Category Archives: 3.2 Classroom Organisation & Management

Why this way ?

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Having been asked to design a classroom for a class of 28 pupils- 22 boys and 6 girls, my initial reaction was excitement. I then developed a sense of nerves- how will I set up a classroom with that amount of boys? What if this was the case in reality? How can I make it an appealing place to learn? I thought about my design for a long period of time wondering how I should set out the tables and what I felt was essential to have within the classroom setting. I came to the conclusion that a horseshoe design would be appropriate because no child has their back to the teacher at any point. Having a horseshoe design also allows the teacher to wander around the front of the children’s desks and present work from the board without people not being able to see. I feel that the way I have designed my classroom is practical because it promotes a positive environment for class talk and allows all children to be part of discussions. I struggled with how I was going to seat the children due to the amount of boys within the class. However, I believe the way in which I have seated the children would be effective because the girls are split equally around the room therefore creating a fair environment for everyone. Within the horseshoe design I have incorporated two resource tables, I would use these for storage of pencils, rulers and rubbers enough for one for each child.

I have incorporated four windows into my classroom design because I believe that sunlight is extremely important for children as it boosts their energy levels and increases mood. I also strongly believe that using daylight is more efficient as the lighting can sometimes create problems for children. Having a table with plants gives the children a form of responsibility and a sense of taking care of something as a class so that they all understand they are part of a network that is there to support and care for them.IMG_0524

I have designed the classroom to have interactive wall displays this is to encourage the children to complete tasks on what they have learnt which is reinforcing their learning making it more achievable to retain information. As a teacher I would change these wall displays and the interactions on a regular basis to ensure that the children did not become disengaged with the idea.

Having a bookcase in a classroom is an essential part of learning because this promotes the children to read and share their ideas and views on books. As a teacher I would ensure that it was not just novels that were available because having magazines, picture books or comics shows the children that reading in various forms is acceptable and is something we should enjoy doing. I also believe that this area of the classroom should be comfortable because this gives the children of feeling relaxed.

 

 

What does my body say ?

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Having watched the video on body language it became apparent to me that there are various ways in which you can use your body to convey what you mean. The approach that the teacher used at the end of her lesson to get the children organised would be highly effective to use within my placement school. The school has a cloakroom where the children keep their coats and bags, using this technique I would ask the children a question relating to learning from that day/week and upon the response would send them to the cloakroom to get their belongings. By doing this I would be reducing the health and safety risks of having too many children in the cloakroom at one time.

As a teacher moving around the classroom can be effective as it allows you to show the children you are constantly aware of what is happening within the classroom and that you expect all children to be engaged with their learning. This also gives the teacher the opportunity to ask questions to everyone within the class and ensure the children all understand that everyone is important. Using this technique can promote children to be looking towards the teacher at all times keeping them focussed and on task. I believe I will try this technique whilst out on placement as I remember as a child my teachers always being at the front of the classroom and it was easy to drift your attention in and out. I would like the children in the class to feel that I am interested in their learning and that I believe everyone is important.

When out on placement I plan to use body language, facial expressions and tone of voice to my advantage. I believe that this is extremely important as children can read what you mean from these aspects. For example when taking a lesson you must ensure that show the children you are interested and enthusiastic otherwise you will not obtain the results you have hoped for. Even when you are not fully confident within teaching a lesson, ensuring your body language, facial expressions and tone of voice show you are confident then the children will believe that you are confident. I believe that using these 3 aspects when praising a child is essential as it gives the child a sense that you are extremely proud of their achievements and will promote confidence and self-esteem.

http://archive.teachfind.com/ttv/www.teachers.tv/videos/body-language-techniques.html

 

Responding to Technology

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Having recently had an ICT input on searching, researching and presenting we had a discussion about how crucial it is to teach children about internet safety. Technology has grown drastically over the years. I remember as a teenager my brother and I would argue about who had been on the internet for the longest or would complain when someone phoned on the house phone as it cut the internet off. It’s incredible to think that children will not experience these things anymore and everyone can be on the internet at the same time. Bearing this in mind many parents may not always know what their children are getting up to online, which can be scary. This is why it is essential as a teacher to know the ins and outs of internet safety to ensure this is passed on to the future generations. I used the website www.animoto.com to create a short video about internet safety. I found it extremely easy to navigate my way around animoto and believe I could use this as a resource in the classroom to allow children to present work.

https://animoto.com/play/03u203w91LMrTpSO0m1w2w

Throughout the ICT input I learned a lot about searching the internet and how to make my searches more relevant. I am the type of person who just types in the search bar and relies on the top hits, I believe many people are. However, reflecting on this I am going to change my habits and dig deeper into finding the information I need to know. I find it fascinating that people can make websites that are completely untrue however, still make them look real and official. This gave me insight into how my habits need to change and I need to pay more attention into what I am reading. Looking through some of these websites I think it is beneficial for my career choice to show children these websites and allow them to analyse whether or not the information is true.

Here are a few examples of untrue websites:

http://www.zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/

www.martinlutherking.org