ORGANIZING THE PHYSICAL

ENVIRONMENT

RAMAS, AYANNA JANE S.

COMPARE THE CLASSROOMS IN THE PICTURES
BELOW
1. How do these classrooms differ?

2. Which do you think is more likely a multigrade classroom? Why

do you say so?
3. What can you expect to see in a multigrade classroom?
WHAT IS PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENT?
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

• The physical environment refers

to the overall design and layout of
a given classroom and its learning
areas. Its preparation requires
organizing the space, furniture,
and resources in order to
maximize learning opportunities
and students' involvement.
• The organization of the physical environment includes creating a floor
plan, arranging the tables, chairs and other furniture and materials,
displaying of visual materials, and others which are related to designing
and arranging the classroom.
• In a monograde classroom, the desks are usually lined up facing the
blackboard. However, this setup may not work well in a multigrade
classroom. The teacher may find difficulty to conduct differentiated
activities if the classroom is set up like this.
• Therefore, there is a need to organize the space and arrange the furniture
and materials in order to establish areas suitable for the activities the
teacher plans to conduct.
The essential areas in a multigrade classroom are as follows:
A. Group Instruction Area. This is where the class discussion and group
work happen. The teacher works with a group or groups of students to fine tune
their learning.
B. Individual Work Area. This is where students do independent work. Students
stay in this area to get ready for the next subject or activity.
C. Teacher Work Area. This is where the teacher plans and prepares the lesson.
Important records and documents are usually placed in this area.
D. Additional Areas. You may find that, in addition to the areas we consider
required, other areas are necessary to cater the needs of the students. Some of
these are the reading area, arts and crafts area, resources and materials area and
personal hygiene area.
Although there is no single "best" way to set up a classroom, there are some general
guidelines that may be applied to most multigrade classrooms (Hill, L., 2002):
• Divide your classroom space to different areas based on the activities that
will possibly occur. When doing this, consider learners' age and size differences.
• Allocate an area for teacher-controlled resources.
• Chairs, desks or tables can be grouped together for collaborative work.
• Review your floor plan considering the class traffic patterns. With minimal
disturbance, learners must be able to move from one location to another.
• Be ready to transform your classroom when needed.
SOME EXAMPLES OF CLASSROOM FLOOR PLANS
• FIGURE 1 Self- Contained Classroom (Organized by Areas of Activity)
FIGURE 2: Self-Contained Classroom (Organized for Cooperative Learning)
FIGURE 3: Comprehensive Classroom Layout
FIGURE 4: Self-Contained (Organized for Flexibility)
THANK YOU!!