed a pleasure. And then there have been those classes where the students never even learned each other's names by the end of the semester. Discussions may have lacked depth and the hour of class time seemed longer than usual. For our purposes, we are considering a safe learning environment as one where each student feels comfortable and free to take risks. Again, just as with the physical and emotional environment in our classrooms, there are things we can do as teachers to ensure a safe social environment.

Jensen (2000a) suggests the following descriptors for a brain-compatible classroom which also describe a safe social learning environment:

• Everyone is acknowledged as a contributing member of the community (the classroom)

• Everyone is cared for and supported

• There is freedom of expression without fear of embarrassment

• There are different levels of affiliation, but everyone is bonded in some way to others

• There is accountability for maintaining the common understanding of rules, policies and norms

• Everyone feels the hope of success as defined by him or herself

• Common experiences are planned

• Trust has been earned and is freely given

• There is consistency in rules and values (pp. 318-319)

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COLLABORATIVE LEARNING
As we are looking at factors in the environment that promote learning, we need to consider the one thing that teachers have most control over: the structure of the learning episode. Jeanne Gibbs (2001) discusses what studies say happens in a typical "whole class instruction" model at the public school level: Teachers talk more than two-thirds of the time, and much of that time is spent giving instructions and answering questions. Less than one-third of the time, then, is spent on individual interactions with students in the form of praise, encouraging initiative, giving feedback and facilitating student work. (p. 55) I would suggest that at the post-secondary level, whole class instruction results in even less time interacting with students individually. Rather, traditionally we see lecture as the most effective mode of content delivery. Not that lecture is inappropriate, yet, in the section on creating a learning-centered emotional environment, we have seen how important praise, encouraging initiative, giving feedback and facilitating student work are. Not surprisingly, when a class is structured interactively, the time the teacher spends transmitting information to the whole group is reduced to about twenty-five percent of class time, says Gibbs. The balance of the time then is spent in interacting with either individual students or small groups of students. Along with the shift from teacher talk to student talk comes a transfer of power. Students assume more responsibility for their own learning and teachers become facilitators of the learning. If students never have an opportunity to interact with each other, there will be little opportunity for a safe social climate to develop. Collaborative learning is essential. Martha Kaufeldt (1999) says,

When you organize collaboration opportunities properly, you give single learners a great asset. When we work cooperatively with a group toward a common goal, our brain releases neurotransmitters that are related to pleasure and enjoyment. The brain also responds to immediate feedback. When interacting with others, the group provides feedback so that students can evaluate their own ideas and behaviors, and begin to modify them as necessary. By actively processing experiences with others, learners can internalize information in personally meaningful and coherent ways. (pp. 59-60)

Many of us use collaborative learning techniques, such as peer teaching, group projects, and small group discussions. But it's good to know that there are sound reasons for doing so, especially at the community college level. Frances Stage, Patricia Muller, Jillian Kinzie and Ada Simmons (1998), all from George Washington University's Graduate School of Education and Human Development, address the concern of using such strategies at the undergraduate level.

Approaches to learning that promote social constructivism, or learning within a social context, and that feature group constructions of knowledge (Jaworski 1994) provide an ideal environment for some learners. ... Social constructivist approaches to learning have been applied through classroom practices such as collaborative learning, problem-based learning, and peer learning groups. Most often, students who participate in these innovative instructional approaches perceive a more meaningful learning experience and in some cases actually learn more than students in conventional learning situations. (¶ 2-3)

Patrick Cove and Anne Goodsell (1996), also from George Washington University, agree:

Collaborative learning strategies enhance learning by actively incorporating social and affective dynamics between students, and between students and faculty. Such strategies are based on the idea that acquiring and creating knowledge is an active social process which students need to practice; it is not a process in which students are spectators, sitting passively in a lecture hall." (What can Individual Faculty..., ¶ 4)

One of the most difficult things about having students work collaboratively is figuring out exactly what our roles as teachers are. First of all, we need to design the task carefully, ensuring that students have clear directions and whatever resources they need to accomplish the task. Students need to understand that process is just as important as getting the task done. I explain to my students that in the process of doing the task, it is important that everyone participate and that students reach consensus.

It may be necessary to do some Ordered Sharing to ensure that everyone is heard.

It may help to have students working together complete an assessment rubric on the process. Click here to see some examples of such rubrics.

Sometimes it's helpful to assign roles to members of the group: leader, secretary, time keeper, clarifier (one who asks questions about and repeats what others say), encourager (one who compliments others or who encourages quieter group members to speak), and so on.

For a list of roles that can be assigned to students working in small groups, suggested by Borba (2002), click here.

Many ESOL students are not used to working collaboratively, and so I find that I need to guide them in the process. It's is essential to do some get acquainted activities at the beginning of the semester. I usually start with small groups of two to three people and short, simple tasks. As we work through the semester, the tasks get more complex, the groups get larger, and the time spent in small group work increases. One of the most difficult things to decide when students are involved in group tasks is how involved to be as a teacher. I notice that if I walk around the room and "listen in," some students get nervous and stop talking, especially at the beginning of the semester. Still, I want to be available to provide assistance and answer questions whenever I'm needed. For me, it works best to have some mindless paperwork that I work on while I eavesdrop unobtrusively on the groups. If I notice a group is stuck or having problems, I will intervene, and I'm readily available to answer questions. There have been times when I have left the room because I felt the students were being too dependent on my input when they really didn't need it. There is no simple answer and every situation will require a different approach.

Ellen Weber has some excellent guidelines to help students learn how to work effectively in small groups. Click here to read them.

Now, I have to say I have a hard time getting my students, who come from all over the world and most of whom are used to lecture formats, to buy into this concept. In ESOL, of course, social interaction is essential because it is at the very heart of language acquisition. But I also want my students to learn that their colleagues are valuable resources for learning as well. The goal in an advanced ESOL class is for teacher talk to take no more than 10% of class time. That goal is not practical in content courses, but it is important to recognize that having students talk with each other is a valuable use of class time.

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THE TEACHER AS ROLE MODEL
We teachers play a crucial role in creating a safe environment in our classes not only by the way we structure the class, but also in the way we model social behavior. Our students learn much more from us than merely the content of the course.  Albert Bandura's work makes it clear how important it is to have good models in learning situations. Bandura says:

Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do. Fortunately, most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action. (as cited by Kearsley, 2001, ¶ 1).

Bandura's work emphasized the importance of modeling. Greg Kearsley (2001) summarizes Bandura's three main principles this way:

• The highest level of observational learning is achieved by first organizing and rehearsing the modeled behavior symbolically and then enacting it overtly. Coding modeled behavior into words, labels or images results in better retention than simply observing.
• Individuals are more likely to adopt a modeled behavior if it results in outcomes they value.
• Individuals are more likely to adopt a modeled behavior if the model is similar to the observer and has admired status and the behavior has functional value. (¶ Principles)

So, we need to recognize that we are role models and that our behavior is carefully observed. We need to model respect and self esteem.    Non-verbal messages, careless habits of dress and hygiene can have a negative impact on our students.  Andrea Giampetro-Meyer and Janine Holc (1997) discuss the role of respect in the learning encounter.  They remind us that we may be unconsciously signaling our students that their experiences and ideas are not valuable.  They say,

It is important to admit the benefits of assuming our students do not deserve respect.  When we see our students as a homogenous, passive mass audience, we can get away with a lot.  If we believe they lack the potential for intellectual tasks we respect, we can continue our role as the all-knowing authority figure.  We can continue to lecture, saying to ourselves, 'Why let them speak when they have so little to say?' Lecturing is easy for most of us.  The role also works to give us the illusion of control in the classroom.  When we talk we can control carefully the interaction in class; we can define the boundaries and essentially of the material we cover; we continue to recycle our lectures, which saves us much time. (p. 93)

How do we show lack of respect?  By not allowing enough think time for students before asking them to respond, by not relating content to personal meaning, by not verifying that students really understand the concepts we are trying to convey, by not making expectations clear, by refusing to acknowledge the unique learner, with our gestures, facial expressions, lack of time, looking at only one side of the room, calling on certain students more than others, and in many other ways. Working with international students has made me perhaps a bit more sensitive to the many ways we can show disrespect, even unintentionally. For some of my students, even small things like my sitting on a desk or standing too close or too far away can be seen as a signs of disrespect. While I know I can't always avoid some gesture or behavior that might be interpreted as disrespectful by my students, I do try to be sensitive to each one. If I sense that I have hurt someone in any way, I am quick to apologize.

Another way we can foster positive social behaviors, Kaufeldt (1999) suggests, is modeling a positive awareness of ourselves. This means that we feel free to display objects or pictures that represent our interests, including pictures of our families. As we model this self awareness, we encourage our students to also reveal themselves to the class. We can ask them as part of self introductions to the class to bring in pictures or objects that reflect their own personal interests. Displaying student work is another way we can promote student self revelation. We all need to feel that we belong to a group. In order for that to happen, we need to know more about each other than our names.

Parker Palmer (1983) also suggests that teacher modeling can help students become more comfortable with their own apprehensive feelings.  He describes beginning his classes in this way, "When it comes time for me to introduce myself, I often speak about the mixed emotions of excitement and anxiety I have at the outset of a new class.  I may try to identify with my students by recollecting my own feelings when I was in the student role.  I may invite them to speak with me, in or out of class about the emotions that the course generates in them." (p. 85-86)  Palmer also recommends that whenever we sense that students are experiencing strong emotions or stress, we must encourage those feelings to be expressed.  Obviously, trust needs to be available in large quantities before students will willingly reveal their fears and anxieties.  Below we will discuss the importance of developing a strong sense of community where trust is a significant characteristic, enabling students to take such risks.

Teacher credibility is an important consideration.  Students must feel that the teacher is knowledgeable in the subject area.   In Joyful Fluency, Lynn Freeman Dhority (1998) suggests that teachers need to make students aware of their credentials.  But credibility depends on more than just competence in the academic discipline. According to Kaufeldt (1999), it also involves "our looks, words, attitude, constancy, knowledge, self-respect, and authority." (p. 18) The Caines (1994) describe this quality as prestige: "Prestige does not refer to popularity, position, power, or fame. It refers to the authority that teachers have in the eyes of students by virtue of the sort of people they are and the knowledge they are able to share." (p. 144) Kaufeldt suggests that even the way we dress may influence our credibility. She recommends dressing as if you were going to a job interview for the first day of class, since in essence, we are being "...reviewed by students for a job I [we] hope to do with them." (p. 20) W e can also present a professional attitude by starting class on time and ending on time, for example, or by sharing our enthusiasm for our subject.   As much as possible, we should be fully present for our classes.  This may mean that we need to schedule a half hour before our classes begin that is free of interruptions or meetings.  Not an easy task with our busy teaching loads, but quiet time before a class begins can help us focus.  By being fully present to our students, we can be more open to student questions and feedback.  Personal greetings and courteous behavior are important too. 

Finally, having a positive attitude is crucial in modeling appropriate behavior.  We can make positive suggestions in our course outlines and introductory materials.  Dhority (1998) says,  "I proceed to outline in broad strokes the novel and liberating assumptions upon which the course is based.  I explain the exciting results they can expect to achieve, not on the condition that they work hard, but by virtue of their innate capacities to learn which can and most certainly will be tapped in this process.  I assure them that this process has succeeded with many students just like themselves previously." (p 86)  It helps to share the success stories of others.  We need to continuously monitor our language to be sure that it is positive.  Rather than saying "This is difficult," we can say things like "This is challenging AND I'm sure you can do it."  We need to avoid careless negations such as "Don't do this."  As much as possible, we should try to eliminate the fear of failure.  Giving students chances to re-do assignments or turn in assignments early for feedback are ways to help students achieve success. We can try to eliminate fear of failure by making it clear that we are supportive, inviting students to speak to us after class or during our office hours, and suggesting concrete ways students can succeed.

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SOCIAL JUSTICE
One of the wonderful things about teaching in a community college is the diversity of our students. I have the privilege of working with international students from many different countries. But the diversity at TC3 is much wider than that, representing a wide variety of age, ethnic and racial, and socio-economic groups. A safe social environment means that each person feels valued and respected. One way to ensure that this happens is to celebrate our diversity. However, we need to be careful that we don't trivialize diversity by looking at it only superficially. While it is fine to celebrate Martin Luther King day and highlight Women's History month, we need to go deeper than that. Jeanne Gibbs (2001) cites Mako Nakagawa, a multicultural educator, who has some excellent thoughts on multiculturalism. Click here to read his comments.

I pass on a word of caution I received from Ventura Lopez-Cardona, a dynamic California administrator I had the pleasure of knowing. He encouraged teachers to be careful of trivializing cultures by celebrating only holidays. When we honor a culture only through its holidays we tend to stereotype the people, traditions, and the celebration itself. Celebrating the influence of the Chinese in our community should go beyond learning about Chinese New Year. (Kaufeldt, 1999, p. 31)

Robert Sylvester (1999) has some valuable insight on brain function and social justice issues.  You may recall that he describes two types of response systems in the brain:  the reflexive, which is the default system in cases of danger, and the reflective system, which allows us to consider alternatives in a dangerous situation.  The reflexive system is especially important for survival and procreation, so its response is very fast.  "Further, the brain must make rapid reflexive responses on the basis of limited and often superficial information, and so racist, sexist, or elitist stereotyping is the unfortunate byproduct.  A reflexive, immature brain (of any age) tends to stereotype."  (p. 66)  Although this discriminating behavior was necessary for survival to our species early on, today we often have to deal with the negative consequences of reflexive thinking.

Michelle Borba, an expert on building self esteem and moral values in children and author of Building Moral Intelligence, gave four important facts about moral intelligence in a presentation at the Hearts and Minds Conference, Orlando, April 20, 2002:

1. moral intelligence is learned

2. moral intelligence is changeable at any age

3. moral intelligence is not affected by genetics

4. educators make a difference by example

I believe that we as teachers must really buy into what Borba is saying. But I would add that I think we as educators also have a responsibility to act on these facts. Students, anyone for that matter, are not going to become more reflexive in social interactions with people who are different unless they are challenged to do so. We need to look for opportunities in our curriculum where we can bring out social justice issues.  And we need to set up classroom structures that promote social justice. We need to be alert to every teachable moment in our classes when we can teach values like respect for differences. We must own up to the fact that HOW we teach is as important as WHAT we teach. 

Jeanne Gibbs (1999) includes in her book, Tribes: A New Way of Learning and Being Together, a matrix for achieving equity in classrooms. Click here to see a part of it.

So a safe social environment is one where all of our students feel accepted and respected, where each has an opportunity to state his or her own opinions without fear of judgment, and where students and teachers are willing to learn collaboratively from each other. The next section will look at an enriched social environment, where students not only get along well with each other, but where they actively support each other and work for the common good.

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Go to the next section Creating an ENRICHED SOCIAL Learning Environment

Learning-Centered Environment links:

	Creating a Learning-Centered Environment--Introduction
	Brain Function
	Creating A Learning-Centered PHYSICAL Environment Safe and Enriched
	Creating A Learning-Centered EMOTIONAL Environment Safe and Enriched
	Creating A Learning-Centered SOCIAL Environment Safe and Enriched
	The Model Introduction
	Dialogue on Learning Homepage