Hi
Class, My name is Katy and I will be your discussion leader for the week.
This
week we are wrapping up our Zadina text by taking a step back and looking at
the big picture. Zadina includes a small section in which she discusses the
physical environment of a school, specifically students feeling safe and relaxed in their school environment. This piqued my interest. I teach at a school
where the heating and cooling system is so old that it takes 2 days to turn on or off the boiler system, so those two days in early March where it was 80 degrees on Wednesday
and 40 degrees on Thursday, the physical environment (hot and sticky) truly
impacted my students ability to concentrate. When looking more into classroom
environment I found a lot of literature on classroom environment in terms of
classroom culture, but very little on the physical environment. This surprised me.
I know that I get a “feel” for a class and a teacher just by walking in the
room, even when no one is present.
I
have submitted two articles and a youtube video for you all to enjoy this week.
I am excited to get this conversation going.
This
week I would love to hear your thoughts on:
1. What pre-service
training (in college or certification program) or support from your school did
you receive concerning your physical classroom environment?
2. My first year
teaching I rearranged my classroom 3-4 times the first semester… what mistakes
did you make with your environment and what have you learned? Or, if you are
not in the classroom, describe some really great or poor examples of classroom
environment?
3. Based on your
readings this week, what is one thing you might like to try this year, next
year, or when you are in the classroom, in terms of your classroom’s physical
environment?
During student teaching I was able to observe the importance of furniture and desk arrangements as well as seating charts. A teacher needs to be able to walk around the room with ease and students need to be able to easily work in groups. I was able to rearrange the seating chart a couple of times while student teaching which was beneficial to me as well as to the students. However, not all classrooms are fortunate enough to have enough space for this to be possible. Another aspect of physical classroom arrangement I have discussed and observed while student teaching has been organization with my materials as well as student materials in the classroom. Students need to be organized and there is no better way to start than in class! It is not wise to have supplies scattered about their table, it is better if they are neatly placed and organized in a dedicated supply area in the room. I quickly learned the importance of this when I had 6th graders take out highlighters, color pencils, protractor, and their textbook and worksheet. It was too much at once. First of all, having all the supplies strewn across their desks was distracting and overwhelming to them. I should have done the activity in stages where they only had one or two supplies out at a time. Second of all, when they put everything away they just threw it all in the supply buckets, rather than organizing them. So I had to clear up with the class that the supply bucket organization had a purpose. These really are things I never thought about until I experienced them. In the future, one new thing I would like to try is purposeful bulletin boards and welcoming walls with student work and posters that are colorful and exciting, but not obnoxious or distracting. One thing I hope to have which is out of my control, is a room with windows; the windows really do provide a better atmosphere in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteMeredith,
DeleteThe chief complaint of most ancillary teachers at my schools is the lack of space for movement between desks, especially with the carts they bring to classes for music, art, and Foreign Language. It really hinders many of their lesson plans, and this can often be easily fixed!
-Jamie Hipp
Meredith, What a wonderful reflection on your experience. I find too that too much at once creates chaos! I know that sometimes when my students have out a lot of materials I may give them a tray that is "their space" or tape off parts of the table that is their space. I try to teach organization in 1st grade so that when they get to middle school they know how to keep everything organized. I know I feel chaotic when the room is a mess too! I can't imagine how it must make them feel.
ReplyDeleteOh the seating chart! I know that I spend way too much time trying to spread out high vs. low, talkative vs. quiet, boys vs. girls. This year though, I 've learned that sometimes putting challenging students together is good for them because it creates teachable moments as they learn to work together. Have you found any other tricks of the trade for seating charts?
That is so smart to tape off an area that is their space! And I don't think there is a "right" seating chart or a easy trick for it. I just try to seat kids together that are a variety of high and low, chatty and quiet, helpers and loners, etc. and encourage them to work together.
DeleteI have seen classroom teachers utilize tape on the floor for students that like to misbehave and touch others inappropriately. Teachers tape a circle onto the floor so the student has some range of motion, but is urged to stay within the circle ensuring certain activities to not interfere with other students' work.
Delete-Jamie Hipp
While working on my undergraduate degree at SELU, I had to take an educational physiology class that was all about the environment of the classroom. For a portion of my final project, I had to configure the physical classroom based off of the learning strategies and philosophies that were discussed over the course of the semester. I found this really helpful when I got my first classroom because I had some type of foundation to help me configure my classroom. Although this training was not enough. I am constantly looking for ways to make my classroom more organized, student-driven, and efficient. Thanks for the articles and video! During my first year, I was rearranging my classroom just about once a month. This in itself was my biggest mistake. I was teaching first graders and when I would move their desks, or move certain workstations, it just confused them. I was constantly having to teach routines because everything was moved to new places. Looking back on it now, it was such an injustice to my poor babies. My original thinking was that I was making things easier for the flow of my classroom. Another mistake I made was having too much stuff in my classroom. There was stuff everywhere. It was a distraction to my students. Luckily, I got wise and when summer came, I got rid of everything I did not use during that first year. I was much more organized my second year. The physical environment, for me, is still a work in progress. When I return to school in the fall, I would like to incorporate the “Walls to Teach” and “Calm Spots”. By displaying student work in the classroom, it will allow students and opportunity to be responsible for their learning. It will also allow them to constantly “fire” information because they will see it daily. Calm spots seem like a great idea because it allows students an opportunity to deal appropriately with their emotions. “Provide retreat areas where students who are losing control of emotions can go to de-stress.” (Zadina, 2013, p. 216) Giving flustered students an opportunity to have a safe place to calm down, will make them feel safe in the classroom. Hopefully this will allow them to calm down quickly and be able to focus on the classroom lessons.
ReplyDeleteAshley, I am so glad that you got to take a class that had you design a classroom. Could you direct us to any of the learning strategies or philosophies you used?
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you challenging our thinking on too much rearranging too much. I had noticed this this year with my centers, every day 2-3 of my centers were different activities. I was constantly trying to teach them new routines. Recently I have gotten better about keeping one center always reading, one always math, one always guided reading. They appreciate the predictability.
I have seen classroom work walls where students each have a hook or clothes pin glued to the wall and they, at their leisure, can hang the work that they're proud of and want to show off. My wall space is too limited this year, but my at my old school my students loved it! And they changed the wall themselves. So easy for me! AND if they were having a bad day I would have them flip back through their work and reflect on the progress they had made and what they had done to make that progress. And secretly, when I had a bad day, I flipped the work too. Whew! Maybe they are learning!
The struggle I have with a calm spot is making it calming, but not too appealing. : ) I had have some students who would stay there all day looking at my glitter bottles and writing notes about how they felt. I found that being strong with procedures and purpose of the spot.... and having them make up missed work... helped a lot. I've also considered having them set themselves a timer, letting them choose 1,2, 3, or 4 minutes. I wonder if giving them a choice would help them self-regulate as well.
Oh goodness! I took that class about eight or nine years ago. The main thing I remember was the flow of the classroom. Our professor wanted us to make sure there was plenty of room for the students to move about the room. Also making sure to arrange the desks where each student had a clear view of the whiteboard, projector, etc. This can be a challenge depending on class size. We also discussed Piaget, Vygotsky, and Gardner in great detail. So for example, our professor wanted us to be mindful of the multiple intelligences when designing our classroom.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of giving students their choice of what work they would like to display. It lets them feel like a valued member of the classroom.
Oh I love the idea of giving students a choice of what to display as well! I also like the idea of having work displayed that wasn't necessarily a perfect test grade, so maybe a great constructed response answer on a test could be posted, even if they made a B on a test. Or a great homework assignment or project. I think this encourages students to keep trying hard, and I know it can get discouraging when the same 5 students' work is hung on the wall for making an A on a test.
DeleteThe high school classroom I am currently teaching in is brightly decorated and organized to the max. The students sit in individual desks, which are arranged in a way that makes it easy for us to walk around and assist the students. In my previous placement, the middle school classroom utilized tables that were pushed together so that students were permanently seated in groups of 4 or 5. The battle between group seating and individual seating is something I have thought a lot about. Group seating worked wonderfully in my previous placement; the students knew what was expected of them and they knew that there was a time for group work and a time for individual work. I am afraid that, in my current placement, it would cause behavior issues if I arranged the desks in groups and asked the students to leave them this way. Because I am in a somewhat smaller classroom with 20 or so students, leaving the desks arranged in groups would also make the classroom difficult to move around and give the room an even smaller feel. And don't get me wrong, we do a lot of group/partner work, we just don't leave the desks this way all the time. Each individual desk has an individual white board kept underneath and zipper bag zip tied to the arm. The zipper bag has a dry erase marker, a towel to wipe the white board, a highlighter, a few crayons, a few colored pens, scissors, and notecards to use for exit ticket questions. These bags are wonderful and I love that the students have quick access to these materials so that we don't have to take time out of class to walk around and find or distribute necessary materials. I feel like an organized classroom in which materials are meaningfully placed helps me just as much as it helps my students. My classroom uses a file organizer with 12 file folders. The folders are labeled Monday-Friday (2 sets of these) as well as "extra copies." We place the daily materials in the folders and the extra copies in the designated spot. If a student misplaces his or her work, they know where to look for an extra copy. We also use a "make up work" file organizer. At the end of the day, I make a packet of materials for the students who were absent; if a student is absent, they know where to find their work. We also use a "star student" bulletin board on which we display student work. My high school students get surprisingly excited about seeing their work on the board. Finally, we have a "homework" competition bulletin board - the goal is for each class to spell the word homework. When everyone in class completes their homework the class gets a letter, when they spell the word they are allowed to bring snacks to class for a day. They get pretty competitive and it is a great visual reminder that they are being held accountable as a whole class. It encourages them to remind one another to complete their homework.
ReplyDeleteAmy, I keep thinking about Zadina suggested that we always give students the option to work alone, and I find myself coming back to my own seating chart, in tables of 6. I have some students who prefer and do better on their own. So I have let a few scatter to extra tables around the room, they're happier and more productive and so are the students in the class. I am wondering if you did have individual desks you could teach them to move their desks into groups pretty quickly. It's a procedure you would have to practice, but they could each learn exactly where and how to move their desk and you could transfer from group arrangement to single desk within seconds.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of a file bin like the one you described. I always tell my intern that teaching is 90% logistics! How do you organize your classroom so that it is a calm, predictable environment. Heaven knows you can't leave 25 six year olds while you go make the copy you forgot! Do you find that your student's pick up your organization skills? Do you think it's a skill you can teach?
I definitely think that teaching my students a procedure to quickly move their desks into groups is absolutely necessary! If not, it becomes a puzzle every time I ask them to rearrange the room. I also really like that, most of the time, my students do have the option to work alone. I think it is important that students learn how to work with others, but I think it is equally as important that they feel like they are in an environment in which they are comfortable enough to do their best.
DeleteI also think that my students do pick up on my organization skills. They know that I expect them to keep my classroom in order, and they respect the fact that they are allowed to use all of the materials. I think that organization is a skill that can be taught, but I think that some people have more of a tendency to keep their things organized.
During my student teaching I learned that the physical classroom environment plays a huge role. I actually had the opportunity to witness my students reactions to a change of classroom environment. Every time we would rearrange the classroom I liked to watch the students reactions as they walked into the room. When there was a new classroom arrangement the students would walk in and not know what to do. They wouldn't know where to sit and it would always pique their interest in what we would be doing that day since the desks were moved.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of "walls that teach" in the classroom. I think the walls of a classroom are very important both for aesthetic appeal and for resources for learning. I am also a firm believer in the participatory environment. I think a classroom should be a comfortable space where students feel comfortable to share their thoughts and opinions. When my students are afraid to be wrong or to speak in my classroom, I strive to find a way to make them feel more comfortable.
ReplyDeleteShelli - I agree with the importance of walls. I think it's important to be able to automatically see what students have been learning when you walk into a classroom.
DeleteShelli,
DeleteI agree. There is a balance between change and stability. Students need change every now and then to pique their interest. New seats every month or so keep them from getting bored and too comfortable. As I’ve said before, I am sure your classroom is an excellent place for your students to learn to take risks!
This is such a great topic! I work in four different elementary schools. One school was in a modular campus from 2006 until spring of 2013 (we began management of the school in 2011). It was so exciting to finally move into the new building, and it has made a huge difference for our students. The rooms are bright and well-ventilated, and our youngest students have bathrooms in their classrooms, which saves so much learning time. The other buildings are all on a list to be renovated at some point. They have similarities to what Katy described in her post. I think teachers are able to work with the space available in most cases, but it definitely takes some extra planning and refining of procedures.
ReplyDeleteThe best training I got on classroom setup was after my first year training through CLI - cliontheweb.org. It was through a literacy training, and they taught me how to make sure my centers and literacy materials were accessible for students to use independently, including the class library. I definitely recommend registering on their site. They also talked a lot about only putting up materials in the classroom that you created with students. None of the teacher store purchases, which probably saved me a lot of money the next year! At the start of the year they stressed that you don't need a full classroom, and it will fill up over time.
Based on the reading this week, I would like to encourage teachers of all PK-2 classrooms to have an inviting place to take a break. This is a requirement for PK, but I think it would be a great practice for other grades too. It could even be a quiet space to read, not just if a child is having a behavior meltdown.
Maya, what a wonderful opportunity for your students to have a nice new school! Did you notice a difference in behavior or investment in learning as a result of the new building? We have been talking about trying to move in to a new building for a few years now and it seems to keep falling through. Sometimes I think kids are rougher on our school (picking paint off walls etc.) because the building is so old and crappy already. We do our best to make it a positive environment, but it’s hard. Also, bathrooms in classrooms seems like a dream come true!!!
DeleteYes, and I believe that a classroom should be bare at the beginning of the year. I once spoke to a teacher who didn’t even decorate (no border, no bins outs etc.). So the first day of school all the students show up, and together they put the classroom together! It sounds like a lot of fun and great investment for them!
I think having a quiet place to take a break is important. At our school we teach time out not as a punishment, but as a gift. It’s my gift to you, I see you struggling and I am giving you the gift of a few minutes away. It causes a LOT arguments, makes them feel like I am on their side. Plus, it’s a win for me too because they still calm down and regain self-control
Since my Bachelor's degree is not in Education, it was not until my Master's program that one professor touched on this important subject, along with the hidden curriculum of the physical environment and its effect on students and learning. I remember the professor encouraging moving students as needed, and allowing for student movement throughout the room during the day. At all three of my schools, I am lucky enough to teach on a stage, in an auditorium, or in an empty classroom, supporting student movement and spatial awareness. During my first year as a teacher, I wanted all my students to feel like they had the right to move about the space freely, thus I allowed them to sit wherever they liked upon entering class, and then move them via a warmup or scene starter into groups. My observations reflected administrators' lack of understanding of this concept and their feedback always stated that students seemed 'to lask routines' upon entering the room. The next three years, I travelled between schools with tiny carpet squares (from Walmart) for students to sit on. I would place them in lines, rows, circles, one big circle, groups, etc., but I still felt this wasn't quite right because this was teacher-led.
ReplyDeleteI finally found the best way this year: students grouping themselves and getting focused by doing so. For example, I will state a version of the following when they enter class: "I am looking for three groups, each group will have at least one person wearing glasses, and at least one person with pink on their shoes. I will know you are in your group when you are touching each others' shoulders and are silent." Then I will set my timer for 20-30 seconds. Students have to think fast, make strong choices, and focus to do this. It also eliminates students picking their same friends time after time. Students are usually successful, but we discuss "why they were not successful" if they cannot complete this in time, or if they complete this activity incorrectly.
The best example of a classroom environment I have seen is Mrs. Bush's 3rd grade class at Parkview Elementary. As you will see in the pictures on my individual blog, desks are grouped with ample space between for movement, students have posted jobs each week, groups can change easily, and directions for the morning are clearly outlined on the board. Students have ample supplies in plastic cabinets at their table groups, making them self-sufficient and not reliant on the teacher. The walls boast great work and important information. I think this environment is a key factor to Mrs. Bush's students showing huge growth year after year.
-Jamie Hipp
I love this technique for grouping students. Giving students the freedom to choose seems to engage the students more and creates a positive working environment. It makes the students feel like respected and valued members of the class. This technique can also reduce some of the stress on the teacher, if implemented correctly. I also believe the students would see this technique as a type of game. This could allow the students an opportunity to have a little "fun" in very rigorous environments.
DeleteI think you hit the nail on the head when you discuss students having the freedom to move about the classroom. It sends the message that your room is their room too and you trust them enough to give them that freedom. I have never had the guts to completely let my students choose their own seats, I wonder what they would choose when they first enter. Did you find students made choices that benefited their learning, or did you find they were distracted by their seat choice?
ReplyDeleteI love the parameters you set around grouping themselves. I can imagine different students feel special each day. I would feel special if I were wearing glasses and suddenly everyone wanted me to be in their group! Where did you learn this technique? How did you teach the procedure to students? Did you find they caught on quickly or needed a lot of practice?
Ms. Bush’s classroom sounds wonderful! Being in a well-designed classroom feels so great!
Katy,
DeleteWhen I allowed for student choice of seating, they were more alert and excited because of that choice and I found that participation increased. My grouping practice came from a workshop through the Arts Integration Workshop I belong to: Louisiana A+ Schools. Students completely "got it" within the week and can't wait to see what the parameters are each week. With older students, I make it harder, such as, "I know you are ready to work when you are in groups of five with at least one student born in the first quarter of the year. Your group will be ready when you are all standing in the wing of the stage."
-Jamie Hipp
When I was in undergrad classroom physical environment was discussed in my classroom management class in my teacher education program. My first year teaching the principal stressed physical classroom environment and there were a few teacher in-services dedicated to it. I also received training or tips on effective classroom set up from some of the teacher conferences I have been to.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone goes through the process of changing their classroom around their first year of teaching. I am always changing things around because every environment is not favorable for every population of students. I don’t think it’s about making mistakes but just figuring out what works for you, your students and the space that you have to teach in. Some of the things I want to change the most are things I don’t always have control over: such as teaching in a room with no AC or the volume of the intercom. This past week I had to make some extreme changes to my classroom and all around physical environment because of testing. I had to cover posters on my walls and take things down. A few of my students are Law 1 and they did not test and because of that we had to move to another classroom for testing because our classroom was going to be occupied.
When I think about changing the classroom environment in my class it is hard to determine what I can manipulate. I want to change a lot of things that relate to the design and furniture arrangement. I would also like to manipulate the schedule as well to allow for more breaks and movement. Unfortunately because I have taken over someone else’s class temporarily I am not as free as I want to when it comes to changing things like furniture. I also have to think about what will be least constricting to the students because their education is so individualized any change has to be well thought out. One major thing I would add are classroom stations such as a reading area, art table and computer cubicles to eliminate distractions. I enjoyed the study in the second article related to classroom environment and college students because it shows that whatever educational environment you teach in physical setup is important to student behavior and education.
Morgan W.
Morgan, It’s wonderful that you principal stressed this to you in your summer PD. Do you remember any resources or suggestions you heard about?
ReplyDeleteWe went through the PARCC changes too. I know our students missed the bright colors and fun atmosphere. Did your students notice the differences? How did they react?
It sounds like you know your students well and think through any decisions to make changes before you make them. I know my first year I “threw the baby out with the bath water” once or twice, making huge changes that really weren’t necessary. What specific things do you consider when you make physical changes to your environment?
My students love centers. They like having the smaller space to get work done in groups. Sometimes I think classrooms are too over stimulating for my kiddos and they get overwhelmed. I have a few students who, when they get upset, still like to take their time out under my desk. I think they like the security and comfort that a big open rooms with dozens of other students does not afford. This makes me think too about having a calm spot in the room.
At Sherwood Middle my mentor teacher's classroom rarely stayed configured the same way from day-to-day. We would rearrange the desks in order to accommodate whatever activity the lesson required. Mostly this involved situating desks into separate sets or groups in order to give each individual student access to a laptop. My students always had some sort of reaction to the classroom being differently configured. These emotions ranged from blasé ignorance to outrage. Mostly the students were simply confused as to where to sit.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely see how the amount of space in a classroom could pose a problem for rearranging the room. The smaller the classroom size, the less space the teacher has to work with as far as desk arrangement is concerned. This was not a problem at Sherwood Middle inasmuch as my mentor teacher’s classroom was enormous. There was plenty of room to switch things up whenever we needed. Other teachers in smaller rooms often had to put several desks into the hallway in order to accommodate a different arrangement.
At DSHS my mentor had an entirely different approach. Rather than change the arrangement of desks, she requisitioned 8 large tables that could sit up to 6 students at a time. She never rearranged them as long as I was there but she didn’t really need to. Instead, students’ individual positions within the classroom were switched up every other month. The seating schedule would be projected on the SmartBoard and met with the kind of vehemence with which some Sherwood kids reacted to the new desk arrangement.
As the article suggests, I agree that the “approach is to create spaces capable of quick reconfiguration to support immediate learning goals,” as was the case with my Sherwood classroom. However, creating a space in which all activities can be performed without the added work of moving desks around—as was the case at DSHS—seems more desirable.
When I have my own classroom I will probably want to have individual desks. I think that it’s good to mix things up once in a while so as not to remain in the same stagnant positions day after day.
DeleteI just wish there were "like" buttons for the blog! :) When I read comments I just want to "like" what you all are saying! This was such a great topic!
ReplyDelete