The classroom environment and activities are largely focused on group work and peer interaction. Generally, for every activity or subject Sabine will start with a lecture and then transition into either letting them work with their table pods or pairing them together. I think this helps keep participation up because they are able to interact with one another and see things from another perspective — this keeps them engaged and they are able to learn more effectively by working through problems on their own versus just being lectured at. It helps that the students get really into working together, I think this style might not work for all classrooms, but these students are highly motivated and eager to engage and learn.
In relation to me as a trainee helping create an effective learning environment, I think it’s difficult to say how I actually do that? I don’t really have any pedagogical or stylistic approaches or reasonings that I use to shape lessons and engage learners. I just try and create lessons that are fun and exciting, so they’ll get engaged and get a chance to relax a little while doing an easy going activity.
I would really like to implement the pod-style seating arrangement that is in this classroom. I really like the ideas surrounding student lead learning and its emphasis on group engagement and cooperation. It’s so different from my own learning in a more traditional classroom, that I just find it a nice change of pace.
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