Joanna Williams

On the first day of school in elementary I remember I couldn't wait to see my new teacher and new classroom. All the bright colors around the classroom the different posters and I couldn't wait to see how the teacher would set up the desks.  Now that I am older I wonder was there a purpose for the bright colors and different posters hanging around. As a child I tried to remember did the energetic classroom help me gain more knowledge because of how it was set up. Teachers all over the world set up their classrooms different; some have bright colors and a lot of posters while others have nothing at all. Do classrooms with high energy, a lot of colors, spark and posters enhance a way a child learns?

In a classroom it is very important to make sure the classroom is set up for the students and not the teachers. In my study I will focus on how some features in the classroom can enhance the way a student learns. The way the classroom is set up is very important and also a key factor for a student. If the student is not comfortable then it will be hard for them to focus on the lesson. In my experienced in elementary I had one class were the desk was too big for the students, our feet couldn't reach the floor and it was very distracting. The main focus when setting up the classroom is to focus on how the student will react to the environment.

Literature Review

In the book Classroom Spaces That Work by Marlynn Clayton she focuses on how the classroom should be set up for the students. Sometimes it is hard for teachers to put their self in the mind of the students. Marlynn states in her book the classroom should support students’ developmental needs: emotional, social, cognitive, and physical. (Clayton,13) She makes sure that teachers understand that the classroom should be set up in an organized way.  In the first page of the first chapter she starts off by saying “the room is not made for you” (Clayton,11) This book also focused on how children development changes with their age. The classroom should accommodate the student needs and age range. When students reach different ages their focus changes and so should the classroom.  In the article she touched on certain ages, the ages I focused on was ages 6 and 7. At these ages six year old students are competive, bossy, socially energetic and also sloppy. Having classroom with six years old the space needs to be organized and neat.  “Their learning materials should invite active and concrete exploration..” (Clayton,27)

In a classroom with working with seven year olds they like their privacy, they are more serious and focus. They like to work in confine spaces and also easily distracted. When setting up a classroom for seven year olds the classroom should be set up were the children are able to work alone or at least with one person. They like their individual space to work instead of groups. There should also be a good supply for art materials and things for the students to express themselves.

My second review comes from an article Classroom Spaces that Work also by Marlynn Clayton. She also wrote an article that expresses the way the structure of a classroom should be. In the article she express that the classroom should fit the bodies. The desk should be a certain size base on the students, bookcases and other things students need to have access to should be the same size as them. Also things like posters and the board should all be at eye level so it will be convenient for the students. Marlynn believes that students should also be a part of the setting up process this will give them a sense of ownership.

Methods and Data

In my study I observed a small classroom with about 20 students and I interviewed the teacher in her classroom. In my observation I first wanted to notice how the desk was setup. They were in groups of five and all in a clear view of the smart board. I was really curious on how she set up the desk and was the students place in a certain way.

JW          Ok did you see… I see… say the students are in groups did you seat them in a certain way I remember being me in elementary school the teacher sat us in certain ways base on our different personalities and different types of way we were taught and learnt.. Did you seat your students in that certain way

NR      UMM yes actually I decided to place at least one active and enthusiastic student     in one of the group just to provide encouragement and support and umm those students who require special attention they receive attention from our teacher aid

She explained to me that she did set up the students based on how outgoing the students were. When I observed this I noticed that the students who were more outgoing over powered the other students. Those students answered most of the questions while the other students blended in the back ground. When I asked NR if this was an issue it seemed as if it wasn't.

JW      Do the shy student still find a way to make their self-known in the classroom

NR      Yes they do weather its him or her doing its own their own or me being the one to force it .. Not force it but weather me not calling on more of the active student but me trying to encouraging the shyer student

At this moment I felt like NR knew there was a problem so that’s why NR has to call on the shy student because they don’t respond on their own. NR starts off by first saying she has to force them but quickly changes it up to justify that the shy students are not being force. With this setup I think it might be embarrassing for the shy student because they may feel like they are not as good as the more energetic student.

After reviewing the desk set up, I noticed there were different posters and quotes around the room. This made the room pop and it cover up the bland walls behind it.  Also in the classroom there were three sections that were set up reading, math, and costume. These sections were used throughout the day and were incorporated in the lesson.

Math Section

In the math section the students use blocks to help them answer the question that was on the board. In the math section only five students were allowed. The problem that was on the board was the same problem that the students at their desk worked on. The students responded to this section very well. They used the blocks to answer the question and in my observation they were solving the problem faster than the students that were sitting in the desk. This section is good for students who are visual leanings and can help enhance their math skills. When the students worked I this section they worked together and really enjoyed everything that was going on. I also notice the students that were sitting in their desk envied the students in the math section. This made me realize that these students enjoyed the math section rather then sitting at their desk.

Reading section

The reading section was set up with furniture and a book case. The book case had different level of books and the only way you were allowed in this section is if you were reading. In this section I notice students were not paying attention to their books but rather talked to one another. The teacher had to keep telling the students to stop talking unless they will have to go back to their seats. This section was the least favorite of the students. With setting up classroom students must feel comfortable and involved but in this section they seem board and uninterested. This section was doing nothing to enhance these students learning because they couldn’t focus on the reading. The teacher needs to find a way to get the students more involved in this section so they can become better readers and learn that reading can be fun.

Costume Section

This was the last section the students interacted in. This section was only for the students who were good in class and excel in their work that day. The day I observed only five students went to the section. The costume section had police uniforms, chef aprons, doctor scrubs and more. All these costumes help children explore their imagination. As I watched students interact in this section I seen a lot of little arguments break out. These students were arguing over the different costumes. Then the teacher had to remind them that if they argue they cannot participate anymore. After the teacher’s announcement there was no more arguing. Out of all the sections this section really helps explore the children minds. They became whoever they wanted to be once they put on the different costumes.

With these different sections they help the children expand their learning. When I walked into the classroom I already knew that the teacher designed for the students. The teacher knew that the way the classroom was setup help enhance the way that the students learn.

NR      …..So for me providing those three different sections I’m providing the student who wants to be a geeky nerd who wants to be the drama actor or the producer or director and I provide the section who wants to be the mathematical genius you understand me? A teacher should give a student options to be him or herself

Conclusion?????

NOT FINISH YETTT!!!!