classroom arrangement/map
The image depicted is a layout of a classroom I would have in my own future classroom. Before starting to design the classroom, I thought about what types of classrooms I enjoyed when I was a student in a middle grade classroom and what type of layout would benefit all students no matter where their assigned seat is. I decided to put the students desk in pairs because as a future teacher I plan on conducting lessons that require partner/group work and discussions. To help with this, I grouped the students’ desks into two’s. This will allow for students to discuss and work together in a more efficient manner. I also grouped the students’ desks together so that they can form relationships with people who they otherwise might not have. Cushman and Rogers’s text, Fires in the Middle School Bathroom, explains that middle school aged students observe the groups people form with another with great interest (pg. 20). The text explains the struggle students face in forming relationships with their peers. I believe that by grouping certain students together will allow for my future students to break from their shells and form healthy and beneficial relationships. Arranging students in this manner will integrate different groups of kids who otherwise might not interact with one another. I also positioned the students’ desks in the way I did so that each student was able to see both the white board and the smart board easily. According to Emmer and Evertson’s book, Classroom Management for Middle and High School Teachers, one of the five keys to good room arrangement is to be sure that all students can easily see instructional presentations and displays (pg. 12). It is awful to be in a classroom where it is difficult to see the board, and I wanted to design a classroom that made it easy to see the classroom from all different angels and positions.
I positioned my desk, the teacher’s desk, in the spot it is located in for a couple of reasons. The first reason I put it in its location was it is a great spot that overlooks the whole classroom. This reason matches up with another one of the keys to good room arrangement provided by Emmer and Evertson. From the location of the teacher’s desk I would be able to view all student activities. I could easily monitor students at their own desks, anyone who walks in or out of the door, observe both the supply station and reading station, and it is tucked away in the corner so it is not taking up too much space. I also placed the teacher’s desk in its location because it is next to the window. I wanted to avoid placing several student desks near the window because I don’t want to give students a form of distraction. Therefore, I placed my own desk in front of the window. In the area of the teacher’s desk, I also put a monthly calendar behind the teacher’s desk. I did this so that the teacher could keep track of the class’s progress and make sure the class is on track. I also did this so that the students have a source to go to incase they were absent one day or were planning ahead.
According to Emmer and Evertson, bookcases should be placed in locations where it will not obstruct student’s ability to see the board and where it can be easily monitored (pg. 16). Because of this, I placed the bookcase/counter along the wall closest to the teacher’s desk. This location is perfect because it is out of the way, but I can also still monitor it. In my own classroom, I would plan on providing dictionaries, encyclopedias, extra textbooks, and novels in the bookcase. On top of the counter I would plan on putting a globe, which is seen in the image, a sign out sheet for students who are taking a book from the bookcase, extra worksheets from that week’s assignments, and trays for each class period where students could turn in assignments. I think that having all of those things located on the counter would help in keeping the classroom organized and structured.
The supply station is intended to provide students with different supplies they might need throughout the class period. Items I would include at the supply station would be a pencil sharpener, stapler, red pens, highlighters, loose leaf paper, and coloring supplies. I positioned the supply station in the back corner of the classroom so that it is out of the way and wouldn’t become a distraction for the class. I also placed another trashcan next to the supply station so that students are more likely to throw away material they are done using at the supply station. I positioned the classroom rules next to the supply station because the supply station would be an area where students would most likely bend or break the rules. The rules are positioned there on purpose to remind students how to properly behave and handle property.
In the opposite corner of the classroom near the bookcase I placed a reading station where I would place a couple of comfy chairs for students to sit in, relax, and enjoy a good book. The reading station is intended to be a spot where students can go if they have finished all their assignments and read for enjoyment. The best classrooms I have been in are ones where the teacher made the room inviting and warm. I don’t wish to have my future classroom be a cold and unwelcoming place. I want my classroom to be a place where students want to come and feel comfortable. On the walls around the reading station I would put posters and maps to make the area more colorful and warm. I would also plan on hanging up students’ works on the other side of the classroom where I labeled the wall “Bulletin Board With Posters & Students’ Works”. This would also make the room more inviting and make students proud of the work they created.
Finally, I placed a recycling bin and trash can next to the door so that students are more likely to throw away their trash while leaving the classroom instead of leaving it at their desks.
Overall, I think the layout of the classroom I designed has a nice flow and is easily accessible. One of the keys to good room arrangement mentioned by Emmer and Evertson is to keep high-traffic areas free of congestion (pg. 11). I think the layout I created does just that. The supply station and reading station are easily accessible to all students, there is a large space in the middle for both the teacher and students to walk through, and there is enough room in front of the teacher’s desk so that when students come to ask questions the space is not crowded. I also made sure to make the area in front of the white board and smart board open because if I ever planned activities that involved students to go up to the board I want to make sure there is enough room to have a safe and congestion free zone.
The reasons I designed the classroom as I did was to make the room inviting, easily accessible, and promote student engagement. I think with all of the components I provided in the classroom and the way I arranged desks and other furniture would work well with how I plan to run my future classroom. I think this layout will work for me because the layout is intended for group work, discussions, and it creates an open learning environment. I intend to teach in a way that allows students to work as a class and learn from one another. The layout of the classroom I created is not intended for students to work individually but instead is intended to have students work together. The way the students’ desks are arranged opens up opportunities for students to work with the person sitting next to them, work in groups according which row they sit in, or even work with their side of the room. I will definitely use this design or a similar design in the future, and I believe the layout will be useful and beneficial for my future students’ engagement and learning.
I positioned my desk, the teacher’s desk, in the spot it is located in for a couple of reasons. The first reason I put it in its location was it is a great spot that overlooks the whole classroom. This reason matches up with another one of the keys to good room arrangement provided by Emmer and Evertson. From the location of the teacher’s desk I would be able to view all student activities. I could easily monitor students at their own desks, anyone who walks in or out of the door, observe both the supply station and reading station, and it is tucked away in the corner so it is not taking up too much space. I also placed the teacher’s desk in its location because it is next to the window. I wanted to avoid placing several student desks near the window because I don’t want to give students a form of distraction. Therefore, I placed my own desk in front of the window. In the area of the teacher’s desk, I also put a monthly calendar behind the teacher’s desk. I did this so that the teacher could keep track of the class’s progress and make sure the class is on track. I also did this so that the students have a source to go to incase they were absent one day or were planning ahead.
According to Emmer and Evertson, bookcases should be placed in locations where it will not obstruct student’s ability to see the board and where it can be easily monitored (pg. 16). Because of this, I placed the bookcase/counter along the wall closest to the teacher’s desk. This location is perfect because it is out of the way, but I can also still monitor it. In my own classroom, I would plan on providing dictionaries, encyclopedias, extra textbooks, and novels in the bookcase. On top of the counter I would plan on putting a globe, which is seen in the image, a sign out sheet for students who are taking a book from the bookcase, extra worksheets from that week’s assignments, and trays for each class period where students could turn in assignments. I think that having all of those things located on the counter would help in keeping the classroom organized and structured.
The supply station is intended to provide students with different supplies they might need throughout the class period. Items I would include at the supply station would be a pencil sharpener, stapler, red pens, highlighters, loose leaf paper, and coloring supplies. I positioned the supply station in the back corner of the classroom so that it is out of the way and wouldn’t become a distraction for the class. I also placed another trashcan next to the supply station so that students are more likely to throw away material they are done using at the supply station. I positioned the classroom rules next to the supply station because the supply station would be an area where students would most likely bend or break the rules. The rules are positioned there on purpose to remind students how to properly behave and handle property.
In the opposite corner of the classroom near the bookcase I placed a reading station where I would place a couple of comfy chairs for students to sit in, relax, and enjoy a good book. The reading station is intended to be a spot where students can go if they have finished all their assignments and read for enjoyment. The best classrooms I have been in are ones where the teacher made the room inviting and warm. I don’t wish to have my future classroom be a cold and unwelcoming place. I want my classroom to be a place where students want to come and feel comfortable. On the walls around the reading station I would put posters and maps to make the area more colorful and warm. I would also plan on hanging up students’ works on the other side of the classroom where I labeled the wall “Bulletin Board With Posters & Students’ Works”. This would also make the room more inviting and make students proud of the work they created.
Finally, I placed a recycling bin and trash can next to the door so that students are more likely to throw away their trash while leaving the classroom instead of leaving it at their desks.
Overall, I think the layout of the classroom I designed has a nice flow and is easily accessible. One of the keys to good room arrangement mentioned by Emmer and Evertson is to keep high-traffic areas free of congestion (pg. 11). I think the layout I created does just that. The supply station and reading station are easily accessible to all students, there is a large space in the middle for both the teacher and students to walk through, and there is enough room in front of the teacher’s desk so that when students come to ask questions the space is not crowded. I also made sure to make the area in front of the white board and smart board open because if I ever planned activities that involved students to go up to the board I want to make sure there is enough room to have a safe and congestion free zone.
The reasons I designed the classroom as I did was to make the room inviting, easily accessible, and promote student engagement. I think with all of the components I provided in the classroom and the way I arranged desks and other furniture would work well with how I plan to run my future classroom. I think this layout will work for me because the layout is intended for group work, discussions, and it creates an open learning environment. I intend to teach in a way that allows students to work as a class and learn from one another. The layout of the classroom I created is not intended for students to work individually but instead is intended to have students work together. The way the students’ desks are arranged opens up opportunities for students to work with the person sitting next to them, work in groups according which row they sit in, or even work with their side of the room. I will definitely use this design or a similar design in the future, and I believe the layout will be useful and beneficial for my future students’ engagement and learning.