Classroom Design and Management Ideas
The physical arrangement of a classroom is like
a map; it directs learning and sets the stage for student interaction,
management, routines, and a sense of safety and comfort. How is your classroom
arranged and designed? How do you manage your students? There are several ways to set up a classroom to enhance learning. Some
teachers prefer a "hospital" type environment that is very organized,
efficient, neat and clean. Others prefer “home” type of environment that is
cozy, warm and personalized. What do you do to support positive student
learning? Please share ideas, websites, and links below….
http://www.clutterfreeclassroom.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2012-05-07T16:33:00-04:00&max-results=50
ReplyDeleteThis website has awesome ideas for a well designed, organized classroom! Lots of creative ideas to make a classroom learner friendly.
Teaching Secrets: Taming the Dragon of Classroom Chaos
ReplyDeleteBy Cossondra George
Here are my top 10 “stolen” organization secrets. They’re really only borrowed and you’re welcome to borrow any that might work for you.
1. Have specific places for students to turn in work. I use plastic stackable baskets with bold clear labels for each class period. This stops students from tossing a paper onto my desk and having it sucked into the black hole, never to be seen again.
2. Have a designated place for absent students to collect their work when they return to school. I put exactly what we did that day—with any homework and handouts— in a basket marked both with ABSENT WORK and the particular class period. This puts the primary responsibility on the student, who knows my expectation that he or she will find the appropriate basket and act accordingly. It makes my life easier; if the question “What did I miss yesterday?” is asked, I point.
3. Have a NO NAME folder. Unless you teach in Lake Wobegon, your students will, on occasion, turn in work without their name. Certainly, my middle schoolers will! Later, when they note a missing assignment, you can ask: “Did you check the No Name folder?” I frequently hold up my red No Name folder with a declaration like, “Mr. No Name has an A in math! Do you?”
4. Use an online grading program. Such systems make it possible to share grades and other information via the Internet with students and parents. This makes for fewer parent phone calls, fewer students asking questions about their grades, less time spent preparing lists of missing assignments, and best of all, no last-minute panic at report card time. But do not get behind on grading. You expect students to turn work in on time; have the courtesy to assess and return that work promptly.
5. Have a board in the hall outside your classroom where you write what students need for class each period. This method of reminding students what to bring each day helps teach them to be organized. Students can be overwhelmed with different classes and different teachers. Thinking of everything they’ll need for the next hour during the four minutes between classes can be tough.
6. Write the day's lesson for each class period on the board. This solves the perpetual “What are we doing today?” Students who are leaving for an afternoon appointment can poke their head in during the morning break to see what they will miss. Help them learn to be responsible and plan ahead.
7. Expect students to come to class prepared. I do not allow them to leave the room to get calculators, pencils, etc. I loan pencils, paper, textbooks, etc. I do not loan calculators, but can set the tone for this by repeating, "If you really wanted it, you would have brought it to class.” Time in the hall is wasted time, so I do not give students an excuse to leave.
8. Keep seating charts handy. Put the charts on a lectern or other accessible location so you can take attendance in a split second as students are completing the class starter. Mine also serve as rosters for fire drills and they are invaluable for substitute teachers.
9. Use email for parent contacts whenever possible. This saves time and makes it easy to keep a “paper” trail. Talk to parents early on—establish a positive relationship before there are problems. Send them a positive email about something you notice about their student. Those positives are like money in the bank when you do encounter a discipline problem later in the year.
10. Let go of the things that don’t really matter. My first years in the classroom, I spent hours organizing my classroom-based library. When students returned books, I had to put the checkout cards back and re-shelve books in their appropriate location. A couple of years ago, I decided: Enough of that!
Cossondra George is a 7th grade math and social studies teacher and school technology leader at Newberry Middle School in Newberry, Michigan. She’s been borrowing good teaching ideas for more than 20 years.
Thank you so much for sharing these tips!!
DeleteBrenda
I agree the stucture of the room can help the learning environment. When the room is structured the students know the expectation level will be high. It is important to set that at the beginning of the year so students know what will be expected. As the year progresses, more elements of fun can be added because they students know what is now expected of them and it hopefully will become routine.
ReplyDeleteI have found that when I spend the first week of school working and practicing procedures, it makes the rest of the year much easier!
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Thanks for the info, Kari. It actually all seems fairly basic, but it really is the little things that make a big difference in the classroom! Each one of the steps listed up there can help manage the chaos. It doesn't take long and the kids figure out the routines. As Brenda said, it makes the rest of the year much easier!
ReplyDeleteThe Structure in a classroom is very important. I believe how you have your classroom set up can make all the difference on the success you have in your classroom. Beings I teach art, my classroom is a little bit more laid back then others, but it is set up so that students can interact and critique others work. For example, I have my desks/tables set up in a u formation with the example/demonstration table at the base of the U. That way all students eyes and focus is on the demonstration or examples given for the lesson. This seems to make it easier to keep students attention. I would say my classroom is set up more like a home enviornment, giving students the feeling of fun and relaxation, allowing for the creative juices to flow. I allow talking in the classroom but I do emphasize that students need to multitask in my classroom. They can talk, but they need to be working as well. It seems to work very well, but at the end of the year, it does get a little difficult. Students begin to just talk rather then work. I have be told that all classes deal with this at the end of the year. Nice job Kari, I like the picture.
ReplyDeleteI teach health and physical education and the arrangement of my classroom is like any typical high school classroom. When we do group work, I sometimes let my students move their tables together or when I demonstrate certain things such as CPR I situate their tables around me in a semi-circle shape I can tell just by the tables moving that it sets a more laid back tone but I think sometimes this is good in certain situations. However, for the most part I like my classroom being very organized and with setting clear expectations the students behave and work in a way that I expect them too.
ReplyDeleteI teach first grade. We have areas in our room for different times of the day. We sit on the floor for calendar, reading aloud, and activities like that. We also have times when we sit at our tables and do seat work. In addition to these activities we need a place to line up as well as places to get together in small groups. First graders love to spread out on the floor.
ReplyDeleteI too enjoyed your map. It makes life easier for the subs that come in. I find it handy to keep my seating chart and lesson plans on a clipboard that I can carry around the room with me.
Another note: I keep my classroom rules and procedures posted several places throughout the room along with things the students may find helpful (like a number chart). I want them to be able to see things without too much difficulty. I don't want the students to have to get up and walk to look at the math board when they are sitting in their seats. I want them to be able to see the reading posters when we are on the carpet.
I also start the year or unit pointing to the rules,guidelines or posters, so that the students know that they are there for their reference.
In my science room, I have the desks arranged with shoulder partners for each student. I find it easier for students to collaborate with this set-up and it makes my room feel smaller. I have a larger enough room as it is and I feel more in contact with my students when they are sitting closer together. I also have the luxury of 7 lab tables that students can also spread out at when working on assignments. Although my voice can become quite tired, I am glad I have my large classroom.
ReplyDeleteI work with student files and assessment data. The most important set of tools that I use to support students include tabbed binder clips and expansion file pockets. I am able to group like papers into expansion pockets to keep things organized before they are filed. I like using the tabbed binder clips to identify where papers need to be filed or distributed after they are processed. These tools help keep the workflow moving and papers organized so that students can view their progress in a timely manner.
ReplyDeleteI found this website http://www.realclassroomideas.com/143.html. It has many ideas for classroom organization. It also includes file labels you can print out and a pattern for making a book bag to hang on the back of the students chairs. Even though I don't have an assigned classroom I feel organization in my office space keeps me organized with my classes.
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