BLOG 7

Hope McCarthy 

BLOG 7-Reflection

“What to look for in a classroom”

After reading the chart made by Kohn and watching a video about details in a classroom, I would agree that the classroom environment plays such a crucial role in a student's learning. Putting it into perspective:

At the school I have been working at since October, there was a fifth grade teacher who had quit leaving the classroom dreadful and empty. Once the district had hired a long-term substitute, one of the girls in the classroom asked “Mrs. Assad, is our classroom going to look like Miss.Vottas?!” 

Miss Votta- a fourth grade teacher is known to have the best decorated classroom in the school. She has bright colors, fun walls, a reading corner, calming corner, fun chairs-almost everything a classroom should have. 

Although students may like the look of classrooms, it seems it all begins with making them excited to come to school. Creating a comfortable, calming, classroom is the very first step.

Stools and bouncy chairs to assist students who struggle with fidgeting, a corner to cool off when overstimulated, and welcoming colors all support children in the best way possible. When I was in elementary school, I would have benefited from this type of environment. Taking tests, generalized anxiety, and focusing have always been a struggle for me; being in a classroom that assisted with all of these things could have had the potential to push me further than I pushed myself. 

Now, in the school I am in they have all types of resources to assist students. There are chair bands students can bounce their feet on, black plungers that guard the chair from falling, and standing desks the students can use to help them focus. I have witnessed many students use our sensory path, come back to class, and stand at the standing desk. After a few minutes go by, they are ready to “super-focus”. (That is a term my school uses for students who struggle with attention). As much fun and welcoming a classroom can be, sometimes I worry that the furniture and fidgets are distractions. So, where do we draw the line between a helpful tool and a distracting tool?