1. AUSTEUR – AAPPT Module- 8
My Classroom- Creating a learning environment with the teacher & students
AUSTEUR – AAPPT
Module- 8

2. Meta Statements I participate in decorating the classroom.
My work as teacher is often featured.
Student excellence is always displayed.
We often feature specific displays and exhibitions.
We always make sure the classroom is clean.
.Students must respect themselves and their space.
The teacher regularly refers to the class environment in a positive way.
The rules and expectations are displayed with an emphasis on the positive – In this room we all clean up.
Prompts for learning are featured.
The décor is regularly changed.

3. I participate in decorating the classroom
Explanation
The way a classroom is decorated creates an atmosphere and is a very important part of the “look and feel” of the room.
Demonstration
The Teacher Aide helps the teacher decorate the room and makes suggestions about what would interest the children and what would help them learn.
Practice
The teacher and the Teacher Aide recruit students to participate in the decoration of their room. The more people that help the greater the sense of ownership.

4. My work as teacher is often featured
Explanation
The teacher Aide is part of the teaching team.
Demonstration
As part of the decoration of the room the Teacher Aide should be shown at work with her students. When they look at the walls of the room the childen shouldsee examples of them working with the Teacher Aide.
Practice
Photographs of the Teacher Aide are place around the room as well as examples of work she has done with the children.

5. Student excellence is always displayed
Explanation
It is important that student work is published as widely as possible. This will inspire the students who are published and also serve as an inspiration to all the students. It also helps build up a sense of ownership and involvement among the students.
Demonstration
Student work is carefully displayed and this is done with a great deal of fuss.
Practice
Every opportunity is taken to draw attention of students and visitors to the work around the room. It should be the source for acts of micro-approval .e.g. “I love the way you illustrated that story, Jason”.

6. We often feature specific displays and exhibitions
Explanation
Novelty is important in that it can help focus stent attention. Special exhibitions can be used both to guide and to re-inforce learning. Rom decoration existsnot to distract or overwhelm students with too much stimuli. Specific displays and control attention and direct learning.
Demonstration
Children can be asked to take turns in helping to “curate” particular displays.
Practice
Regularly the children's work is directed towards a major display which is agreed upon and clearly arises from the student learning.

7. We always make sure the classroom is clean
Explanation
It is important to build the students self-esteem. They will learn better and behave more positively if they respect and think highly of themselves.
Demonstration
The teacher and the teacher aide are partners in insisting on a clean classroom. They regularly tell the class, “Indigenous Australians deserve a clean room.”
Practice
It must be easier to clean up than to thrash a room. If rubbish is allowed to accumulate then this will be a signal that anything goes and we do not care for the classroom or ourselves./

8. Students must respect themselves and their space
Explanation
Children must develop a sense of belonging and ownership of their space. The intent of the displays and decorations should be to build empowerment and self-esteem.
Demonstration
The teacher aide and the teacher should think carefully about the decorates. Whose self-esteem is belong boosted? Is it only one gender? Is the self-esteem of Indingenous Australians being boosted? Is it only footballers that can get a sense of pride from the classroom displays.
Practice
Classroom displays are carefully chosen to boost student’s self-respect and respect for their school and their community. Displays boos the respect of many different groups.

9. The Teacher Aide regularly refers to the class environment in a positive way
Explanation
Demonstration
Practice
Explanation
The teacher aide and the teacher understand clearly the need to encourage a positive attitude in the students. That postive attitude extends to the classroom where the students spend their time and are expected to learn.
Demonstration
The teacher and the teacher aide can care lovingly for the classroom and the displays within it. That love and care will communicate it self to the students.
Practice
The teacher and the teacher aide use the displays on the walls as opportunities to be positive – “:I love working in this room, because it is so well decorated with your work.” “Everyone look at the beautiful painting that Jean has done. I am so proud of her”

10. The Rules & Regulations are clearly displayed with an emphasis on the positive
Explanation
It is important that there are rules and that everyone knows and understands clearly what these are.
Demonstration
It is most important that the rules are stated positively and inclusively. Rules exist to make good things happen for us. They are not about stopping people from having fun and they are not about making people feel bad about themselves.
Practice
All the rules are clearly on display. Their tone is positive and respectful. There are no “Don'ts” and there are lots and lots of “we”. When the children read the rules, they get a sense of themselves as belonging to a good community.

11. Prompts for learning are featured
Explanation
The classroom decorations have an important learning function. They are not there to simply decorate the room. They are not there as a distraction. If the student’s attention wanders from the teacher to the decorations, there must be a good chance they will continue to learn something.
Demonstration
The ideal is wall to wall learning. No matter where the student’s gaze goes, there will learn that This is their classroom. This is their display and this is what they are learning. They will see themselves at work and they will see what they have learned.
Practice
The decorations focus on learning, ownership of the learning and the fostering of a sense that this is a community of scholars.