Classroom Environment
My classroom environment has taken different forms throughout my career. For starters, I have used various seating charts throughout my fifteen years, depending on the unit, goals, assignments and activities the class will be participating in.
These changes have been due to functionality as well as my personality. I am the type of teacher who would get bored with the same setup all year, every year. I like to move the seats around, and change the seating chart to occasionally freshen up the classroom. However, I have found some seating charts don't work as well as others, and so I try to keep the class organized in a way that is effective for our goals. These varying seating arrangements also keep the students on their toes, which is never a bad thing.
I have found that the purpose behind a seating chart should not simply be classroom management. By always focusing on keeping order in the classroom, I would limit the learning experiences available to the students. Having been trained in APL strategies, flipped classroom, and new technology integration, as well as graduate school classes, I have realized that group work, with project-based learning, while it may create a greater state of organized chaos, will also enhance student learning. I am constantly working towards a classroom where order can be established when necessary, but controlled chaos can also reign when students are in control of their own learning. In this chaos, I try to act as the facilitator, moving about the room to assist students and provide ideas for their growth.
These changes have been due to functionality as well as my personality. I am the type of teacher who would get bored with the same setup all year, every year. I like to move the seats around, and change the seating chart to occasionally freshen up the classroom. However, I have found some seating charts don't work as well as others, and so I try to keep the class organized in a way that is effective for our goals. These varying seating arrangements also keep the students on their toes, which is never a bad thing.
I have found that the purpose behind a seating chart should not simply be classroom management. By always focusing on keeping order in the classroom, I would limit the learning experiences available to the students. Having been trained in APL strategies, flipped classroom, and new technology integration, as well as graduate school classes, I have realized that group work, with project-based learning, while it may create a greater state of organized chaos, will also enhance student learning. I am constantly working towards a classroom where order can be established when necessary, but controlled chaos can also reign when students are in control of their own learning. In this chaos, I try to act as the facilitator, moving about the room to assist students and provide ideas for their growth.
"I am constantly working towards a classroom where order can be established when necessary, but controlled chaos can also reign when students are in control of their own learning."
While in my first three years at Crawford Central School District, the Teacher Induction Program required new teachers to observe "model practitioners" who exemplified particular skills as educators. I was chosen as a model practitioner for my classroom management. An effective classroom environment is a key factor in managing a classroom. Click on the image to open in expanded pdf format.