Kim Russo Education Portfolio
Kim Russo
EDUC 4242
11/12/12
Assignment #4
Field Experience #2
Physical Classroom Environment
Assignment #4
Field Experience #2 Ms
Martin 4th Grade
During my observations in Ms. Martin’s class I became aware of some of the challenges of the physical arrangement and function of her room. Her classroom appears, neat, clean and free of clutter. The desks are arranged in five small groups positioned at a slight angle facing towards the large whiteboard at the front of the classroom. Four of the five table groupings are made up of four desks that form a “T” and set two groups on each side of a center grouping of six desks that is also in a “T”. At the front and center of the class is an overhead projector cart that appears to be one of the main sources of lesson instruction. The room has no windows and on the far left hand side of the classroom a long counter with cabinets above and below covers the entire length of the room. Ms Martin’s desk is in the far right corner of the room facing the door. There are three medium size bulletin boards on each of the three remaining walls. As we learned in class, the physical design of a classroom can have a direct impact on the students’ achievement. A good floor plan should take into consideration the visibility both for the students and the teacher, the accessibility to move freely and respond quickly to the needs of students and the distractibility in maintaining students’ attention. Our textbook states that the physical setting of a classroom should include security and shelter, social contact, symbolic identification, task, pleasure and growth. Taking all of these elements into consideration at all of these elements I was able to identify ten areas that could be changed or improved to enhance the function of the classroom.
Security and shelter are the most fundamental function of any classroom environment and should provide protection from the most basic elements like weather and noise. These needs must be meet before the physical environment can go on to serve students and teachers on a higher level. It would be hard to meet the needs of students if the roof had holes or the ceilings leaked. Luckily Ms. Martin’s classroom is in good physical condition and not in need of any repairs or structural changes as drastic as that. Her classroom did lack personal touch or comfort. I could tell very little about the teacher or the students’ and the walls and bulletin boards were very basic and showed no evidence of the students’ performance or achievements. Two changes I would make would be to use at least one of the three bulletin boards for current or recent student work, projects or assignments. On another bulletin board I would create one to encourage reading or math facts depending or the subject of instruction. Posting words and phrases of encouragement support and inspire students to do their best and work hard.
Ms. Martin’s classroom configuration was appropriate for small group instruction. This arrangement provides adequate visibility even though some of the students have their backs to the teacher when she was seated at her desk. The type of instruction should be considered when determineing the best classroom arrangement. As we discussed in class and the textbook, there is no perfect arrangement. No one classroom layout addresses all of the needs of every type of instructional situation. Two options I would consider for Ms. Martin’s room would be one similar to the handout we received in class from the VAD packet. The Elementary Room layout would be a better serve her class and address the lack of visibility by placing all of desks perpendicular to the front of the class. This configuration eliminates the need for students to have to turn in their chairs to view the whiteboard. Alternatively arrange the desks could be arranged in two or three rows with all of the desks facing towards the whiteboard. Again no arrangement eliminates all of the visibility problems. A third option to consider would be to have students arrange desks as needed depending on the type of instruction. With practice students can be taught a procedure to quickly and quietly move desks for small group instruction and then return to rows when returning to while group or independent seat work. One of the things I have learned through observation and our in class discussions is that flexibility is important and not to get too caught up on how the furniture look in the classroom and focus more on how it functions to promote learning.
Providing a classroom that is accessible allowing students and teachers to move about the classroom freely is also important when considering a classroom layout. Clear and direct pathways help avoid congestion and reduce classroom distractions. High traffic areas should be considered when evaluating the best configuration. I think it is important to consider where materials and frequent use supplies are located and how assessable they are to students. Less frequently used supplies can be placed in an area that may be more difficult to access. I noticed that Ms. Martin had her dictionaries placed on shelves right next to the class door. I would recommend the dictionaries be moved away from the high traffic area by the door and moved to the back of the classroom. A better placement for the dictionaries would be at the room on the counter long counter. They would be closer to the students and low enough for student to reach and easier to return them when they were done using them. Another important feature to an elementary classroom is an area for group story time, class meetings and group reading. The addition of an upholstered chair and reading rug would add warmth and comfort to the classroom. I would also have a library or reading corner with a few floor pillows and low bookshelves to create a quiet corner for reading. Making the classroom more inviting and accessible allows student to feel more comfortable and secure in their classroom environment.
Ms. Martin’s classroom décor is simple and minimalistic and free of most distraction. A few practical changes I would make to decrease distraction would be to relocate the classroom clock. It was at the front of the class next to the whiteboard, low on the wall. This drew the focus of the students right to it and they were clock watching during both small group and whole group instruction. A better placement would be to have it on the opposite wall directly across from the whiteboard. The students could still see the clock, but it would be out of the direct line of site during instruction at the front of the class. Some students are easily distracted by watching the clock and thinking about more desired activities like lunch or recess. Relocating the clock to the back of the classroom can make a big difference in keeping the student engaged and less focused on how many minutes until lunch. Another distraction I noticed was the location of the pencil sharpener. The location of the pencil sharpener can be a big distraction. Pencil sharpening is disruptive at time and Ms. Martin’s pencil sharpener is located between the whiteboard and the door. I would recommend moving it to the back of the classroom where it would be less noticeable and reduce traffic in and around the classroom door. Another option would be to put in place pencil sharpening procedures. Set up a station for penciling sharpening. Place two canisters labeled one for sharpened and unsharpened pencils. Assign the job of pencil sharpener to a student who will sharpen all the pencils at a time when it would be less disruptive to the class. Once the procedure is in place pre-sharpened pencils would be available through out the day without the noise and distraction of student needing to sharpen pencils. A solution like this also addresses the accessibility by cutting down on the traffic and congestion caused by students lining up to sharpen pencil.
My review of the physical arrangement of Ms. Martin’s classroom has helped me to be more aware of how important it will be for me to take into account the many different needs and requirement of classroom floor plan. I have become aware of the importance of listing expectations, instructional needs and students’ needs before moving and arranging furniture with in the classroom. Putting everything on paper first before I set up and decorate my classroom will prevent having to move objects around more times than necessary. The ultimate goal is to make the classroom attractive, motivational, functional and fun meeting all of the instructional needs of the students.
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Citation
Weinstein, C. S., Romano, M. E., & Mignano, A. J. (2011). Elementary Classroom Management (Fifth ed., pp. 28-47). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
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