Artifact # 6
Classroom Management, Environment, and Climate is a paper that compares what I have observed in my internship and how I want my future classroom to be. It describes ways I will establish a productive, cooperative learning community in my classroom.
Context
The Classroom Management, Environment, and Climate paper was created
using Microsoft Works during my Block experience at ASU. I studied
these issues by observing and analyzing the strategies of my home-base
teacher. I considered lots of alternative strategies that will enable
me to begin to plan my classroom management system for my own classroom
according to the developmental needs and characteristics of the students.
I developed two routines that I feel are important in the management of
my future class, as well as, plans for an effective and safe learning environment.
Impact
Teachers can benefit from observing their colleagues in many ways.
They can observe and analyze a number of strategies for developing comfortable
classroom environments and discovers new ways of managing their classrooms.
Many teachers struggle with organizing their classrooms, so visiting neighboring
classrooms will present new ways and ideas for organizational strategies.
The strategies they observe can be modified to fit the developmental needs
of their students.
Alignment
The classroom setting I designed after observing my home-base teacher’s
classroom was designed to encourage and facilitate collaborative work.
It provides easy access to tools and resources. Students will know
exactly where everything is so that they feel comfortable with the room.
They will find the brightly colored and decorated room inviting and a place
where learning happens. They will be seated in the center of the
room facing the board so that written directions can be found and read
easily. It will also provide easy access to small group work encouraging
collaboration (Tech Competency 12.4).
The two specific routines I observed were very well planned out.
One routine was designed specifically to help the students know how to
move from one place to another quickly, therefore, they will be able to
be on task for longer periods of time. The second routine was designed
to organize the receiving of homework in an organized fashion. I
will modify them slightly and implement them into management practices
within my classroom. They can be modified in several ways.
Instead of having one homework box for all homework assignments, I would
have a different box for every subject, depending on the availability of
room and materials. Also, instead of having the students all get
up out of their seats and turn in their homework, I would assign one student
to take up the work or to have them pass it to the back of their row.
The student at the back of the row would then take the homework to the
appropriate homework box (Tech Competency
12.5). There were no computers within my home-base teacher’s
classroom, but the students had access to several in the school library.
In my classroom, I do not know if computers will be in the classroom, but
I will set-up specific times for my students to have equal access to computers
throughout the week (Tech Competency 14.2).
The room will be decorated with students’ work and they will begin to respect
the ideas and work of others. Students will feel important and needed.
They will also be responsible for their own actions good or bad.
I plan to model proper grammar, content, and syntax while giving clear
and concise directions. I am conscious of verbal and nonverbal communication.
Through observing my home-base teacher I have designed a classroom environment
and developed a classroom management plan that accommodates students’ needs.
Students will be surrounded by the materials and resources available to
them. There will be a limited number of “hiding” spaces and lots
of room given to exploration. The materials placed around the perimeter
of the room are easily accessible and encourage the use of students.
I will be communicating verbally with my students without raising my voice.
Most to all of the verbal communication will be positive comments and reinforcement
of good behavior. Nonverbal communication includes moving closer
to the student, eye-contact, and ignoring the behavior, picking and choosing
my battles. The time set-up for students to access the computers
will be done using a sign-up system to insure that all students get equal
access to technology. During this time they will be exploring and
using various software programs and practicing computer skills (INTASC
#6).