Organizing Physical Space (TESS 2e) + The School Environment is

inviting, safe, inclusive, and supportive of all. (AMLE This We Believe

16 Characteristic, Characteristic 11)

When creating the space where students learn, it is imperative that students be taken
into consideration when monitoring the arrangement of their environment. For me, I had several
students with various injuries that were learning under me. In order to make sure that movement
in the classroom was as smooth as
possible I came up with a desk
layout that let students easily get to
their desks at the start of class, and
would not hinder their ability to
escape the classroom should an
emergency situation arise. To the
right you can see an image of what
the classroom looked like. I had
arranged the desks in an open
layout where the students could
easily see the board and
movement between students who
were asking questions was easily
accomplished as the class period
went on. By having a layout like
this for the desks, the students
were granted one of the most
essential aspects of their
education, safety. With the style of
having the desks arranged around
the teacher, I would be able to
easily see any student that had
their hand raised when standing in the center and call on them, including them in the lesson I
am teaching.

In reflecting upon this element of TESS, I feel as though it best coincides with the 11th
characteristic of AMLE’s This We Believe. In it, AMLE states “The school environment is
inviting, safe, inclusive, and supportive of all.” With the layout of the classroom that I have
chosen, I feel that a similar layout would be safe, inclusive, and supportive of all with positive
posters being plastered on the walls adding the inviting element to the mix.