Jeneice Muir
Professor Ding
ENG2150
16 August 2023
Through many sources, I studied the question of How does the classroom environment affect students. After reading many articles on the topic, I began to believe that a classroom environment affects students positively or negatively. Random details such as seating arrangements, lighting, temperature, and a teacher’s attitude all had an impact on a student’s learning ability. Not only did the articles that I read strengthen and satisfy my opinion but my personal experience was a big help as well. My old English class was hot, the desks were arranged in boring rows, the lights were always off, and my teacher was not very captivating while teaching a classroom full of teenagers who would rather be doing literally anything else. The class was so difficult for me to learn that I wasn’t even motivated to do the work in the comfort of my own room. Once I realized I could not do the work even at home, I knew there was a big problem and I understood that I could not be the only student going through this problem. In the remainder of this paper, I will be exploring the positive and negative ways that students are affected by a classroom environment.
Firstly, I want to start off by pointing out how the classroom environment positively affects a student. Shayna Rusticas and her colleagues Andreah Mah and Tina Pashootan explained in their article What are the key elements of a positive learning environment? Perspectives from students and faculty. the different classroom circumstances in which a student will feel comfortable and do better academically. For instance, the authors claim that a certain classroom setting can positively impact a student and their learning journey. They state “The small classes created an environment in which students and faculty were able to get to know one another more personally; students felt that they were known as individuals, not just as numbers.” (Rusticas, Mah, Pashootan,2023) As a college student, I highly agree with this point. I have had large classes and small classes and as a result, I have done better in the smaller classes because it is more hands-on and more personal. To continue my stance on how the classroom environment can positively affect a student, I chose to read an article from the Council for Children’s Rights, written by Camara, one of their staff members. The article smoothly explains how a positive school environment can not only positively affect students’ academics but their emotional and spiritual growth as well. In the article, named The Effects of A Positive School Environment, Camara says “Research shows that a positive school climate increases attendance rates and academic achievement, promotes student mental and physical wellbeing and teacher retention, and reduces violence.” (Camara, 2019) Many of my classes in high school fit into that category of a “positive climate” therefore my classmates would never skip class, never have attitudes, and had a healthy and honest relationship with the teacher. To carry on with my opinion of how a classroom environment can affect students positively and negatively, I want to continue with the more positive effects of the matter. Another article I came across pushes the narrative that the classroom environment is one of the most important factors when it comes to students’ success and learning. Geeta Verma, an educationist, wrote this article named, The Importance of a Positive Learning Environment. Verma goes on to explain exactly why a positive educational environment is essential for students. Geeta Verma states “Simply put, a positive classroom environment is essential as it enables students to be inquirers and explorers and true leaders of their own learning. A positive environment is where children are able to work as a team, celebrate each other’s achievements, and learn from mistakes. It enhances students’ ability to learn and to be productive in the true sense of learning things on their own.” (Verma,2019) Once again, I can relate to this statement because I have lived through it. I had a very hands one social studies class with a great environment and because of that class, I learned from my mistakes and learned how to work with others as well. To finalize the positive aspect of my opinion, I want to share another article that resonates with my beliefs. Jessica Kaminski the author of The Reasons Why Your Child Needs A Positive Learning Environment to Study Well explores more reasons how a classroom environment can affect a student positively. Kaminski says “A child learns to question everything around them in the proper environment, thus developing critical thinking. In this atmosphere, they learn to build conversations around concepts they have learned in class. The confidence kids build makes it easier to understand formulas and ideas.” (Kaminski, 2022) This shows how a stable environment can also help students in the long run, not just while in school.