University:
Herzing University
Course:
PS 101 | Psychology
Academic year:

2020
Views:

391

Pages:

3
Author:

Kiara Gothe

Module 10 − Topic 2: Planning for Space Apart from having reasonable rules, procedures, and behavioural guidelines, the physical arrangement of the classroom also influences how students function. You may notice that many elementary school teachers make a big effort to make their classrooms cheery, colourful and homey. In terms of the spatial arrangement of the classroom, each student has their personal space, which is marked by their desk. There is also shared space — around the teacher’s desk, at the reading carpet, or where the pet turtle and terrarium are placed. In many classrooms, there are also functional spaces that signal work areas or special interest areas, such as the computer corner or the classroom library. There may also be a quiet corner where students can go to work when they find the classroom chatter too loud. Spatial arrangement in the classroom can be changed, and often needs to be changed as the teacher takes note of what works and what does not work so well. Keep an eye out for ways in which students can get access to learning materials easily, without being too disruptive. Materials that are used regularly should be conveniently located where they are easily accessible. Students who need more individual support should have some privacy when they meet with the teacher, even if it is in the classroom. Take a look at this classroom. Figure 13.2 Source: From Weinstein, C.S., & Mignano, A.J. (2007). Elementary Classroom Management (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies. Adapted with permission of the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. It may be quite different from the row-by-row seating that some of you are more familiar with. Notice how the groups are arranged, so that all the students are facing the dry erase board when the teacher is doing group teaching. A lot of the reference materials and computers are situated on the periphery, so that students can have easy access to them without having to disrupt other students. The carpet is close to the teacher’s desk, so that they can monitor the students’ interactions and voice volume when they do quiet reading. The setup of this classroom also communicates the importance of group work and cooperative learning. Students are seated in groups, and encouraged to interact with each other. The teacher also has lots of reference materials placed strategically in different areas of the classroom, to encourage students to seek knowledge.

Module 10 - Topic 2 Planning for Space

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