What is a Learning Environment Plan? Why is it important? Does it really affects how a teacher effectively manage his/her classroom? These questions are very important to perspective teachers. Well, there are many components one should take into consideration to create an effective learning environment for his/her students whether from daycare to tertiary educational setting. This environment could be very influential to a student learning ability or it can prohibit ones. Students need an environment that is comfortable and is stimulating.
A teacher’s job is to provide that environment for his/her students, hich entails all aspects of arranging a practical layout, providing materials and supplies, and help the students to feel safe and a sense of belonging. I put a lot of thought in creating my kindergarten classroom layout. A classroom that has a well-defined physical arrangement and appears organized will promote positive learning, and that is what I tried to achieve in my layout. A well-planned classroom has clearly defined boundaries designating where different types of activities will take place.
Furniture arrangement can provide physical boundaries and clarity. Therefore, my students’ esk arrangement clearly shows that there will be a lot of cooperative learning. My teachers’ station is to the front on the left side as you walk in to the classroom, where l also have a clear view of my entire classroom and my students, whether he or she is by his or her desk, or by a station. It is also strategically placed there so I can also get a view of who is entering and leaving my classroom at all times.
Students should be able to know to know what specific activities would occur in each station this will help students to participate fully in the activities that are listed on the easel or bulletin boards to display which ctivities are next. Each station is divided by a partition to give a little sense of privacy and to control being distracted while the students work. Numerous storages are placed throughout the classroom in strategic areas for numerous reasons such as, separating stations, and for students and teachers to have easy access to classroom materials.
Twenty students to one teacher, and each student has a complete different personality, and learning ability. This environment plan gave us a challenge to place these twenty students. Nine general students with no learning disability. Three English language learners student with imited English proficiency, one of whom is of Cuban ancestry, Spanish being his or her primary language, one of whom is Haitian ancestry, Creole and French being his or her primary language and one of whom is of Brazilian ancestry, Portuguese being his or her primary language.
Also three students who were labeled to have behavioral problems was also thrown into the mixed, where they may disturb the classroom. Five students identified as part of the Exceptional Students Education, one of whom is identified as dyslexic, one identified as having a visual disorder, one of whom is identified as having ADHD and two ho may be gifted. Placing these twenty students was difficult in a sense because you wouldn’t want to place a student next to another to hinder one another’s chance to learn. In the whole class teaching area has five long student desk which seats four students at each table facing the main work board.
On every table the student’s name is written on a piece of paper to identify his or her assigned seat. This seating arrangement help to promote and foster cooperative learning. Student table one consist of one dyslexic student to the front of the classroom to have a clear view of the board, and to hear me clearly, because ou have to take into consideration that dyslexic students confuses letter names and sounds, also demonstrates a difficulty with blending sounds into words, also exhibits a slow rate of reading, while also struggling to remember what was read.
This student will benefit to have a better view of the work board, and would benefit to be in a close range of any video/ audio being played, especially my voice. The Haitian student would benefit from being to the front of the class as well for clarity and less distractions so he or she can stay focus longer. I placed a general and a gifted student to help boast the dyslexic nd Haitian student understanding of the lesson being taught. Students at table two consists of the visual disorder student, two general students and the Cuban student.
The visual disorder student whom has been identified to have a visual processing disorder, and struggles to interpret visual information. He or she benefits from being placed to the front of the classroom to see the work board clearly and just in case he or she may have forgotten his or her glasses it would not be a big issue. The Cuban student would benefit from being close to the front as well to stay for clarity and less distractions so he or he can stay focus longer.
The two general students were placed on the same table as the Cuban and the visual disorder student to assist with any miscommunication and to be an extra pair of eyes for the students. Students at table three consists of three general students and a behavioral problem student. The reason for placing the student with the behavioral problem to the backs to limit the whole class being distracted when he or she is misbehaving, also being placed with student who may not promote his misbehavior.
Students at table four also consists a student with a behavior problem, one gifted, one Brazilian and he last one a general student. The student with the behavioral problem is once again placed to the back of the classroom to help minimize any misbehavior. The Brazilian student is placed next to a gifted student to assist when he or she may not understand. Students at table five consists one student whom have been identified to have ADHD, one with a behavioral problem, and two general students.
The student who is identified to have ADHD demonstrates issues with concentration and focus. This student is easily distracted, impulsive and cannot sit still and is one who loses interest easily and tends to day-dream. He or she is also placed to the back of the classroom to I the students being distracted from his or her outbursts, and he or she is strategically placed near the teacher’s desk, for the teacher to have a better view when there might be an outburst.
The same idea goes for the student with the behavior problems, and two general students were placed to balance out the table. The next area that is of importance to a Kindergarten class is the Circle area, where Circle time is held. This is where the teacher does read aloud and sing along songs etc… the teacher would normally state that it is now time for ircle time and students would rush to get a seat on the mat, so in order to minimize confusion I would call each table to stand and to walk quietly to the circle.
Take for example I would say, “Table five please stand and walk quietly to the mat and sit, then I called table four, three, two and one to do the same. This will help keep each student in their assigned placed as if they were seated at his or her desk. The library is also placed near the Circle mat to promote reading. Other centers that was strategically placed are the Reading and writing centers that help promotes reading and writing. Next to the Reading and Writing Centers are the Math and Science Centers.
These are also placed near the library for easier access to books and this area would normally be the likely to be the quietest area in the classroom. To the back of the classroom on the right is the block/toy area, the dramatic play area and the Art center. This area would normally have the most noise and be the messiest. Plenty of storage and shelves are in placed to help create a neat environment where everything is labelled, to find their designated placed. Looking around another important factor is he computer station.
Technology has become very important in our everyday lives. To foster this generation to learn how to be technologically literate, we have the computer stations were each student will have a chance to use the computers by the end of each week. The last area is the small group teaching area. Small group instruction is most readily associated with reading instruction. This is a teacher-directed area where five to six students are homogeneously grouped based on academic performance. Here the teacher is able to meet individual student needs while differentiating instruction.
While the teacher works with a small group, the remaining groups (homogenous in nature as well) should be rotating centers where academic concepts are reinforced. All groups should have an opportunity to experience each center by the end of the week. According to the students’ academic level they will be placed in the small group teaching stations. Your classroom arrangement can have a big effect on your ability to effectively manage your class. You may not be able to create your dream classroom but always make the best of the space, furniture and school materials you were given.