Classroom Design

Maria FoyFebruary 18, 2015Classroom Design2nd Grade

1. Security and Shelter

Function: How the room serves the psychological or physical needs of the students so they may tend to other higher level needs like social, cognitive, or emotional.

A sink with hand sanitizer, and tissues gives students physical security for their bodily needs.

2. Social ContactFunction: How the room is arranged to associate students with each other or accommodate towards different lessons plans. An interior loop is good for meetings and group work. Similarly designed for social learning and working together are clusters. If classroom discussions are desired a horseshoe arrangement is best for promoting class conversations.

Students sat in clusters of five. Two long tables parallel to each other and one single desk on the end, setup for group activities but also good for individual work.

3. Symbolic Identification

Function: Serve as visual cues to students as helpful reminders of staying on task, encouragement and motivation.

This is a behavior chart that the teacher uses to manage classroom behavior. Most students are on, “Ready to Learn” but a few have moved to, “Make Better Choices”.

4. Task Instrumentality

Function: How the room is organized to help students carry out tasks.

The teacher in this room has color coded the bins on top of each cluster of students sitting together. She has filled their bins up with materials they might need for individual or group activities.

5. Attractiveness

Function: The use of cool and warm tones, open and cozy spaces, hard and soft surfaces as well as differences in textures throughout the room to create a fun, exciting, pleasant and comfortable setting that welcomes students to enter and stay in your classroom.

Students can feel at home while reading books in an open space either sitting on the floor or on the couch chairs.

6. Growth

Function: Creating and making available multiple spaces within the room where students can discover, practice, accomplish tasks, explore, read and build.

This is one of their literacy centers where students practice their summarizing and writing skills. Most of the book’s content are related to what they are learning in history.