ABSTRACT
One part of rigor that is often overlooked is the classroom environment. However, the culture of a classroom impacts how students work at rigorous levels, if at all. There are five specific areas we can address to create a rigorous environment: student motivation; growth mindset; building respect; creating safety and security; and developing student ownership. There are six strategies to develop a growth mindset in a classroom: build a learning-oriented mindset; focus on process as well as product; emphasize mastery and learning; reinforce effort; decrease learned helplessness; and provide multiple opportunities for success. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs teaches us that kids need to feel safe and secure before their mental energy is receptive to academic learning. The three strategies for creating an environment that is safe and secure are: providing risk-free opportunities to learn; encouraging students to take risks; and teaching students to learn from mistakes.
