•Reflective practice is a hallmark of successful teaching•
Monday, February 14, 2011
Classroom Management
How does the physical arrangement of the classroom impact management? How do you think adapting student assignments (for those with learning disabilities or those who need enrichment) has an impact on classroom management?
I believe that the physical arrangement of a classroom does impact how we as teachers manage the students. As teachers we need to think about where to put desks, centers, and distracting materials in our classroom, so that the students can learn to their full potential. Desks need to be arranged so that the majority can see the board, or else the teacher may need to walk around the room so that all students can keep eye contract with them. Additionally, table/desks should be arranged so that there is not a “race track” in the classroom. Managing the students whose environment is adequate makes learning easy and fun.
Adapting assignments for those with disabilities or else enriching an assignment is a must have for any teacher. As a teacher, I need to push the students to obtain their goals and see what they are capable of. We know that students can only go so far, but sometimes we can surprise the students and show them their true potential. This is tied to classroom management because each class does not focus around one student but instead focuses on each child so that their true colors and abilities can be found.
The physical arrangement of the classroom has a large impact on classroom management. If students are able to see you, see what they are supposed to be focusing on, hear you and their classmates, they will be able to better focus on learning. A big part of the classroom arrangement is how much space is left for the students to be active learners. There has to be space for the desks but there also has to be space for the students to move around and interact with one another as well as their environment.
I think adapting student assignments should have a positive impact on classroom management although it may not always. If adapting an assignment means a child with a disability being included in class discussion then I see a very positive impact. If adapting an assignment by enriching it means the child helps his/her classmates think deeper then that is positive as well. Some students may have questions about why their classmate has a different assignment but I think for the most part are quite accepting of their friends.
Christy: I like what you said about helping our students surprise themselves. As students we know that it sometimes feels like we have learned all that is possible and it is time to give up. Learning is really a never-ending process and we are responsible for helping students realize that. I think it will be important for us to help our students stretch themselves and realize that learning is never done.
I think the physical arrangement of the classroom has a great impact on classroom management. These things include the students’ desks, the teacher’s desk, student resources, and use of displays. Three things to keep in mind when planning the physical arrangement of the classroom are visibility, accessibility, and distractibility. It is important for the students to see the teacher as well as the teacher being able to see all of the students. It is also important for the teacher and students to be able to move around easily. Lastly, it is important that the placement of these items doesn’t encourage distraction. Having an efficient physical arrangement of the classroom helps classroom management to run smoother.
Adapting student assignments is something that is necessary to do as a teacher. There is a great chance that you will have a student in your class that has a learning disability or that needs enrichment. Whether you want it to or not, I believe this has an impact on classroom management. You may have to change your instruction so that it includes the different learning needs of all students. Some students may question this. A way to help with this is to tell the students up front that every student learns in their own unique way, and we need to be understanding of that. Hopefully the students will understand this, and the impact will be one that is good since everyone is being included.
The physical arrangement of a classroom and can a lot to do with how students react to your instruction and many other things. If I have learned one thing about the different classrooms I have been in, it would be that not every class is the same. One arrangement might work for one set of students, while it turns out to be a complete disaster for other group. When arranging desks a teacher has to think about what type of instruction he or she will be doing. Are the students going to be doing a lot of group work or individual work? Do the students need to sit in certain areas of the room? Questions like these are ones that we need to pose on ourselves when arranging our classrooms. Something else to think about is the distractions that may occur with the arrangement in place. There are many things to think about when arranging a classroom. We are going to have to test arrangements out to see which one best fits our students.
As future teachers, we are prepared for students with disabilities in our classrooms. I think that is essential to change instruction and arrangement so that it fits the needs of all students. As far as adapting student assignments, I think we need to put ourselves in our students shoes and think about what is going on in their mind. We might have to explain why an assignment is being adapted. We as teachers need to be prepared for those questions. One way to approach this may be to simply say that everyone learns different!
Kylie, I really liked how you incorporated the active learning. I also agree with what you said. Making room for student to interact with each other is very important! Peer interaction is one of the best learning tools. Kids learn some much from their peers, although it may be unintentional. I think that you hit it right one the nose by saying that involving a child with a disability into a class discussion makes for a positive impact on the class. Creating a sense of community for students makes for a better more comfortable learning environment.
I think the physical arrangement of a classroom is essential to the students' learning. The way the classroom is organized greatly depends on the students learning styles. If my students worked really well in groups, I could arrange their desks in little pods. If I had a really chatty group of kids, it might be most beneficial to set the desks in rows. It is also important to focus on where other things in the classroom are located. Some students could get easily distracted so it is important to limit the amount of distractions in a classroom. The set up of a classroom should be based on the personality and learning styles of your students, and it should be physically set up in a way that is most beneficial to their learning experience. Adapting homework assignments and in-class assignments to meet the needs of all the students is also essential to classroom management. It is important to make sure the expectations you set with these assignments are reasonable and attainable. If students are not able to understand or complete an assignment they are likely to get off task and mess around. Making the assignments match the students capabilities can really help with managing your classroom!
Lacey, I think those three things you listed to consider when arranging a classroom are so important. Visibility, accessibility, and distraction are key things consider. It is always important for the students to see what is going on, easy access to materials and equipment is helpful, and limiting distractions also keeps the students focus on what they should be doing. These were good points that you made!
The physical arrangement of the classroom has a major impact on management. The arrangement of the desks can effect the amount of interaction between students. When the desks are arranged in tables, the students are in groups constantly facing one another. This may make management difficult because students may be constantly talking to one another and getting off task. This can be an issue also if the desks car arrange in a horse shoe. This encourages whole-class discussion but because students are constantly right in front of another student, side conversations will occur. If desks are arranged in rows and all of the students are facing the front of the room, there main focus is going to be the teacher or the board. This could lead to less distractions. Also, the position of computers and the teachers desk have a major impact on classroom management as well. If the teacher is positioned close to the students, the students closest to the teacher's desk may be more attentive and focused. Also, computers can be a sources of distraction for students also if there are screen savers or students working on the computers while others are trying to work at their desks. Adapting student assignment for those with learning disabilities can have a positive impact on classroom management. When all of the students are understanding an assignment, they will all be focused and work on assignments when given. If a student is having trouble with an assignment and the only teacher in the room is helping that student, it is hard to manage the rest of the students.
Chelsea, I find it interesting that you incorporated the idea of learning styles and classroom arrangement in this discussion. I never thought about that. It makes perfect sense that a teacher would need to pay close attention to the students learning styles and arrange the classroom accordingly. If students learn best in groups, it makes sense to put their desks in groups. If the students work best individually, it makes sense to put them in rows where their focus is not on each other but the teacher or the board.
The arrangement of a classroom is very important, as teachers we need to think about how to arrange a classroom so that everyone can see when you write on the board. We also need to make sure that the classroom is arranged that people can walk around the classroom without having to walk around a lot of stuff. It's not just the arrangement of desks that we need to worry about. We have to think where we will put tables, computers, poster, books, and so much more. Things need to be arranged around the room so that everyone knows where the materials will be. Adapting assignments for students with disabilities can be a complicated thing for a teacher can do. It can be complicated for a teacher to do this, because it means that they may have to spend some more time with that student. This can be hard, because it means that you have to trust the rest of the class to focus on the assignment. A teacher will really have to have good classroom management when they are doing this.
The physical arrangement of the classroom does impact how the students behave and it should also be arranged around the needs of each class. I think that they should be placed in a why so that the teacher can see all of the students in the room. The teacher also needs to take into consideration students that may have visual or audio impairments or disabilities. Students with disabilities may have troubles concentrating or might benefit from working in pairs or small groups. Collaboration could be very useful in the classroom, but the teacher would have to know their students well enough to decide where to place them in a group.
Adapting assignments can help with classroom management in many ways. If you adapt assignments to meet the students needs you can keep the more advanced students working along with the students that are not as far developmentally. The students need to be given high but attainable goals for in-class assignments and homework.
The physical setting of the classroom is important to the environment. The way desks are placed, wall decorations, cubbies, bookshelves, and centers are things we take for granted when we walk into a classroom. Teachers must prepare these things in a way that is not distracting to students, but motivating. The setting of a classroom is the beginning of all instruction and management. It can influence how students and teachers feel.
Adapting material is an important part of a teachers job. All students have the ability to learn, they just might need some extra help or extra challenge. Teachers must plan to adapt material just as much as they plan the original material. This can affect classroom management because some students might notice that another students work is different. It can also affect management by giving a 'difficult' child extra tasks to keep them learning. When these children have material that is adapted for their needs, they are less of a distraction to other students. The same goes for lower achieving students.
Jennifer talked a lot about the arrangement of the students’ desks, which I also think is important. She mentioned many different ways that the desks can be arranged including groups, a horseshoe, and rows. When I started out in my Level 2 classroom, the desks were arranged in a horseshoe. I had never seen this in an elementary classroom, and thought it was interesting. It seemed to work well since the teacher could see all of the students and she could see all of them. It is also good for discussion, like Jennifer said. One day I showed up to the classroom and the desks were arranged completely different. They were in rows and separated from each other. Mrs. Lockhart said this was due to the students being very talkative and not themselves the day before. Since then, the desks have stayed this way. It seems to have helped the students with their behavior. This was good to see, because I realized that it is okay to move around the students’ desks. I think it is also good to just have a change in the classroom.
The physical arrangement in a classroom has a lot to do with management. In my classes we have been talking about distract-ability. As future teachers were hear what works for other teachers. Later in our own classroom we will experiment with new arrangements and some will cause more problems with classroom management.
Adapting materials to the needs for students with learning disabilities is important. While as a teacher this will be more work and cause you to really think at what works best for your student, it is necessary for their success. Many of the adaptations will benefit all your students.
Lacey- I agree with your feelings about the set up of the desks in the classroom. I agreed that it seemed interesting how the horseshoe shape for desks. It made me realize a lot about how seating arrangement effects management. I thought it was great that the desks were put in rows later because of misbehavior. I think it really made an impact on the kids.
The physical arrangement of the classroom is very important; it gives order to the room. I think that the way the desks are arranged can either make a classroom either productive or chaos. A classroom that is inviting can make the student’s have a positive learning experience. You as a teacher need to make the choices about arrangement for what is best for your students. It is important that you remember if something doesn’t work in the classroom you can change it, a classroom doesn’t have to stay the same. Adapting assignments for those students who need it is crucial to do as a teacher. You want to do everything you can to include them in the classroom, and not single them out. Making sure that the other students in the classroom know that there may be some changes is important to share. If they know what to expect it can make the child who has learning disabilities feel more comfortable.
Chelsea, what you said about setting attainable goals so the students don't get off task is very important. It can really further a child's education when they know they can acheive goals. It can give them the confidence they need to go as far as they can in school.
Lacey, I am impressed with what Mrs. Lockhart did with her desks. That was interesting that she changed the environment to fit the mood of the students. That shows how important something as simple as seating can be. Students can be rowdy one day and sleepy the next. It is important to adapt our instruction and atmosphere so students can be as successful as possible.
Chelsea, I agree that adapting assignments is essential and that they need to be created appropriately for each group of students you are working with. Depending on the class it might not take much for them to be off task, so assignments that are too easy or difficult could only enable them to drift away from what they should be doing.
I believe that the physical arrangement of a classroom does impact how we as teachers manage the students. As teachers we need to think about where to put desks, centers, and distracting materials in our classroom, so that the students can learn to their full potential. Desks need to be arranged so that the majority can see the board, or else the teacher may need to walk around the room so that all students can keep eye contract with them. Additionally, table/desks should be arranged so that there is not a “race track” in the classroom. Managing the students whose environment is adequate makes learning easy and fun.
ReplyDeleteAdapting assignments for those with disabilities or else enriching an assignment is a must have for any teacher. As a teacher, I need to push the students to obtain their goals and see what they are capable of. We know that students can only go so far, but sometimes we can surprise the students and show them their true potential. This is tied to classroom management because each class does not focus around one student but instead focuses on each child so that their true colors and abilities can be found.
The physical arrangement of the classroom has a large impact on classroom management. If students are able to see you, see what they are supposed to be focusing on, hear you and their classmates, they will be able to better focus on learning. A big part of the classroom arrangement is how much space is left for the students to be active learners. There has to be space for the desks but there also has to be space for the students to move around and interact with one another as well as their environment.
ReplyDeleteI think adapting student assignments should have a positive impact on classroom management although it may not always. If adapting an assignment means a child with a disability being included in class discussion then I see a very positive impact. If adapting an assignment by enriching it means the child helps his/her classmates think deeper then that is positive as well. Some students may have questions about why their classmate has a different assignment but I think for the most part are quite accepting of their friends.
Christy: I like what you said about helping our students surprise themselves. As students we know that it sometimes feels like we have learned all that is possible and it is time to give up. Learning is really a never-ending process and we are responsible for helping students realize that. I think it will be important for us to help our students stretch themselves and realize that learning is never done.
ReplyDeleteI think the physical arrangement of the classroom has a great impact on classroom management. These things include the students’ desks, the teacher’s desk, student resources, and use of displays. Three things to keep in mind when planning the physical arrangement of the classroom are visibility, accessibility, and distractibility. It is important for the students to see the teacher as well as the teacher being able to see all of the students. It is also important for the teacher and students to be able to move around easily. Lastly, it is important that the placement of these items doesn’t encourage distraction. Having an efficient physical arrangement of the classroom helps classroom management to run smoother.
ReplyDeleteAdapting student assignments is something that is necessary to do as a teacher. There is a great chance that you will have a student in your class that has a learning disability or that needs enrichment. Whether you want it to or not, I believe this has an impact on classroom management. You may have to change your instruction so that it includes the different learning needs of all students. Some students may question this. A way to help with this is to tell the students up front that every student learns in their own unique way, and we need to be understanding of that. Hopefully the students will understand this, and the impact will be one that is good since everyone is being included.
The physical arrangement of a classroom and can a lot to do with how students react to your instruction and many other things. If I have learned one thing about the different classrooms I have been in, it would be that not every class is the same. One arrangement might work for one set of students, while it turns out to be a complete disaster for other group. When arranging desks a teacher has to think about what type of instruction he or she will be doing. Are the students going to be doing a lot of group work or individual work? Do the students need to sit in certain areas of the room? Questions like these are ones that we need to pose on ourselves when arranging our classrooms. Something else to think about is the distractions that may occur with the arrangement in place. There are many things to think about when arranging a classroom. We are going to have to test arrangements out to see which one best fits our students.
ReplyDeleteAs future teachers, we are prepared for students with disabilities in our classrooms. I think that is essential to change instruction and arrangement so that it fits the needs of all students. As far as adapting student assignments, I think we need to put ourselves in our students shoes and think about what is going on in their mind. We might have to explain why an assignment is being adapted. We as teachers need to be prepared for those questions. One way to approach this may be to simply say that everyone learns different!
Kylie,
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you incorporated the active learning. I also agree with what you said. Making room for student to interact with each other is very important! Peer interaction is one of the best learning tools. Kids learn some much from their peers, although it may be unintentional. I think that you hit it right one the nose by saying that involving a child with a disability into a class discussion makes for a positive impact on the class. Creating a sense of community for students makes for a better more comfortable learning environment.
I think the physical arrangement of a classroom is essential to the students' learning. The way the classroom is organized greatly depends on the students learning styles. If my students worked really well in groups, I could arrange their desks in little pods. If I had a really chatty group of kids, it might be most beneficial to set the desks in rows. It is also important to focus on where other things in the classroom are located. Some students could get easily distracted so it is important to limit the amount of distractions in a classroom. The set up of a classroom should be based on the personality and learning styles of your students, and it should be physically set up in a way that is most beneficial to their learning experience.
ReplyDeleteAdapting homework assignments and in-class assignments to meet the needs of all the students is also essential to classroom management. It is important to make sure the expectations you set with these assignments are reasonable and attainable. If students are not able to understand or complete an assignment they are likely to get off task and mess around. Making the assignments match the students capabilities can really help with managing your classroom!
Lacey,
ReplyDeleteI think those three things you listed to consider when arranging a classroom are so important. Visibility, accessibility, and distraction are key things consider. It is always important for the students to see what is going on, easy access to materials and equipment is helpful, and limiting distractions also keeps the students focus on what they should be doing. These were good points that you made!
The physical arrangement of the classroom has a major impact on management. The arrangement of the desks can effect the amount of interaction between students. When the desks are arranged in tables, the students are in groups constantly facing one another. This may make management difficult because students may be constantly talking to one another and getting off task. This can be an issue also if the desks car arrange in a horse shoe. This encourages whole-class discussion but because students are constantly right in front of another student, side conversations will occur. If desks are arranged in rows and all of the students are facing the front of the room, there main focus is going to be the teacher or the board. This could lead to less distractions. Also, the position of computers and the teachers desk have a major impact on classroom management as well. If the teacher is positioned close to the students, the students closest to the teacher's desk may be more attentive and focused. Also, computers can be a sources of distraction for students also if there are screen savers or students working on the computers while others are trying to work at their desks.
ReplyDeleteAdapting student assignment for those with learning disabilities can have a positive impact on classroom management. When all of the students are understanding an assignment, they will all be focused and work on assignments when given. If a student is having trouble with an assignment and the only teacher in the room is helping that student, it is hard to manage the rest of the students.
Chelsea,
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that you incorporated the idea of learning styles and classroom arrangement in this discussion. I never thought about that. It makes perfect sense that a teacher would need to pay close attention to the students learning styles and arrange the classroom accordingly. If students learn best in groups, it makes sense to put their desks in groups. If the students work best individually, it makes sense to put them in rows where their focus is not on each other but the teacher or the board.
The arrangement of a classroom is very important, as teachers we need to think about how to arrange a classroom so that everyone can see when you write on the board. We also need to make sure that the classroom is arranged that people can walk around the classroom without having to walk around a lot of stuff. It's not just the arrangement of desks that we need to worry about. We have to think where we will put tables, computers, poster, books, and so much more. Things need to be arranged around the room so that everyone knows where the materials will be.
ReplyDeleteAdapting assignments for students with disabilities can be a complicated thing for a teacher can do. It can be complicated for a teacher to do this, because it means that they may have to spend some more time with that student. This can be hard, because it means that you have to trust the rest of the class to focus on the assignment. A teacher will really have to have good classroom management when they are doing this.
The physical arrangement of the classroom does impact how the students behave and it should also be arranged around the needs of each class. I think that they should be placed in a why so that the teacher can see all of the students in the room. The teacher also needs to take into consideration students that may have visual or audio impairments or disabilities. Students with disabilities may have troubles concentrating or might benefit from working in pairs or small groups. Collaboration could be very useful in the classroom, but the teacher would have to know their students well enough to decide where to place them in a group.
ReplyDeleteAdapting assignments can help with classroom management in many ways. If you adapt assignments to meet the students needs you can keep the more advanced students working along with the students that are not as far developmentally. The students need to be given high but attainable goals for in-class assignments and homework.
The physical setting of the classroom is important to the environment. The way desks are placed, wall decorations, cubbies, bookshelves, and centers are things we take for granted when we walk into a classroom. Teachers must prepare these things in a way that is not distracting to students, but motivating. The setting of a classroom is the beginning of all instruction and management. It can influence how students and teachers feel.
ReplyDeleteAdapting material is an important part of a teachers job. All students have the ability to learn, they just might need some extra help or extra challenge. Teachers must plan to adapt material just as much as they plan the original material. This can affect classroom management because some students might notice that another students work is different. It can also affect management by giving a 'difficult' child extra tasks to keep them learning. When these children have material that is adapted for their needs, they are less of a distraction to other students. The same goes for lower achieving students.
Jennifer talked a lot about the arrangement of the students’ desks, which I also think is important. She mentioned many different ways that the desks can be arranged including groups, a horseshoe, and rows. When I started out in my Level 2 classroom, the desks were arranged in a horseshoe. I had never seen this in an elementary classroom, and thought it was interesting. It seemed to work well since the teacher could see all of the students and she could see all of them. It is also good for discussion, like Jennifer said. One day I showed up to the classroom and the desks were arranged completely different. They were in rows and separated from each other. Mrs. Lockhart said this was due to the students being very talkative and not themselves the day before. Since then, the desks have stayed this way. It seems to have helped the students with their behavior. This was good to see, because I realized that it is okay to move around the students’ desks. I think it is also good to just have a change in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteThe physical arrangement in a classroom has a lot to do with management. In my classes we have been talking about distract-ability. As future teachers were hear what works for other teachers. Later in our own classroom we will experiment with new arrangements and some will cause more problems with classroom management.
ReplyDeleteAdapting materials to the needs for students with learning disabilities is important. While as a teacher this will be more work and cause you to really think at what works best for your student, it is necessary for their success. Many of the adaptations will benefit all your students.
Lacey-
ReplyDeleteI agree with your feelings about the set up of the desks in the classroom. I agreed that it seemed interesting how the horseshoe shape for desks. It made me realize a lot about how seating arrangement effects management. I thought it was great that the desks were put in rows later because of misbehavior. I think it really made an impact on the kids.
The physical arrangement of the classroom is very important; it gives order to the room. I think that the way the desks are arranged can either make a classroom either productive or chaos. A classroom that is inviting can make the student’s have a positive learning experience. You as a teacher need to make the choices about arrangement for what is best for your students. It is important that you remember if something doesn’t work in the classroom you can change it, a classroom doesn’t have to stay the same.
ReplyDeleteAdapting assignments for those students who need it is crucial to do as a teacher. You want to do everything you can to include them in the classroom, and not single them out. Making sure that the other students in the classroom know that there may be some changes is important to share. If they know what to expect it can make the child who has learning disabilities feel more comfortable.
Chelsea, what you said about setting attainable goals so the students don't get off task is very important. It can really further a child's education when they know they can acheive goals. It can give them the confidence they need to go as far as they can in school.
ReplyDeleteLacey, I am impressed with what Mrs. Lockhart did with her desks. That was interesting that she changed the environment to fit the mood of the students. That shows how important something as simple as seating can be. Students can be rowdy one day and sleepy the next. It is important to adapt our instruction and atmosphere so students can be as successful as possible.
ReplyDeleteChelsea,
ReplyDeleteI agree that adapting assignments is essential and that they need to be created appropriately for each group of students you are working with. Depending on the class it might not take much for them to be off task, so assignments that are too easy or difficult could only enable them to drift away from what they should be doing.