4. Learning Environment

In the fall 2021 semester, I wrote my classroom management plan for SCI 288 (Elementary Science Methods). This artifact had challenged me to think about how I want to structure my classroom and how will I serve my students best. Taking into consideration that classrooms I observed in and the teachers I learned from during my time observing, I created the plan below that can be accessed by clicking on it. Management philosophy, teaching style, rules/expectations, rewards/consequences and room arrangement are covered in the plan. This artifact pushed me to think outside of my comfort zone and really think about how I will be in charge of an entire classroom with twenty plus students. It also allowed me to look at myself as a person and think about what should I do to become an effective educator. Internally, I was pushed to think about who I am, my strengths, my weaknesses, and my goals. Although I have not been able to fully implement this management plan yet, I am very excited to take this plan to my future classroom.

Knowledge indicator 4A of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards states, "understands principles of and strategies for effective classroom and behavior management." Throughout the management plan, it is shown that I not only take into consideration my students, but myself and how I can be an effective teacher for my students as well. My major is elementary education but my minor is also special education which has allowed me to look at situations within classroom settings in different perspectives when it comes to student behavior and performance. Taking this into consideration, I created my management plan which heavily shows my beliefs and outlooks towards all students, not just a certain population. Although writing a classroom management plan is different from actually using it in person in an actual classroom, I still had the opportunity to think like a teacher and understand that there are strategies that may or may not work. Therefore, I feel confident going forward in the education field when I have my own classroom.

With this artifact, I learned that not every strategy and approach I included in my plan will work. Classroom management is trial and error which was a big component of my student teaching experience. There is not one right answer to classroom management. You have to find what works for your classroom. Some of the components of the plan I used in student teaching, and some I did not because I know it would not be beneficial for the class I had. There may be a strategy that sounds very effective, but once you are in your classroom and know who your students are, it may not be as effective that you thought. When I student taught, I held my hand up for students to become quiet and listen. However, in the room next to us, the teacher would clap and the students would repeat what she did. Either approach is appropriate, it goes back to what is most effective for the students you have. I cannot say that I used every strategy that was in my plan for student teaching because it was not my classroom, but there are some strategies I am looking forward to trying and assessing whether they work or not in my own classroom in the near future.

When I was a student in SPED 315 (Teaching students with low incidence disabilities ages 3-5th grade), we were to design a classroom layout plan. Part of this assignment was to take into thought how students with disabilities would be equally served within the classroom. Using Planner 5D, I created my own classroom layout. As shown in the picture below, I have created designated areas of the classroom for learning, reading, and interacting with other students. There are four blue dots in the image below which represent sensory chairs for students to sit in. My reasoning for designing this layout was to not only give students an adequate amount of room for learning and interacting, but for small group instruction/interaction to occur as well. In reality, this classroom would not be this exact size, but it allowed me the opportunity to use a space and utilize it to the best of my ability. To interact with the created classroom in both 2D and 3D, click on the button below to be taken to the website.

Performance indicator 4P of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards states, "modifies the learning environment (including the schedule and physical arrangement) to facilitate appropriate behaviors and learning for students with diverse learning characteristics." Although this was not a real classroom space and some of the equipment would be used in a lower grade classroom, this gave me the opportunity to work with a space and assess the amount of room I have to use to the best of my ability. The assignment was to create a classroom space (general or special education depending on area of concentration). I decided to create an inclusive classroom that would serve general and special education students. Having separated areas within the classroom creates a sense of safety for students, especially those who benefit from sensory rooms. Not every school has a sensory room that students can use which means if I worked in a school that did not have this, I would want to have some sort of area for students to use within the room. Although this is only a digital representation and objects are not drawn/created to scale, I still was able to use equipment and the physical arrangement to best serve students of all diverse backgrounds and learning characteristics.

This artifact taught me that designing a classroom layout can be difficult. With having only a certain amount of room plus the equipment needed, the classroom can feel cluttered or not used properly. This was great practice for me as a goal I have had throughout student teaching was to be organized and work on my organization skills. Sometimes classrooms are smaller or have spaces that can be used in many ways, but are not always utilized properly due to room arrangements. When I have my own classroom, I will be able to configure it in a way that best serves my students and myself. I want to create a space for my students that maximize their learning abilities but also not be distracted by things within the room. I feel that organizing will continue to be a long term goal for myself, but going into the career and having a room of my own, I feel more prepared and ready to create a fun and safe learning enviornment for my future students!