Domain 2: Classroom Environment
Goal: Develop ways to manage transitions and maximize instructional time through procedures and planning while also creating an environment of flexibility and spontaneity.
2c. Managing classroom procedures
A common hold-up at the beginning of a class period is when students that were absent ask about the work they missed while they were out. The system pictured above helps to minimize the questions and teaches students to take initiative of their own learning. It also allows the teacher to focus on getting students ready for the lesson that day. Students know that when they return from being absent, they need to check these folders for any handouts and then bring them to the teacher after class to get any specific instructions.
In my 7th-grade math placement, students would enter the room each day and put their homework from the previous day in the homework bin. They would then go to their desks and begin quietly working on the bell ringer which was a review from any of the previous lessons in that chapter. This ensured a smooth transition into the beginning of each class period.
Artifact #1 - Daily Routines
Daily routines are essential to the flow of a class and maximizing instructional time. Routines minimize the amount of time and energy spent explaining directions or thinking about how you want to have students complete various tasks each day. Daily routines look different based on the content area and grade level being taught. I believe that developing some basic routines will save hours of time throughout the school year and help to maximize the time that students have in your class.
Each day I used agenda slides in my 6th-grade science. Students knew to enter the room and follow the instructions on the screen each day. This technique also helped create a smooth transition into each class period.
Artifact #2 - Classroom Organization
Having an organized classroom where the teacher and students can easily find things is also essential in maximizing instructional time. The less time that is spent telling students where to turn work in find or find supplies, the more time that can be spent diving into the content. Classroom organization also allows the teacher to be more flexible and spontaneous as more time is available for giving instruction.
In order to increase the efficiency of students turning in work and myself handing work back, my mentor teacher and I created the system pictured above. Students would turn in work on the "inbox" side and we would put graded work that we needed to hand back in the "outbox" side.
This larger paper organizer was used to help keep track of handouts for every day of the week. On Friday each week, I would look at my plans for the following week and print the handouts that I needed for Monday and Tuesday. In order to leave room for flexibility, I would wait on printing the rest of the week's handouts until after Monday. Each class had a column of cubies and each column had a slot for all five days of the week.
Artifact #3 - Student Organization
It does not matter how organized the teacher and classroom are unless the students themselves are organized. Finding strategies to help students, especially in the middle level, stay organized will save large amounts of instructional time. Students' organization will also help with smoother transitions helping them not get distracted and off task.
Early on in the year, it was evident that the 6th-graders I was teaching needed some extra assistance in staying organized. In order to be sure students had all of their science notes from day to day, I gave each student a folder to keep their science notes in. Students left these folders in the room each day to ensure that everyone always had their notes. Students were encouraged to take their folders home to study when a unit test was approaching.
At the beginning of each science unit, this "burning questions" board is used for putting students' initial questions about the main topic for the unit. Students write their questions on sticky notes and stick them on the wall. At the end of the unit, the teacher then reviews the questions with the students to see all the questions that were answered during the unit and also talk about the ones that were not answered.
Artifact #4 - Use of Physical Environment for Instructional Practices
Using the classroom space to aid in instruction is a fabulous way to stimulate students thinking and surround them on all sides with new ideas. Combining routines and classroom organization to create interactive classroom decorations helps students reflect on their learning and ask questions. As a result, the classroom environment is also more welcoming and invokes a spirit of curiosity among students.
A routine for what students can do when they finish work early is an important thing to think through. This bulletin board is one way to extend students learning if they finish working on an assignment early. The news articles are attached to the board with clips allowing students to take them down and read them. The articles vary in reading level and are switched out at the beginning of each new unit.
A concept map or word wall is another valuable tool to use in the classroom. A teacher can refer to a board like this during instruction and also refer students to it when they ask particular questions on how things connect. Adding things to the board as the unit is taught is also a great way to keep the classroom decorations dynamic.