The rest of this lesson has a number of practical or PRAXIS sections. They provide opportunities to think about structure and building blocks for ways to change or strengthen structure in the classroom. These are not literal assignments and none of them is necessary for completion of the course. You may even wish to do them as the extra component for your "A".

Praxis One

• List the rules that will be important in the classroom
  • Keep them positive -- eg. Respect one another
  • Establish a global sense for the rule -- eg. Maintain a learning atmosphere
  • Stay with two to six rules
• List procedures and practices that will facilitate sharing the day and enhance learning. Mentally walk through a day or observe a classroom in session and record instances of repetitive behaviors, lining up, passing papers, sharpening pencils, et c. Maintain an on-going log to expedite this process in future years.
• List the student needs that are likely to emerge and ways that the setting can work to meet the needs of students automatically. For example:
  • Middle school students seem compelled to talk.
    This will be addressed in the classroom by ---
  • Teens tend to get into power struggles.
    This will be addressed in the daily routine by ---
• Explicate norms and address their impact in setting up and maintaining a classroom.
  • Talk with others about belief systems and biases.
  • Focus on beliefs:
    • about teaching,
    • about students, and about how we learn,
    • how classrooms should / might be run,
    • about the differences between power and control,
    • with respect to punishing, just rewards, getting even,
    • evaluating outcome,
    • the role of the teacher.
• Use the exercise "Explicating Norms" to initiate paired or group discussion.
• Write an essay responding to "Developing personal responsibility for education".
• Using the working constructs, "Effective Roles - Democratic Classroom", choose one of the descriptions of effective teacher and list ways an observer might recognize that the teacher had implement one of the norms described.
• Using the working constructs, "Effective Roles - Democratic Classroom", choose one of the descriptions of effective student and list the ways a teacher would prepare students to utilize and value that role.

Establishing a positive classroom climate
Though we give lip service to the notion that dangling a carrot works better than brandishing a stick, our school settings may not always reflect that. Perhaps it comes from modeling, from our experiences in the classroom, from the notion that structure and punishments go together. Maybe it comes from getting caught up in the bustle of getting the day completed, objectives met, students taught. However it happens, the classroom may not reflect a spirit of reward, of positive excitement and positive power. So as the teacher works to describe outcomes, it is crucial to spend time developing the privileges and positive empowering elements of the classroom.

In keeping with a democratic setting, it is important to verbalize the privilege of education. It is good for students to know that the whole community is working together to fund their opportunity to spend time in the classroom. It is important to self-esteem for them to see themselves as a bright hope, worthy of the love and support of community and country. It is just as important to self-esteem that they see themselves as being responsible to the community for these educational opportunities. By sharing a view of education that underscores privilege, we help students to recognize the value of the experience. By sharing the idea that they "get" to go to school, are "allowed" to learn and study, we put a different light on education and learning. We also build a perspective of appreciation and gratitude. Gratitude is a magnificent gift that can be bestowed on youth, but it is not automatic. It is a frame of mind that must be carefully developed and reinforced. It is essential to moral development and to the development of an appreciation of others. It is a crucial step in moving beyond "what's in it for me" ego development. It is a vital moving force for assisting the student to view life as more than a selfish pursuit and more of a social, democratic experience, and it is sweet!. .
"Sweet is the breath of vernal shower, The bee's collected reassures sweet, Sweet music's melting fall, But sweeter yet, The still small voice of gratitude." - T. Gray
Building the idea of education being a privilege also gives a sense of reward just from being a participant in the process. Helping the students to recognize and then revere the teacher for the love, time and care bestowed on students is important. It develops warmth and relationship if teachers build an atmosphere which reflects respect of human beings, respect of self and provides opportunities for expressing that respect. In one sense this is an attitude, but it can be developed through specific actions and communication patterns.

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