EPC 1401 TP Three Classroom Management Physical Space

Tips for Classroom Organization

Instructions: Read the article about classroom management. Each of the underlined words is
a vocabulary word. Next to the vocabulary word, you will find two words highlighted.
Circle which of the highlighted words has a similar meaning to the vocabulary word. When
you are finished, answer the questions.
As a teacher, the way you organize your classroom is extremely important. Whenever you
decorate or organize your classroom, keep in mind how you can develop your classroom
environment (area / pollution) to provide quality (positive / negative) learning.

Student Benefits
The prime (major/minor) benefits of a well-organized classroom will accrue to (help, give
to / hinder-take away from) your students. Your organization and procedures are, after all,
ever-present reminders to the children of how to behave, how to conduct their business, and
how best to be effective without discord (harmony, everyone getting along / disharmony) in
a group. Respect for others, consideration, efficiency, pride of accomplishment, security in
knowing what, how, when, and where to do somethingall these positive elements are the
hallmarks (rooms / signs) and characteristics of students who learn in well-organized
classrooms. Children like a predictable, safe, and orderly (disorganized / organized)
environmentand they like going to a school that provides that environment. For these
reasons alone, it behooves (is good for / is bad for) any teacher to pay close attention to
good organization.

Teacher Benefits
Aside from the benefits to students, good organization brings powerful help to the teacher. In
fact, it can be truthfully said that the first aide any teacher has is his or her ability to organize
the classroom well.
The immediate benefits of a well-organized classroom to the teacher are clearless wasted time
and therefore more efficiency.
Not so immediately apparent (vague, unclear / clear, obvious) , perhaps, are the following
very significant elements:
reduced teacher fatigue (guess or look it up in a dictionary: extreme tiredness resulting
from mental or physical exertion or illness)
improved student-teacher relations
improved parent-teacher relations
increased job satisfaction

EPC 1401 TP Three Classroom Management Physical Space

increased enthusiasm for professional growth
increased student academic progress

Here are three important points to remember when organizing your classroom:
1. Create a positive and safe environment for your students.

2. Create an environment that will maximize (guess or look it up: make the best use of )
learning.

3. Create an environment that will minimize (guess or look it up: reduce to the smallest
possible amount or degree: ) the frequency of behavior problems.

Desk Arrangement

Check these suggestions to include in your decision-making when arranging the desks in your
classroom. Remember that the classroom is there for your teaching and the students learning.
Observe how other teachers have arranged their classrooms and choose the arrangement that
best suits your needs and goals.
Desks or tables might be arranged in one of the following ways:

(1)half-circles (maybe also with a front row and a back row)

Draw this here:

When would you use this style in the

classroom?
When the students want to display their
projects .
Benefits?
There is a big space for the teacher to move
around the class
Negative things?
It is hard for the students to move .

EPC 1401 TP Three Classroom Management Physical Space

(3)the traditional way, with chairs lined up, one behind the other.
When would you use this style in the classroom?

At the exam time or math class .

Benefits?
It let the students to focus in their exam .
There is a space for the teacher to move around
the class .

Negative things?
It boring and it deflate to make group teem in
that kind of organise .

(2)in groups of four or five

Draw this here:

When would you use this style in the

classroom?
For the teem work and projects .

Benefits?
Discussion with the group teem .
Students be more active .

Negative things?
The teacher cant move easily around the
class .

EPC 1401 TP Three Classroom Management Physical Space

Arrange your room so you can have eye contact with all your students.
Arrange your desks so that the students attention is on the teacher.
Make sure that each student is able to see chalkboards, whiteboards, and other modes of
visuals.
Desks should not be placed directly in front of windows (if there are no shades on the
windows). The glare can be distracting and difficult on the eyes.
Note where the high traffic areas will be. Try to keep this area free of congestion.(guess
or look it up: the state of being congested )
Students need to have easy access to those materials that will be used frequently.
Students should be able to find their work easily and quickly to promote (guess or look it
up: support or actively encourage); further the progress of )learning.

Vocabulary Exercises:
Put the underlined words from the text into the table below in ABC order. Then fill out the
rest of the table.
Vocabulary word

Part of speech

Idea (meaning)

(from the reading)

accrue to

verb

result

behooves

verb

it is a duty or responsibility for

someone to do something

discard

verb

when one is unable to follow suit

apparent

adjective

clearly visible or understood; obvious

congestion

noun

the state of being congested

environment

noun

the surroundings or conditions in

which a person, animal, or plant lives
or operates

fatigue

noun

extreme tiredness resulting from

mental or physical exertion or illness

hallmarks

noun

a mark stamped on articles of gold,

silver

maximize

verb

make as large or great as possible

EPC 1401 TP Three Classroom Management Physical Space

minimize

verb

reduce (something, especially

something undesirable) to the
smallest possible amount or degree

orderly

adjective

neatly and methodically arranged

prime

adjective

of first importance; main

promote

verb

support or actively encourage

quality

noun

the standard of something as

measured against other things of a
similar kind

True / False / Not Given

1. How you organize the space in your classroom can affect the students. T F NG
2. Children can learn about organization from how you, the teacher, are organized. T F
NG
3. Children like many posters and decorations which have bright colors. T F NG
4. Interesting seating arrangements benefit the teacher only. T F NG
5. Having an interesting and organized classroom possibly leads to liking your job more.
T F NG
6. Even though designing your classroom in an organized style wastes time, you will
become more efficient as a teacher. T F NG
7. Desks should not be in front of windows because the children will be distracted by
what is happening outside the classroom. T F NG
8. Teachers should always be able to see the children in the class. T F NG
9. The easier it is to move around the classroom will make the students smarter. T F
NG
10. Organizing the classroom looks nice, but it has very little effect on the learning that
happens in the class. T F NG

EPC 1401 TP Three Classroom Management Physical Space

Short Answers:
1. List the three ways mentioned in the reading to set up your classroom, and
give an example of when this arrangement might be helpful in the
classroom.
a. half-circles
b. in groups of four or five
c. the traditional way, with chairs lined up, one behind the other.

2. Why do you think that children like a predictable, safe and organized
environment?
I think children like safe and organised environment because they feel more
comfortable at that kind of learning place , they will not feel confuse or afraid
from something around them .

3. Which point in the article is the most interesting to you as a future

teacher? Why? Teacher benefits is the most interesting to me, because it
gives me the benefits of a well- organized classroom .