The Classroom Environment

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are”  Theodore Roosevelt

         This is the first thing that comes into my head when I think about creating my future classroom spaces.  Realistically, there is a large chance that I will never have the amount of room I want.  A classroom that I am currently in has 29 students in it and the district technically zoned it for 17 students.  But I know that I will need to be creative and use the space I have and use it to its full potential.  When designing my classroom I want to strike a good balance between input from my students and my own ideas. This will take work and it will take time, but it will be well worth it when my classroom environment enhances my students’ learning instead of prevents it.

Questions I want to consider when building a classroom that supports my developing beliefs?

         How do my classroom spaces contribute to building a community of learners with my students?

         How are the displays, artwork, posters, and bulletin boards useful for students?

         How do the different spaces in my classroom help students focus on their learning?  Aka how do I minimize distractions?

         My classroom design needs to encourage and support the structure of our day.  Using specific spaces in the classroom to reinforce routines helps students remember them and helps them anticipate what is going to happen.  If we always do read alouds from the carpet in the reading corner, students will know what to expect and how they should act when asked to gather there.  The design and spaces in my classroom need to help with the organization of our schedule and day.  Debbie Miller emphasizes the importance of having a place for everything and a reason for that place.  When there are specific places attached to where students should place their finished work to where the books for guided reading are kept students will have more time to get in the learning zone rather than stressing out about where to get something or where to put something.  I believe that teaching students about organization is a crucial aspect to their success in the rest of their academic career and designing an environment that promotes organization and structure will help accomplish that.

         My classroom design needs to help students make independent decisions and support their learning.  I don’t believe that my classroom walls and bulletin boards should only be filled with pretty posters of flowers and dogs, just because I like them.  Everything that is displayed in my classroom should benefit the students’ growth, both academically and socially.  The walls should have posters with steps for finishing a piece of writing, allowing students to make their own decisions rather than coming to the teacher and saying, “I’m done, what do I do?”  The posters should help remind students of words they can use, remind them of strategies that can help them, and ideas they need to remember related to the concepts we are covering.  The walls should display what the class is striving for and how far they have come from past work, ideas, and accomplishments.  

      My classroom design needs to facilitate both conversation and community, but also focus.  I want my classroom to encourage collaboration without distraction, which I know will be a tricky thing to accomplish.  This includes many areas and opportunities for students to work together, but it also includes finding ways to maximize the students' focus on the tasks.  This may include grouping desks in deliberate thought out ways, and having separate designated areas for groups to work together instead of sending groups all over the room and hallway to work.  I also want my classroom to be really inviting and happy without an overload of the rainbow and clutter.  

     I like the idea that my classroom environment doesn't need to be set in stone after I have finished putting it together in August before the students come.  I want to remember that if something isn't working in my classroom design it is worth taking the time to rethink it to benefit my students' learning and attitude towards our work together.  I want my students to feel at home in my classroom while also feeling inspired to work hard and challenge their learning.  But of course I will also be excited to design my own desk and classroom door decorations!  I just know those won't be the main contributions to developing a classroom environment that emphasizes learning, community, respect, and joy.

Thanks!

Kate