As my internship is soon approaching I have been thinking about having my own classroom. I have been writing down ideas about teaching and my classroom setup/environment and I am excited to see how my host teacher does things. That being said, I read three articles by Angela Bunyi from the scholastic.com site. The articles discussed classroom design, classroom library, and classroom management.
Classroom Design
by Angela Bunyi
Expert teacher, Angela Bunyi, presents six easy recommendations for setting up your classroom.
by Angela Bunyi
Expert teacher, Angela Bunyi, presents six easy recommendations for setting up your classroom.
I liked how Angela made gave her classroom a homey feeling. The lamps and soft furniture are great ideas. I thought it was interesting that she said she "got rid of her teacher's desk". I don't think I will do that but I definitely want to put my desk somewhere that won't be a focal point. I want my classroom to be about my students.
A Balanced Classroom Library
by Angela Bunyi
Angela provides tips for setting up large classroom libraries to help students self-select books.
by Angela Bunyi
Angela provides tips for setting up large classroom libraries to help students self-select books.
I was never the biggest fan of reading but after taking child's literature class (Early Childhood requirement) I fell in love with reading! Thanks Hilary Seitz! Building a great library has been a goal of mine and Angela presented some great ideas. One thing I learned is that a lot of times kids pick books by the covers (even I do that) so it's a good idea to put them in bins with the covers facing out forward.
Classroom Management Based on Trust
by Angela Bunyi
Classroom management strategies based on mutual trust work well in Angela's classroom.
by Angela Bunyi
Classroom management strategies based on mutual trust work well in Angela's classroom.
One of the most important things I have been wanting to learn is good, class management; this was one of my goals for internship as well. I think you can be the greatest teacher and know your "stuff" but if you can't keep your class under control, it will be a little hard to teach (and learn for the students). One of the main things Angela discusses in this post is "rewards" for class management. She is not a fan of bribing kids with stickers, food, etc. or using punishment. Rewards is something I go back and worth on. It will be something that I will have to work with or experiment with and decide in teaching. I do like how Angela stated how she likes to do "a random reward" and I definitely think I will do something like this. Angela said "I love good surprises. Just for the heck of it. Like last year when it was really cold, I placed a nice hot cup of coco on each child's desk before school started. And yes, I threw in some candy stirrers and marshmallows too. Or I'll just say, "Hey, we need a PJ day." It seems more fun to me that way, and when I provide this upfront, the kids stay happy. I don't want to dangle the carrot along. I just hand the carrot first and know they will appreciate me more and go further knowing this."
I really liked the first one of classroom design. the pictures of the classroom seemed very home environment but also very comfortable and warm environment for the students
ReplyDeleteWe were just talking about classroom management in 303, and how important it is to set standards that are accepted by both the teacher and students! Also, I couldn't agree more about having the layout and library selection organized the right way and include the right elements. This could be the difference of a student opening up to learning! Students should feel comfortable and interested in their environment.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to utilize the educational blogs we are following. In my student teaching classroom there is no teachers desk. It's pretty interesting how people set up their classrooms. I like the idea of no student or teacher desks, just classroom tables.
ReplyDeleteMarina I think that Angela's points on the classroom design are important when thinking about how to set up a classroom. Teachers should strive to make the classroom welcoming and conformable for students. I liked your idea bout putting the covers of book facing out, that seems like a great way to encourage student reading. Rewarding students could be great way to help with classroom management, but I agree that finding the right system seems difficult.
ReplyDeleteI think all the posts you looked where not just informational, but great for your future classroom planning. I think you found some great ideas for planning your classroom. I love the idea for the books facing forward, because that is one of my main focus's for my classroom.
ReplyDeleteI really liked your post about the classroom set-up. I think that can be a step that is passed over sometimes. As beginner teachers I am sure that we will have things that we feel are much more important to get done. But the set up of your classroom sets the whole tone for the class and should be done in a way that is inviting for students, and this blog looks like it has some great ideas to help that.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone, you all had great comments! I enjoyed reading her articles and like Peter said the classroom environment does set the tone so I think it's important to think about the set up. I love the idea of tables instead of desks and a classroom library is I must in my opinion. I have also seem a teacher use yoga balls instead of chairs, I thought that was really interesting.
ReplyDeleteMarina, I love the pictures that you incorporated in your blog post. Also I loved that you focused on class-room set up, from design, balance to management. Lots of very useful information provided from Angela Bunyi, I think I will check her out, she seems to have a variety of helpful placement and organization ideas for the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you set up your blog posting, it was easy to follow and the pictures really helped me see what Angela Bunyi was talking about. I really enjoyed reading about the library set up. I love to read and to this day I still pick books of a self by the cover. I really liked the idea of setting the books in bins that allow the covers to face forward for easy browsing. The classroom management and design also included great information.
ReplyDeleteThe teacher I'll be interning with next year got rid of her desk too! I'm not sure how they can work without their space, but she had too many students and not enough room.
ReplyDeleteHave you looked into shelfari? It's an online library, and some of our peers had talked about keeping track of what is in our classroom using the online bookshelf.
Heather I have used Shelfari! It's awesome :)
ReplyDelete