WHAT:

The artefact provided here is a multimedia slideshow presentation of me welcoming a group of students at the start of a school year. I introduce language, themes and elements of my classroom management plan. This demonstrates may ability to create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments (AITSL Standard 4) and support student participation (substandard 4.1). (AITSL, 2017, p. 18).

SO WHAT:

The Behaviour at School Study, conducted in 2011 uncovered that in any given school year 40% of students are unproductive (disengaged, uncooperative and disruptive) (Sullivan et al., 2014, pp. 2–7). Students who are unsupported, disengaged and undervalued feel a sense of powerlessness, alienation, threat and distance (Lyons et al., 2013, pp. 44–46). With this in mind, I have provided an artefact which directly aims to engage students and support inclusive student participation. The ‘Coral Garden’ classroom is intended to bring the classroom together as a unit, in spirit and deed. A sense of community is created, an ecosystem where everything and everyone is interrelated in some way. Students in this environment are provided a framework in which they are expected to behave, work and interact. They are also given the freedom and opportunity to influence the way in which they want the classroom to be.

NOW WHAT:

To improve in this area of teaching and learning I hope to develop a range of themes that I can use to communicate my classroom management plan. The plan needs to be customised, dependent upon the interests and influences of the students being taught. This will be achieved by developing relationships and being respectful of the students and their various needs (Lyons et al., 2013, p. 44). This is one strategy to promote participation, but a variety of activities should be used to engage students (De Nobile et al., 2017, p. 136).