Classroom DesignCaitlin Robins

October 4, 20152nd grade

My practicum teacher has a reading nook in the back of the room with a classroom library and seat cushions for the students to sit on.

The reading nook provides psychological security because it allows the student to like the classroom is a safe and comfortable environment that they can learn in.

The cushions help to “soften” up the room. My practicum teacher also uses warm colors

which also help with psychological security.

Security and Shelter

Security and Shelter

The students desks are arranged in clusters of four around the room.

They directly face each other so it is easy for them to work together in their groups when necessary.

My practicum teacher likes to walk around the classroom and observe the student’s work so this layout works well for her views of social contact.

Social Contact

Social Contact

In my practicum classroom, the teacher posted a list of the alphabet above the board and as the year has gone on she has added words that the students have learned under the appropriate letter.

The posters in the classroom also reflect the culture of the students. For example, the school I am at is primarily African American so the posters are of African American children.

Therefore, they are able to relate.

Symbollic Identification

Symbolic Identification

There is a built in storage closet in my classroom that takes up one whole wall.

When the students come in in the morning they automatically know to get what they need for the day out of their book bags and then to take them to the closet.

Task Instrumentality

Task Instrumentality

There are beach balls hanging from the ceiling over each table numbering them. The students love them and always comment ab0ut wanting to play with them.

My teacher has a poster of her two dogs, Winnie and Frank, over by her desk.

Each day she draws a picture of one of the dogs on the left side of the board and calls it the “Woo!” column.

If the students are behaving well, then they get put under it. All of the students get excited when she draws it in the morning and try to guess which dog she will draw that day.

Pleasure

Pleasure

There are leveled books that the students are able to read in the classroom library during their centers time.

There are also tons of posters on the walls helping with anything from counting to spelling.

My practicum teacher has a bookshelf full of math manipulatives that students are able to use as well.

All of these resources help students to be able to grow further in their education.

Growth

Growth

(G. Cuprisin, personal communication, October 5, 2015.)

References