Reflective Journal 1- Domain 1: Teaching and the Environment

ELE 300-Practicum I

How is the room physically arranged?

My first impression of the classroom was that it was well lit. One entire wall is just windows. Mrs. Davis had all of the blinds open and natural light just poured into the classroom. Granted, the windows were not the only source of light in the classroom the ceiling lights were on as well. As a student myself, I have learned that whenever my classroom did not have windows, I felt closed in and restricted both of which are not two emotions you want to have your students feeling in a classroom.
As I observed the classroom setup further, I noticed that Mrs. Davis’s desk was in the far right corner in the front of the room. The desk faced away from the corner so Mrs. Davis could comfortably sit in the desk while simultaneously monitoring her students with a simple glance up. Alongside her desk by the windows, she has a shelf where most of her teacher resources are kept. Also in the front of the classroom, there is an overhead and a small book shelf containing books that belong to their classroom library. The front wall has two bulletin boards, a chalkboard and a pull down screen for the overhead. Although there is a chalk board, most of it is covered with posters. The last two structures present in the front of the room are a chart paper easel and a smaller teacher desk pushed close to the wall. I gather that the purpose of the front area room arrangement is to create a space where Mrs. Davis can work, as well as visually communicate to students the resources available to them.
The middle of the classroom is dominated by student desks. They are arranged into three groups consisting of about six desks per group. There is ample space between each group of desks so Mrs. Davis can easily walk through when monitoring her students. All of the desks are arranged in a way where every student can easily see what is displayed on the overhead without straining. I assumed that the middle area of the class was physically arranged to promote collaborative learning between the students.
In the back of the classroom, there are three separate tables and a supply cabinet. The first table is round with about four chairs around it. The second table seems to be the location of all of the technology in the classroom; on it there are two computers and one printer. The last table is very similar to the students’ desks; there are just three desks pushed together. From what I have observed, all three tables in the back are used for small group or individual instruction. The back of the room also has a lot of open rug space, especially in front of the computer table.
Finally, the perimeter of the room is mostly shelves. These shelves stock their textbooks as well as games, journals, and visual aids. In general, the room is very organized and free of clutter.

Do children seem to know where things are in the classroom?

All of the students definitely know where the classroom supplies are in the classroom. Last week during the science unit about space, the students set up a simulation experiment that would help them decide whether or not gravity is needed in order for you to swallow your food. Mrs. Davis instructed them to push two chairs together and prop one chair up with their class dictionaries and their social studies books so they could create an incline. Once she instructed them to begin, the students knew exactly where to go to get the supplies they needed for the experiment.
The majority of the informational posters on the walls were made by the students, so they know exactly where to look in the classroom when they need to refresh their memory of a word, formula, or concept. One day, the students were doing their daily mental math problems and Mrs. Davis asked a question regarding galloons and pints. All of the student’s heads turned to the back of the room where I was sitting. I soon realized that they turned to glance at the “Galloon Girl” and “Galloon Boy” paper dolls they had made earlier in the year to help them solve the problem. Other student made resources in the room that they refer to are: an idioms poster, constellation worksheets, and an earth’s core poster.

How do learners and teacher’s use the classroom space?

Mrs. Davis uses the entire classroom for instruction all throughout the day. The overhead in the front of the classroom is used mostly used for whole-group instruction. She often puts the overhead of the worksheet they are going to be doing on the overhead so she can discuss what the students are going to be doing as well as what she wants them to finish.
The desk arrangement Mrs. Davis chose is a direct reflection of what she wants her students to be doing before and after a lesson. She frequently asks her students to collaborate with their table members to share their worksheets answers, brainstorm ideas, or summarize what they just learned. One day, they created a KWL chart about what they know about space. The students brainstormed with their table and then wrote down what they knew and what they wanted to know about space on a post it so that they could share it during whole class discussion. Later in the lesson, she taught them about the characteristics of meteors and meteorites. She handed out a packet with pictures and text describing each. After the class read the packet together and analyzed the pictures, Mrs. Davis asked her students to share with their group members what they learned from the lesson. Mrs. Davis uses the student desk space to facilitate collaborative learning.
Mrs. Davis uses the back or the room as a place to individually meet with students to review their writing and monitor their reading progress. She also uses the space in the back of the room as a whole class meeting place. There is ample space on the floor, so every student can sit comfortably on the floor. The only instance in which I have seen the whole class sit in the back of the room is when they watch a video on the computer. Mrs. Davis downloaded a video that discussed what space suits are made out of. In all, Mrs. Davis uses each part of the room in a different way; the front of the room is used to introduce a concept, the middle where the students’ desk are, is used to actively engage students in thinking about what they learned, and the back of the classroom is where technology comes in to play as a way to sum up what they have learned.
The main space used by the learners is their desk space. This is where they get most of their work done in the classroom. On occasion, Mrs. Davis invites students to come up to the front of the classroom to share their answers. From what I have observed, the students mostly stay in their desks during the day except for when they are doing an active activity like the space experiment I previously mentioned or when they go to gym, music, or custom typing.

Is the room more child-oriented or teacher-oriented? Give examples.

Mrs. Davis’ room is more child-oriented than teacher-oriented. Everything in the classroom, from the teacher to the posters, is there to facilitate and enhance student learning. There are grabber idea posters, good manners board, writing tips poster, introductory paragraph hints, constellation diagrams, an assignment board, and much more. All of the visual aids in the classroom serve as a visual outline for the students of what they are currently working on.

What resources are in the room? How do the adults and children use them?

Student dictionaries, textbooks, flash cards, board games, overhead, chart paper easel, posters, computer, protractors, and maps are some of the resources I have noticed in the classroom. The main resource that I have observed Mrs. Davis using a lot is the overhead. She relies on the overhead when she teaches a lesson, or if they are reviewing for a test, she writes down the key words they should know for the test. Mrs. Davis also uses the internet as a resource to reinforce concepts the students have learned. She supplements the material by finding a video on YouTube or a game on a math website. The main resource I have observed the students using would be their textbooks, especially during science. They use the textbook as a reference tool. One student took it upon herself to clarify the age of the earth by looking it up in her science book during the science review section when no one could recall the exact number. The number one resource that both student and teacher use in the classroom is one another. In their collaborative groups, students can talk with each other to come up with an answer or use one another to brainstorm ideas. When one student is struggling, sometimes one of their classmates will be the resource they need to understand.

What techniques are used to gain the students’ attention, to transition them from one activity or place to another?

Mrs. Davis uses verbal cues in order to gain her students’ attention and transition them from one activity to another. The day is divided up according to the subject starting with language arts, then math, specials (i.e. gym), reading, science, and writing. Mrs. Davis simply asks the students to put away what they were working on and take out the materials for the next subject.
One important component to Mrs. Davis’ curriculum is the daily math worksheet and daily language problem. Both serve as way to transition the students from one activity to another. The daily language problem is usually a sentence written on the overhead containing errors in which the students must correct. This activity transitions the students into the school day because it is always done first thing in the morning. The daily math worksheet is divided into three parts, each having three problems to complete. The problems address simple math concepts and formulas that the students should know. It is a quick activity that transitions the students into the math lesson.
When the students go to a special, Mrs. Davis has them line up outside of the room along the wall. Then they all walk together to the special. Once the special is over, they walk back in a line to their classroom where they have to wait in line outside of the class until Mrs. Davis comes. She makes sure they are quiet and then she lets them enter the classroom. By doing this, Mrs. Davis is ensuring that her students will be calm, quiet, and ready to start learning again.

What examples of technology are available?

The only permanent pieces of technology in the classroom are the computers in the back of the room. Mrs. Davis also has the option of renting out the computer cart. The computer cart has about twenty laptop computers that each student can use. Mrs. Davis rented the cart on the first day I observed and had the students practice reading a protractor by playing a game online. The only other place Mrs. Davis can take her students to use a computer is the computer lab down the hall. Other than the one computer in the back of the room, no other forms of technology are present in the classroom.

In a paragraph, reflect in an analytical manner, what you learned about teaching and the environment. You must use at least two ideas from class discussion or book.

Classrooms are not static environments. Classrooms are constantly changing whether it is the teacher that changes, the students, the walls, the curriculum, the traditions, or the conversations. In the beginning of the year, teachers have to change the setup of their classrooms to reflect who they are as a teacher. I learned that furniture arrangement is a good indicator of what style of teaching that teacher employs. Having desks in lines suggests a teacher-centered instruction approach, whereas having desks in groups suggests more of a collaborative style of teaching. According to Helen Maniates, “an organized classroom functions as a silent teaching partner” (2001, pg. 33). I had never thought of a classroom as a teaching partner until I read it and then went on to experienced it in Mrs. Davis’ classroom. The bulletin boards, posters, and student work are constant visual reminders of what the students have learned. From what I have seen, students create most of the resources that are displayed on the classroom walls. These created resources help the student establish a personal connection and belonging to the classroom. At the same time, they can take a quick glance at their work to refresh their memory of past concepts they learned. I now understand what it means for a classroom to be a silent teaching partner. In a learner-centered classroom, the current curriculum is illustrated all over the classroom; all the students need to do is know where to look and how to use the information they see, both of which are learned with the aid of their teacher.



Citation
Maniates, H. , & Doerr B. (2000). Teach Our Children Well: Essential Strategies for the Urban Classroom. Portsmouth: Heineman, 33.