A Simple Technique to Change Your Classroom Environment

Patty Campbell has been teaching for 27 years and she knows how to create a classroom that works for her and her students. Her loving greeting gets the day started right, and her clear expectations help the classroom function well.

Listen to the podcast here:

What do you wish that you had known before you started teaching?

I wish I would have known that this job is as exhausting as it is. It is mentally, physically and emotionally exhausting.

I love what I do.

I wish I had known that I make a difference even when I don’t see it.

I wish I would have known that I was going to spend as much money on my classroom as I have.

I wish I would have known that I have a great support system with my family.

I don’t want to be negative, but you can’t save them all. There is going to be that 1% of kids who are not going to make it regardless of what you do.

What are some things you are doing well as a teacher?

I meet them at the door every single morning. I greet them by name and I give them a hug. I wish more teachers would do that.

It’s a way to encourage them and create a caring classroom environment.