Tom Steenson on Classroom Tone and Culture

What, you might ask, does cheese have to do with education? The answer is not that you may find holes in both, but rather that both require attention to the local culture to be made whole. This week on HeightsCast, Mr. Tom Steenson shares his thoughts on the tone and culture of the classroom. Leaning on nearly twenty-five years of teaching experience, Tom encourages us as teachers to see our classrooms as second homes and our role as assisting their primary families. There are, of course, important differences between being a parent and being a teacher, yet the overlap between the two vocations is striking and worth pondering. Listen to Mr. Steenson's ideas on how to shape the tone and culture of the classroom to be a place where students know they're loved, love to learn, and therefore learn to know and love all the more. Chapters 2:15 Chesterton and cheese 5:07 Like father, like teacher 9:35 How teaching is an art 11:50 What is "tone"? 15:05 Externals that affect the tone 18:10 Classrooms as expressing the teacher's personality 19:15 Differences between being a parent and a teacher 23:13 Overcoming first judgments 25:45 A key aspect of being an effective teacher 32:50 Recommended reading for teachers 35:15 On posters Also from the Forum School Tone, the Most Powerful Teacher with Alvaro de Vicente Discipline in the Classroom: On the Art of Order with Colin Gleason Artwork in Schools: On the Buildings that Build Us with Joe Cardenas Creating a Culture of Learning in the Home by Alvaro de Vicente John Paul II's "Culture-First" Approach: The Pope-Saint's Lessons for Parents, Teachers, and Leaders with George Weigel Ways to Foster a Family Culture by Alvaro de Vicente