I believe that the classroom is an important part in making or breaking how students feel coming to school every day. The classroom should be a safe space where all students feel comfortable learning. There are many ways a teacher can create a classroom environment that will facilitate all different students learning. How is a teacher supposed to be able to do all of that just by setting up a classroom one might ask? In this post I hope to answer a few of the many ways a teacher can achieve creating a space that their students will be eager to come to and excited to open their minds to learning.
The first thought that I have about creating an environment for students to learn is by giving them a sense of ownership over the room. Many teachers might feel that on the very first day of school their walls have to be covered in fun colorful bulletin boards. But why not leave them all blank? By leaving the walls blank it gives the teacher and students and chance to discuss what they want on the walls. On the first day have students create something that will be hung up in the classroom. This will give students a sense of ownership. This is their classroom and their work is important and should be displayed. I think that this really gives students a chance to be proud of their work and will often encourage students to work harder if their work will be going up around the classroom.
I also believe that all students have the ability to learn. So how should I set up a classroom that facilitates learning to all? I think that this can be challenge at the very beginning of the year but as a teacher get to know their students better they can always be changing the room to facilitate to all types of learners. All students learn differently so what works for one may not always work for others. A classroom should be set up for all to learn successfully. Teachers might post classroom material for students to read or have a focus wall with pictures for visual learners, a station where students can listen to classroom material, and an interactive station where students can touch and manipulate what they are learning about for the kinesthetic learners. As teachers learn more about what type of learners their students are they can fill their classroom with material that interest the students and present it in a way that that particular students learns best from.
Lastly it is most important for students to feel safe in their classroom space. It is important for teachers to set up the classroom so students feel safe otherwise they will not open their minds up to learning. Teaches can create reading nooks in the corners so students feel safe, set up their desks in a manner that their desk is their desk it is their home in the classroom, have a comfy rug or bean bags for students to relax. I think the most important part of setting up the classroom so students feel safe is just by having the students aid in classroom set up. This way they can discuss what they need to feel safe. It is important to help students understand that the classroom is a safe place where they are not going to be judged or criticized.
I believe that the most important key to keep in mind when setting up a classroom is what works for one may not work for all. Let the students be a part of set up so they can aid in letting the teacher know what they need in their classroom!
For more info about classroom set up here is a link a website about Debbie Miller she has a ton of great information on how to make students comfortable in their learning environment!
