Annissa Boussaada

ECED 4101
Creative Thinking and Arts Based Learning
Reflection
Joan Isenberg and Mary Jalongos article provided me with a wealth of
knowledge. The reading was about the classroom environment. According to the
article the classroom environment is an integral part of the teaching and learning
process. Classrooms can be set up in ways that support and facilitate learning for all
children. The article focused on the benefits and components of a creative
classroom environment. That is what the main idea of this article was. In this
reflection I am going to review the article, give my opinions, and reflect on what I
have learned from this assignment and how I can apply that to my own teaching
practices.
The creative classroom is a classroom thats supports creativity and artsbased learning. It is carefully and purposely designed just for that. The creative
classroom has a climate that promotes creative thought. The classroom is warm,
safe, and comfortable. Children can and do take learning risks while exploring and
discovering. Creative learning materials are abundant and available. The space and
layout of the creative classroom is purposefully designed to support creative
learning. Teachers can design their classroom space in accordance with the creative
classroom. There are many resources, including checklist, like in this article that
instruct teachers how to create creative classroom environments. Also, It is proven
via research, as referenced about in this article, that the creative classroom is
shown to be an effective component in learning.
I love the idea of a creative classroom. I believe that the classroom
environment, in itself, is a teacher. I agree that classrooms need to be purposefully

and carefully designed in order to foster and facilitate the most learning. I definitely
strongly feel that the creative classroom climate, environment, and design have an
impact on learning. In my personal experience I have got to spend a good amount
of time in both preschool and elementary classroom settings. Most of the preschool
classrooms that I have seen have been creative classrooms. They are usually set up
in various exploratory centers with organized and easily accessible creative
materials. I love that aspect of preschool classrooms. I have seen young children
flourish in these environments. I wish I have seen that translated over in elementary
classrooms more often, but that is something I can be mindful of and be sure to
include in my elementary classroom one day.
My own ideal classroom one day will hopefully be a creative classroom. I plan
on carefully designing it to be purposeful for creative learning. I love the ideas of
centers and having various materials and learning tools open and accessible to
students. I am a very hands-on person. I want my classroom to be a hands on
classroom filled with learning. As a preservice teacher, I would be sure to use
resources, like the checklists, from the reading to make sure my classroom does
have the component that I feel are important. Also one other thing I would take into
consideration are children with special needs. I want to make sure that I have
appropriate spaces and materials for them. For example accommodating scissors or
pencil grips for a child struggling with fine motor skills, or a sensory activity or
space for a child with ASD.
Jalongos article expressed the importance and components of a creative
classroom. I now have some resources and ideas that I can use in my own
classroom, one day, from reading this article and completing this assignment. I

learned some important and useful information and resources. In conclusion, I read
this article, I reflected, and I took away some ideas that I can use in my teaching.