Classroom Organization

Classroom Organization:  This is a visual representation [a map or floor plan] of your classroom which includes the arrangement of physical space and classroom resources.  These would include seating arrangements, storage areas, teacher’s desk, boards [e.g., chalk, bulletin, SMART], and other teaching resources such as document cameras, centers, library materials, and whole group and small group meeting areas.  You need to follow the visual representation with a written explanation of how this arrangement is designed to support a positive learning environment that fosters active student engagement, self-motivation, and positive interactions among students.

Classroom Map: Science—6^th, 7^th, and 8^th

When creating my classroom space and thinking about organization, it was important for me to think of the classroom as one that can operate and easily transfer from whole-group instruction to small-group instruction. Since I will be teaching inquiry-based science in stations, it was critical for me to think about the organization of space being conducive to group work of a maximum of four students per group, and smooth transitions between these stations. Assuming a class of approximately 26 students, I allocated six student tables to seat four students per table and a student table towards the front of the classroom to seat a maximum of two students. The arrangement of the tables from an aerial perspective is in a “triangle.” The reason I chose a triangle is simple—students should be able to collaborate with their peers at all times with an elbow partner or larger group of four students. Additionally, when students are completing stations, it is critical that students are able to transition from station to station quickly to maximize the instructional and learning time. Additionally, students should be able to move as a group from table to table without interfering with the transition of another group. With this classroom map, if students are starting at the student table closest to the teacher desk, they rotate counterclockwise. Therefore, students are rotating in a triangular shape and not crossing the room at any point in time to reach their destination science station. The transition from station to station should take no longer than fifteen seconds once students are reset and in the ready position to transition, so this arrangement allows for easy and  minimally disruptive access to the subsequent station.

Towards the rear of the classroom, students have access to the “Lab-Set Up” station where at the beginning of class the group leader from each table would receive their respective bin from the lab set up. Retrieval of materials in science can be time consuming if not easily accessible to students, so the use of bins and a designated lab set-up table allows those chosen leaders to allocate their materials quickly and return their materials to a consistent area in the classroom as directed by the teacher.  Additionally, towards the back of the classroom would ideally be two sinks for students to rinse out their lab materials and place them on the respective shelf to the left of the sinks. This system allows students to retrieve materials, rinse materials as needed, and return the materials either to the lab set up or shelves where they belong. In many science classrooms that I have visited so far in the year, materials are stored inside closets and it makes it difficult for students to access and return materials adding additional responsibilities at the close of the school day for the teacher. Allocating sufficient space through shelving and sorting system at the back of the classroom allows students and teacher open access to materials and a clear pathway to get from lab set-up station to sink, and sink to shelves.

In addition to the shelves utilized for lab materials, students should be able to also access reference materials in the form of print or technology-based support. In this classroom map, the shelf in the southwest corner of the classroom is allocated for print text and to the north of the classroom the availability of four computers makes for proper individual working stations that are non-disruptive to the flow of the classroom during whole group instruction or stations. In addition to the shelves with lab materials and the classroom library is a round table and rug located in the southwest corner of the classroom. The purpose of this round table is primarily for me to seat myself in the far southwest corner chair in the classroom so that I have full vision and access to the students in the small group as well as the students working at their group tables. It is critical for me be able to see the entire classroom at all points of instruction whether I am at my main desk, the round table, or circulating throughout the classroom. The four chairs placed at the round table allot enough space for four students to participate in a small-group activity or discussion with still enough room to work independently as needed. 

On the north side of the classroom there are four computers set up as my “computer station.” I think it is critical to have the computers facing the wall so that students who are not on the computers are not distracted by the presence of computers or students using the computers. In addition, the computers can work as a traditional science station where students from table one (closest to teacher desk) would rotate into the computer station and then follow along into the subsequent station that traditionally follows directly after the first station. Using computers in stations allows for students to complete independent work but the presence and arrangement of computers in a classroom can also help the teacher with off-task students by offering them an alternate assignment to complete at the computers individually. The easel that is placed in the northeast corner adjacent to the computers is placed so that computer rules and instructions for assignments can be written on the board and easily referenced by students at the computer station. Having written instructions eliminates student confusion and holds students accountable to the rules, task, and time allotted to complete an assignment on the computers.

South of the classroom you will find two prominent storage areas. The storage area that has more space around it is allotted for student access to colored pencils, markers, scissors, folders, paper, and other school supplies that students would use on a regular basis. Ideally, this storage area would have drawers and bins would be placed inside to ensure that students have access to safely removing and replacing the materials that they have borrowed. The storage area just west of the school supply storage area would be for items that are not used on an everyday basis such as rulers, extra bins, and materials that do not get utilized on a daily basis. Access to this storage area is limited and therefore items used on a non-daily basis should be stored here.

To the east of the classroom (the front), you can find the teacher’s desk, the board and projector screen, the objective and homework board, and a time-out zone table for a maximum of two students to sit at. The teacher desk is at the front of the classroom so that if I do find myself seated at the desk on the rare occasion during instruction or during assessments, I have full view access to students at all tables. The shelving enclosed by the teacher desk allows only the teacher ready access to curriculum and other materials that are only relevant to me as the teacher. The projector is placed at front-center of the classroom simply to allow students to be able to view the content projected from all areas of the classroom. Lastly, I specifically wanted the objective and homework board to be at the front of the classroom closest to the door so that as students enter the classroom they can read the daily objective and any pertinent announcements regarding homework or classroom announcements. Having this board closest the door ensures that as every student enters and exits the classroom, the objective and homework board is the first and last thing they see and retain. It also helps visitors to the classroom easily locate the lesson objective when needed and allows students from all areas in the classroom to access these objectives and homework announcements from any location in the classroom.