Lauren Illies

Art 395
Dream Classroom

When we were given the assignment to create our “dream classroom” I got excited, as I
have never thought about what I would want in the “perfect” classroom. After lots of
brainstorming, looking at Pinterest ideas, and remembering the elementary classrooms I have
been in, I finally came up with my dream (yet realistic) classroom layout.

As soon as you walk in through the door (which is decorated with welcome signs and lots of
color), you see a bathroom to the right. Complete with a toilet, sink, cupboard storage space, and
a trash can, a bathroom inside the classroom I believe will give many benefits to both the
students and me as a teacher. These benefits include me not having to leave my students in the
room if I need to use the restroom, my students will not run into the issue of wandering out in the
halls as a distraction, it takes less time to go due to it being so close, etc. Along the same wall,
my classroom has a sink which is also a water station. On the right-hand side, there is the faucet,
soap, paper towel dispensary, and garbage. On the left-hand side, there is a drinking fountain and
two stacks of plastic cups for those that did not bring a water bottle. Next to that, I have a therapy
station. Because I plan to have Kindergarteners or 1st graders, I will not have too many things
included. I plan to have some scented and non-scented lotion, some Vaseline, Q-tips to dip in the
Vaseline for dry lips, and a Kleenex box. Finally, I have a nutrition station. At the beginning of
the year, I will have families send their students with snacks from home. They will be put in
Ziplock bags with the student's name on them, then set into a big basket along with the other
students. During snack time, or if in need for extra food for breakfast/lunch, students will have
access to their snacks. I will also provide the leftovers that the school supplies, as well as just a
handful of things that I personally brought. Next to my nutrition station, I also have a fridge that
will help keep any milk or juices cold. It will be a large fridge/ freezer so I can store my own
lunch/ cold snacks, or even ice cream for class parties. Along my stations, there is a high shelf on
the wall. Here there will be the medical kit, student medications, and extra storage space for
other classroom items.
On the next wall across from the fridge, there is a half wall that splits up the two sections. At the
end of the wall, I have my student’s cubbies for their take home work and folders. On the other
side of the wall, I have a science station. Here there is a sensory table, with sand and toys in it. In
the corner, I have two shelves which have sensory toys and science items (magnifying glass,
binoculars, fake insects, etc.) In the area next to it, I have the dramatic play/ free play center.
This is where my kitchen/house set is located, complete with a stove, sink, refrigerator, a table
and two chairs. Along with the kitchen set, I have a rug and a large shelf with various toys and
games for my students to play with. The next center, is the writing center. This includes an L-
shaped table with 3 chairs for students to work at, and next to it is a table where they can find
extra paper, pencils, scissors, stencils, etc. Finally, to complete that wall, I have my weather
station. As a part of my morning routine, my students and I will talk about the weather of the
day. I will have a bulletin board with a weather chart for students to pick the correct weather sign
to Velcro on to. This is put next to one of the windows for easy access to looking outside. As a
form of flexible seating, I also have a small couch and table located along this wall for when my
students are doing a quiet reading or work time. Aside from the weather station, most of these
stations will be free for students to work and play in during any free time. Occasionally I will
have stations set up where students will be in groups and learning something in each group then
they move onto the next one after 10-20 minutes to provide a structured time to actively be in
each station.

After the weather station on the next wall, I have an emergency exit door which only opens from
the inside. This corner is where my students would have to sit in the event of a code red school
lock down (bathroom for tornados), and this is the door they would exit in the case of a fire. I
will have the safety procedures posted on the door as a reminder. Next to the door, I have my
whiteboards, smartboard and on the floor is my giant seating rug and an easel. The rug is fit to
seat 25 students and has 5 different colors and shapes as a fun way to call students up (if you are
sitting on a red shape, or if you are on a square, please line up at the door). Next to the easel, I
have my teacher workspace/ prep table. This is where my materials for the day will go. Sitting
right next to that, I have a small drawer set which has extra school supplies for my students when
needed. Behind this, is where my teacher desk area is located. The wall has a shelf with many
plants and two windows and my desk has small organization pieces to keep my desk clean. I also
have storage space underneath. I also have my computer and a large calendar with a notepad next
to it.

On the last wall, I have lots of storage space. First, I have filing cabinets for curriculum papers,
then I have 3 very large cupboards for all of my teaching materials and decorations. On the
cupboard doors, I have them decorated with classroom jobs, classroom expectations, and class
birthdays. Next to these, I have my reading center/ library. Here I have two large bookshelves, a
square rug, a small couch, a small chair, and two beanbags. Students will have many
opportunities to sit down and read here and I offer a variety of seating. Finally, to complete the
wall, we are back to the entrance door. Right inside, there are two shelves for storage and any
materials needed for quick access (hand sanitizer, extra keys, school information, etc.). Last bit
certainly not least, in the middle of the room, I have 6 tables. These tables have 22 chairs but are
able to fit plenty more if I being in more chairs. On the center of each table, I have a colored tray.
Here will be a crayon cup, pencils, scissors, glue, etc. The tray color is another way I am able to
group students (orange table please line up to wash hands).

Overall, the classroom is very spaced out and organized. I have it set up to include all 6 keys.
First, the safety key is shown where I have the emergency door located. I also have many
windows that are able to be broken in an emergency and all have shades on them to block out
annoying sunlight. I have set locations for emergency drills (lockdown, fire, tornado) and have
my protocol information posted on the door. I also have my class set up to make sure students
are safe mentally along with physically. I want to create a safe and loving environment for my
students to make sure they are fully comfortable. The success key is shown through my learning
support stations. I offer many stations that will help benefit my students in many ways. I also
have some content posted on the wall in an aesthetically pleasing way along with a space where
needed supplies are available for students. The love and belonging key is shown in my water,
food and therapy support stations. I also have the room decorated in a fun and pleasing way and
keep a neat and organized room. I will also make sure fairness is a big thing in my class as well
as comfortability. The freedom and independence key I show by letting my students choose
where to sit when it comes to floor learning on the giant rug, or when they have independent
reading/ work time. I offer a variety of places to sit and give my students plenty of choices in
deciding on what they can do in a controlled way. I also offer many games and activities in the
free play center so students can choose something different every day. The fun and enjoyment
key is shown throughout the classroom. I keep it decorated in fun ways and have a colorful,
exciting room. I provide lots of centers for students to work and play in (along with giving snack
time), and make my class as fun as I can make it daily. Finally, the valued purpose key is shown
in the classroom jobs section. I also will teach my class lots about respect, responsibility, value,
and motivation. My students will set goals and will learn how to want and work towards success
for themselves and for their peers.

To summarize, I believe with how my classroom is set up, things will run pretty smooth. I think
that distractions will be minimized and I will have a good classroom management system set up.
My students will have their daily routines and will know my expectations from the beginning.
We will work together as a class to create the best possible environment for my students to
succeed and have fun at the same time.