Learning Environment

Artifact Description: This is a seating chart that I use for my 8th grade English Language Arts classroom, where desks are mostly arranged in clusters. Students can sit wherever but seats are always subject to change. I also keep three desks separate for student choice.

IPTS Connection: I make sure that the physical space of the classroom allows for positive student engagement and structured collaboration, which connects to standard 4M.

What I Learned: I have learned that student motivation can be enhanced when students work together.

Artifact Description: This is a poem that I read with the students in the beginning of the school year to establish classroom norms and expectations. 

IPTS Connection: I strive to create a learning environment where students feel safe and brave, which connects to standard 4I.

What I Learned: I learned that this poem is most powerful when students engage with it through a choral reading.