Classroom management is an important tool to making sure that effective learning is taking place among students.  It is important to foster a classroom environment that will benefit every child’s needs and provide safety in daily routines.  At Mabel Elementary School, it is clear to see that Ms. Stamey took great consideration in classroom environment when setting up her first grade classroom.

     Upon entering Ms. Stamey’s class, I was very impressed with the way that her classroom was set up.  Ms. Stamey has a very large room and has materials spread out in various corners so that students do not feel overwhelmed or crowded in any particular area.  She provides plenty of places for students to spread out on the floor or at tables to work in groups with other classmates.  Through my observation of this, it is clear that Ms. Stamey encourages an environment of cooperative learning and social interaction within her classroom.  Her desks are arranged in dyads do that students will find it easy to work in pairs or ask another student for help when needed.  Ms. Stamey encourages this student-to-student help each day.

     There are a wide variety of center activities available to students as well.  These centers are always within reach of students so that they encourage hands on student exploration at all times.  Students are given time between activities, before and after school, and center time to play with the centers.  These centers include activities such as books to read, geometric blocks, and a listening center to assist in all types of learning styles.  The books in the reading center are switched out periodically so that students will not get bored with the same stories.  Students are allowed to use any of the open spaces on the floor to read, which encourages students reading because they can be relaxed when they do it.  Small group times are also held in opposite sides of the class so that students are not disturbed by the activities of other groups.  This helps to promote a productive learning environment for all students.

     The chalkboard, or dry erase board, is not used very often in a first grade classroom.  However, it is often used to write words for students to copy in daily language assignments or number for students to write for math investigations.  The board used to write on in Ms. Stamey classroom is located to the side of the room.  Therefore, when things are recorded on the board it is often hard for students on the far side of the room to see what is written.  Students often find it hard to record words that are hidden behind other students’ heads and it is clear to see when this frustrates them.  However, I do like the way the Ms. Stamey has her desks staggered facing the front of the room so that students can clearly see the overhead screen and her when she is speaking.  She also assist effective learning by placing her taller students in taller chairs and desks at the back of the room and her smaller students in smaller desks and chairs at the front of the room.  Teacher lecture is usually done at the overhead or front of the room so it is not a complete tragedy that students cannot see the dry erase board.  I just wish the board were placed somewhere at the front of the room.

     I do agree with the way that Ms. Stamey has her room set up.  She has a very large cabinet used to store a variety of materials at the front of the room.  It is out of the way, but in a perfect location for her to have easy access to it at all times of the day.  The cubbies are placed near the door so that students are not tempted to go through book bags during class time.  Ms. Stamey’s desk is placed at the front of the room so that she can easily see the students at all places of the room.  She also places already sharpened pencils, and other resources, at the back of the room to avoid distractions from the pencil sharpener during class.  Students can get up and get need supplies easily without distracting the rest of the class.

     When designing my own classroom, I plan to arrange my desks in groups of threes or fours so that students find it easy to work with others throughout the day.  I believe that students learn best through social interactions among peers. Working in groups will allow students the opportunity to assist each other in learning and gain from other students’ interpretations of certain material. Desks will be positioned so that all students have no difficulty seeing the front of the room, or the board.  The board will likely serve as the central focus of the class so that all students can easily read and copy any material that is written there.

    I believe that students gain more from learning through hands on activities incorporated in each lesson.  Therefore, I will place a variety of centers around the room that include geometric blocks, linking cubes, math games, and large variety of books for all levels of readers.  I will place these centers at all corners of the room so that all free time will encourage students’ engagement in these activities.  I will provide students with large tables or work areas to use these centers so that several students can be at one center at a time.  This too is to encourage cooperative learning with peers.

     I will also have a “circle time” area that will contain a rug, a rocking chair, and a bulletin board to place student work or topics to be discussed.  I feel that it is important to make learning a personal interaction between the teacher and students so that students can feel comfortable with their learning environment.  I believe that the more informal the environment the better the learning environment will be because students feel less threatened.  The “circle time” area will allow students to get out of their desks and feel comfortable in their environment.  This will be an area for students to share ideas, stories, and daily events that may arise.  It gives students the chance to move around so that they do not get bored and anxious in their desk.

    I will place my desk to the side at the front of the classroom so that I can see students at all areas of the room and so that I will be of easy access in the event that questions arise.  If I face the class students will be less likely to misbehave and get off task.  However, it is understood that all misbehavior cannot be avoided in elementary school.  I will place file cabinets and storage areas near or behind my desk so that they do not block student view or block traffic areas.  This too will help in class discipline, or management.  Students will be encouraged to bring their own materials, but extra supplies will be placed at the back of the room to minimize distractions during class.

    Students at younger elementary grade levels, especially first grade, learn better through hands on activities.  Therefore, centers will help assist younger students because they can physically engage in what they are learning.  Students at the first grade level also place importance on spending time with friends and playing together.  Group activities, like centers, and having desks set in groups of threes or fours will allow students to be with friends and value others for help.  First graders like to discover and think of learning as a discovery activity.  Therefore, it is important to foster group work and centers to encourage this discovery in each child.  First graders need lots of room to move and be loud so it is important to provide enough room for work and aisles large enough to allow traffic to flow smoothly.  The centers will be of great importance in first grade because they will give students something to do when they have completed work assignments.  First graders often work for in a hurry so it is important to keep them busy between activities to minimize distracts and bad behavior.  At all ages, it is important for students to have a sense of pride in their work and to know that their work is valued.  Therefore, I will hang student work on all walls so that students will gain a sense of pride for what they accomplish.

      Classroom management is an important aspect to making sure that effective learning takes place.  Classroom management and classroom environment are two things that I will consider when first setting up my class.  In considering the two I hope to make learning a safe and fun experience for my students.