Domain 2: Classroom Environment

EDUC 540, Student Teaching Seminar

Catherine Natter









Teaching takes a lot of training and a lot of work. A good teacher needs to understand
their material, their students and best practices in education. A good teacher needs to be
professional and meet standards. However, every classroom will still look different, and this is
okay. In fact, it is important that each classroom be a little bit different, because it should reflect
the teaching style of the individual teacher, as well as the unique student community. The
classroom environment, from how a teacher lays out the physical space to what behavior policies
the teacher puts in place, are just as important as what is actually taught in the classroom. The
classroom environment allows or does not allow learning to take place effectively. Therefore,
how I will design my own future elementary school classroom is something which is extremely
important to think about.
In beginning the process of designing a classroom management plan, I first thought of
Charlotte Danielsons Framework for Teaching, and the five main components which are
listed under this frameworks second domain; Classroom Environment.These components
include creating an environment of respect and rapport, establishing a culture for learning,
managing classroom procedures, managing student behavior, and organizing the physical space.
As I began constructing my own design the physical space first came to mind. Obviously,
what room I am provided with as a first-year teacher and what resources I am able to fill that
room with; will be highly dependent upon my administration and school district. However, I will
still have to make important decisions about the layout of the room, and these decisions will be
based on both my knowledge of child development, and my own personal teaching style and
logistical needs.
For example, in an ideal world I would have a classroom space large enough to
accommodate several student work stations, teacher and students desks, and a large group carpet
area. Stations would include a writing station able to hold at least 2 students, a listening station
for students to listen to audio books and music, and a thematic science or social studies station
for students to explore freely resources related to the weeks theme or unit.
In addition, I would try to set up a separate area of the room for quiet reading. This corner
would include several pillows and a special chair for reading. Students would be taught how to
use these resources properly, and would be able to take turns using them. When reading I want
my students to focus, but also to feel comfortable, and to have the opportunity to sit in a fuzzy
purple chair now and again.
Next, a guided reading table would serve me well for working with small groups of
students on different reading levels or working on specific tasks and skill development. Student
computers in another area of the room would allow playing of games for reinforcement and the
completion of school projects. In addition to my own desk, student desks would be set up ideally
in groups of four to allow for easier collaboration. Furthermore, these table groups of four could
easily be split up into two pairs of partnerships for some tasks.
Finally, perhaps one of the most important physical features of the classroom for me
would be the presence of a large open carpet area. Something very important to me personally is
the incorporation of movement activities into the classroom. As an undergraduate dance major,
believer in multiple intelligences, and the power of kinesthetic learning, integrating movement
into the curriculum is critical. A carpet space which would allow for movement exploration and
activities would be fantastic and an important goal for my classroom. This space would also be
used for whole group reading, calendar, and group discussions and presentations.
Another important aspect of establishing a healthy classroom environment, according to
Danielson, is the inclusion of procedures and routines to help manage the environment. An
important area in this category will be classroom jobs. Classroom jobs will not only make my job
easier by providing me with assistance in the classroom, but will allow my students to feel
involved and important in their classroom community. Jobs will include line leader, door
holders, a caboose to stand at the back of the line, paper passers, a board eraser, a student in
charge of lunch count, and students in charge of giving the daily weather report and announcing
the date.
In addition to the jobs in my classroom, several daily routines will also be in place to help
maintain organization and a smooth schedule. One important routine will actually be a brief run-
through by the teacher, at calendar, about the schedule for the day, followed by a period to ask
questions. This routine will allow me as the teacher the opportunity to discuss any changes from
the regular schedule to the students, will help minimize student questions throughout the day
about whats happening next, and perhaps most importantly, will allow students the opportunity
to speak to the lager group about any general questions or concerns about the day or week.
Students will also have a daily routine to follow upon entering the classroom each
morning. Students will unpack, take care of any business such as delivering notes and ordering
lunch, and finally complete morning work. In addition, students will follow established routines
for finishing all work. Supplies will always need to be put away before moving onto a new task.
Completed work will go in a work bin for me to grade, and graded work will go in the students
personal mailbox. This will help me know who has completed what, and also ensure that
students are afforded privacy concerning their grades and feedback from me.
Finally, I will put in place a series of signals for getting student or teacher attention which
students will be responsible for knowing and using throughout the day. For example, I may use
several call and response chants such as 1,2,3,eyes on me, to which students will be expected
to respond 1,2, eyes on you. I may also clap to get student attention and have them repeat, or
ring a bell. This could also be used for transitions. The use of a bell in particular is something
that I have found in previous classes I have taught to be pretty effective. It is a distinct but gentle
signal which the students will easily be able to recognize. In addition to these signals for
attention, I will also put in place signals for students to use when they need to go to the bathroom
or get water.
A final signal I would use I have borrowed from teacher Linda Kasarjians classroom,
which she describes in a video presentation, entitled Classroom Management: A Morning with
Linda Kasarjian and her First Grade Class. This signal, which is simply a tap on the head,
indicates that a student who wasnt called on during a discussion still had the same idea as the
student who was, or that they agree with that student. I like this signal because it allows more
students to be involved in a discussion, without needing to speak, and can lessen the desire to
sigh or loudly aww if not called on.
Another aspect of setting up the classroom environment is establishing rules, and of
course consequences for breaking those rules. This is also outlined in Danielsons framework.
For me, this is perhaps the most difficult component to design. Punishing students can be hard,
but unfortunately it needs to be done so that students understand what is expected of them and
are able to continue to have a positive classroom experience.
Before thinking about actual consequences for bad behavior, in designing my classroom I
wanted to think first about the rules governing it. I will definitely want to involve my students in
defining these rules, but I also agree with what Emily Morrison states in an InService Works
production entitled Establishing Rules and Consequences: Step-by-Step Through Week 1.
Having students create the rules on their own takes time better served elsewhere. As such I
would provide my students with the classroom rules myself. Having 4-5 universal rules I will be
able to ensure that whats important to me is addressed. However, in then allowing my students
to give examples for those rules, I will help ensure that the rules are also personally meaningful
to them, and therefore worth following.
My rules will include respecting you and others, transitioning between tasks quickly and
quietly, staying on task, keeping hands and objects to self, and following directions the first time.
Under these 5 rules students can describe many others of their own such as not hitting (hands to
self) and not talking when others are (respecting others).
To help students with awareness of their success in following these rules and to enforce
these rules I will also establish a choice chart. Something that I have seen in a lot of schools and
which I think can be effective is the green, yellow, and red traffic chart. Under this plan all
students start with a card representative of themselves on green. They then move down to yellow
and then red depending on behavior. I think this model is helpful because it helps keep students
accountable and gives them a clear visual reminder about the need to calm down and check their
behavior. However, I believe that such a chart needs to be used cautiously.
For example, with younger students especially, sometimes a behavior occurs that is
undesirable but which can be corrected with a just a gentle reminder. Students, especially young
students, will all make mistakes, but they dont need to be severely punished for every one. In
the elementary classroom my policy would be to give several gentle reminders before giving a
student an official warning. After two official warnings a student would change their card for
consistent defiant or disruptive or harmful behavior. Automatic changes to red might occur if a
child does something physically dangerous.
In addition, I am a firm believer that students should have their good behaviors praised as
well as their bad behaviors adjusted. I would want to include on this chart additional colors for
the students to move their card up to. This would happen on good days when they are really
focusing and getting their work done, make a great contribution to a class discussion, or do
something kind for another student. For students who frequently find themselves on higher
colors such as purple or blue, rewards may be offered.
These awards would be emotionally-based rather than material. Emily Morrison
describes this important distinction in a reward system, and like her I dont like the idea of
bribing children. I also see the value in a student being able to brag to their parents about how
well they did in school, and in parents being able to receive positive news about their childs
progress and behavior in school. Rewards I might offer would include positive notes home to
parents, or a congratulatory song or cheer from the class.
In addition, as a personal rule, except in extreme cases and where school policy
interferes, I would not take away recess time as a punishment. I personally believe that recess is
severely needed by kids, and sometimes even more so for those kids who have behavior
problems, because they struggle to sit still for so long in the classroom. Giving them time to run
around outside and use their energy effectively I think is important. As a general policy I would
also want to encourage appropriate responses from students to their behavior. If a student hits
another student for example, I might have to ask them to change their card. Im not however
going to let that be the end of it. More important than the card change is that that student sees
their behavior as wrong and apologizes for it.
In addition to these larger policies I would also include a few smaller fun behavior charts.
These might include a tally chart where table groups who are ready and on-task are given a tally.
The table with the most tallies at the end of the week would get a small prize.
Two final areas important to consider in designing the classroom are establishing a
culture for learning, and an environment which allows for student-teacher respect and rapport.
These are the final two components of Danielsons classroom environment domain. For example,
to help establish good classroom rapport, my future classroom will not always have students
working in a whole group. Whole group work will take place, but only in addition to small group
work for projects, guided reading or differentiation, and partner work in the form of partner talk,
two-player games and partner reading. Raising hands before speaking will be important to ensure
those talking are heard, and a variety of activities will be used to allow students to communicate,
including games, movement activities and songs. These will allow students of multiple
backgrounds, learning styles and intelligences to be reached, and for the brain to experience a
good break every now and again.
All of the above descriptions I think will help develop a classroom in which respect will
be able to thrive, as well as rapport between students, their peers and myself. The variety of
activities and procedures I will put in place, as well as the rules and methods of enforcing those
rules are based off of a desire to cater to the individual student, and my knowledge of child
development and nature. However, there are several specific items which I want to also highlight
in terms of developing a classroom culture for learning.
First, I will explain at the beginning that our class rules are there to make the classroom a
safe place for everyone, and not to make the class boring. Second, there will be a strong
emphasis in my classroom on the value of every persons ideas. No question is stupid and no
thought too small when we are all learning together. Sometimes there are multiple ways to solve
a problem, and sometimes there is more than one right answer. When we do make mistakes
however, its okay. In fact, sometimes making mistakes helps us learn even more. I will not only
tell my students when they are incorrect, but when they are right, and will praise students when
they make real strides. Finally, I will make every effort to promote learning as a fun experience.
Learning can be hard work, but when you have a new skill or piece of knowledge there is so
much you can do with it!
It is my hope that by modeling these beliefs, behaviors, and philosophies outlined above,
and that by creating a classroom that is organized and promotes student opportunity and
involvement, that I will be able to create a classroom in which students feel safe. My students
should feel free to make mistakes without being judged and to learn the messy way. My goal is
not to make school so structured that it is dull, but to make it varied and exciting for my students
through the classroom environment which I create, both physically and emotionally.