Devin Nye Manes Assignment #1

Student #249625 Part 1

Ideal Classroom Setup for 11
th
Grade Math
Summary of Ideal lass Setu!
"!on entering t#e $lassroom from eit#er of t#e t%o doors& t#e student is already in a rela'ing
environment( If t#ey $ome in early& t#ey $an )uietly read on t#e *ean *ags or even sit on t#e rug( +#ere
is also an a$$essi*le li*rary %it# various s$ien$e and mat#emati$s maga,ines t#at s#ould stimulate
students %#o %ant to e'!lore to!i$s of t#eir o%n interest(
+#e main des- arrangement #as *een !la$ed in t#e $enter of t#e room( +#e first t%o ro%s are grou!ed
in t%o and !la$ed in su$# a %ay t#at t#e students al%ays #ave a dire$t line of sig#t to t#e Smart .oard
and t#e tea$#er %ill al%ays *e a*le maintain eye $onta$t %it# #is / #er students(
0rou!ing t#e front des-s in t%o en$ourages !eers to %or- toget#er and s#are ideas( +o -ee!
distra$tions to a minimum& t#ere are no !osters or *ulletin *oards near t#e Smart .oard( In t#e very
*a$- ro% t#e des-s are grou!ed in 4( +#is allo%s even more grou! %or- to *e a$$om!lis#ed t#oug# t#e
*a$- seats in t#eir default !osition are not fa$ing t#e smart *oard( +#is is %#y t#ere are only s%ivel
$#airs to allo% t#e student to $#ange %#i$# %ay t#ey are fa$ing( +#e $#airs also #ave %#eels on t#em
so t#ey $an easily rearrange t#emselves and move around t#e room %#en t#ey need to team u! %it#
different !artners(
+#ere is ade)uate s!a$ing *et%een all t#e des- $lusters so t#e tea$#er is free to roam around to monitor
and #el! students %#en t#ey are %or-ing on an t#eir assignments and !ro*lems( 1n test day& it is easy
to ta-e a!art t#e individual des-s and s!a$e t#em out(
All t#e essential su!!lies and assignment *ins are -e!t in storage $losets near t#e front of t#e room( +#e
tea$#ers des- is tu$-ed snugly a%ay in t#e $orner( 2or t#e ma3ority of t#e $lassroom t#e tea$#er %ill *e
in front of t#e $lass *ut %#en students are doing !re! / $lass %or-& #e/s#e $an *e situated in a lo$ation
%#ere it is easy to monitor all t#e students(
+#ere is also a $om!uter area in t#e *a$- %#ere students %#o don4t #ave la!to!s $an log into 5dmodo
and resear$# to!i$s of interest(
+#ere are round and $ir$ular -idney s#a!ed ta*les in t#e *a$- t#at allo% for friendly and animated
grou! %or-( +#ey are in t#e *a$- of t#e room so a student grou! %#o gets e'$ited %ill not disru!t or
attra$t too mu$# attention from students %or-ing in t#e front( +%o !resentation / fli! $#arts #ave *een
!la$ed in t#is area so students $an use visual aids %#en solving mat#emati$al !ro*lems toget#er(
During #ot days& t#ere %ill al%ays *e a fan in t#e room to $ool do%n t#e students so t#ey $an
$on$entrate %it#out distra$tions or dis$omfort(
In t#e *a$- of t#e des- area t#ere is a *ig s!a$e for any student %#o #as limited mo*ility and re)uires a
%#eel$#air( I %ould as- t#e student if t#ey !refer to *e near or far a%ay from t#e Smart .oard( It4s very
easy to rearrange t#e des-s to a$$ommodate t#eir individual needs( I !la$ed t#e students %it#
*e#avioral $#allenges in t#e *a$- so t#ey don't distra$t t#e ot#er students( 6ee! in mind t#at t#e
tea$#er $an still monitor t#em easily sin$e t#ey #ave a dire$t line of sig#t %it# all t#e students( Students
%it# learning disa*ilities %ere !la$e in t#e front ro% sin$e t#e tea$#er may #ave to give t#em more
individual attention and #el!( Sin$e t#e tea$#er is normally at t#e front of t#e $lassroom& t#is redu$es
t#e amount of time needed to rea$# t#e student(
It is im!ortant to reali,e t#at everyone in t#e $lassroom needs to *e in$luded in %#at is going on and no
one s#ould *e singled out( 6ee! in mind t#at t#eir #as *een !lenty of o!en s!a$e left in t#e room to
allo% for easy rearrangement( At any time& a student %ill *e a*le to move to a !arti$ular lo$ation or
des- t#at t#ey feel t#e most $omforta*le %it#(
+o -ee! s$#ool s!irit #ig#& I #ave !la$e t#ree *ulletin *oards around t#e room( +#ese %ill *e $#anged
on o$$asion and %ill feature mat#emati$ !osters along %it# student !ro3e$ts( +#is really !ersonali,es
t#e $lassroom and is a %ay for ot#er students in different $lasses to learn a*out ea$# ot#er( It also
allo%s for !ersonal o%ners#i! and gives t#e $#an$e for all t#e students to feel t#at t#ey are in$luded in
t#e $ommunity(
+#e feature I am most !roud of is t#e fa$t t#at I -e!t t#e *ean *ags& rugs& and )uiet $omfy areas t#at %e
normally asso$iate %it# middle or elementary s$#ools( 7ig# s$#ool students still need a !la$e to
un%ind and rela'( If a student finis#es t#eir $lass / #ome%or- earlier t#ey don4t #ave to *e
un$omforta*le and %ait for t#e *ell to ring( Instead t#ey $an sim!ly un%ind& read some *oo-s& or even
meditate8 +#ere is even a fis# a)uarium in t#is area sin$e it #as a $alming effe$t and redu$es so$ial
an'iety and tension(