Classroom Environment Design Assignment

(30 points)

You will design an effective physical and social-emotional classroom environment (the indirect classroom management strategy)

First, either electronically or hand draw an effective Classroom Design Model that takes into consideration multiple elements:

In addition to your graphic design, you will also provide a detailed supporting paper, describing the decisions/choices that were made for the classroom design, a rationale for their inclusion and providing a narrative of the other components of the classroom, such reasoning for elements of the classroom, strategies for interaction among the children and adults within the classroom, and the role “indirect” classroom guidance plays in establishing and maintaining a physically and emotionally safe classroom community (12 point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, approximately 2 pages in length). 

• Methods for Establishing a Physically and Emotionally Safe Classroom CommunityFILLER TEXT

Consider all you have learned, so far, to support your decisions/choices: 1) the readings: Bickart et al. (1999); DeVries et al. (2002), Eliason & Jenkins (2016), Fisher (1995), Jones & Nimmo (1994), Marion (2015); Stacey (2009), and the articles available on the myCMU course website, Materials and Resources page; 2) your background experiences; 3) lecture PowerPoints; 4) knowledge you have gained during previous practicum experiences. Contemplate all this information, as you design a highly-effective classroom environment.  

Align the classroom layout with your stated philosophical beliefs; support your choices and/or decisions based on sound research/theory

Desk or table arrangement

• Teacher’s desk placement and/or teacher computer station (You may choose to have a desk or make the teacher computer station your “desk”. You may also choose to have both.)

Centers/areas for particular curricular content and/or cognitive learning 

• Utilization of both floor and wall space
• Include all openings: windows and doors 

Provide for effective traffic patterns

• Define clear physical boundaries

Maximize children’s access to the facilities and the materials

Minimize distractions

• Thoughtfully consider effective utilization of classroom space and storage
• Accommodate for both loud and quiet activities
• Provide for both physical and emotional safety
• Consider developmentally appropriate needs of age/grade level for whom the design is developed
• Accommodate for a balance of loud and quiet activities
• Accommodate for large-group, small-group, partners and individual learning spaces/activities
• Accommodate for individuals with a variety of special needs
• NOTE:  Upload a copy of your Classroom Design Model, along with your supporting paper when you upload your assignment. If you choose to “hand draw” the Classroom Design Model, you will need to take a photograph of the completed model and then upload the photograph, along with the supporting paper, to the myCMU course website under the Assignments page.
• This segment of your paper should link to your classroom design model and build upon your goals for establishing a physically and emotionally safe classroom community. It should include information about “how” you plan to accomplish your goals for classroom guidance, which is an “indirect” method of classroom management and child guidance. This is what you as a teacher will do to accomplish the goals you have stated. Be sure to clearly explain how your methods will lead to success for all children at reaching these goals. Support choices and decision, using the course readings (i.e. text book readings, articles, and content from Lecture PowerPoints). Within this part of your paper, include the following sections. Use sub-headings to discuss each of the following components:
• Physical Room Arrangement 
• Establishing and Maintaining a Safe Emotional Climate 
• Building Classroom Community (decisions to guide social interactions, see Fisher (1995) and Bickart (1999)) 
• Decisions about Rules and Procedures for Establishing the Rules 
• Developing Procedures, Routines, and Transitions 
• FILLER TEXT
• Expectations for      Establishing/Maintaining Classroom Climate: 
• Emotional Environment

Building Classroom Community

Decisions about Classroom Rules and Establishment of Rules 

Developing Routines, Procedures, and Transitions 

In addition, you will discuss how do you intend to establish and maintain a safe, emotionally nurturing environment? How will you develop/enhance positive social interactions – teacher-to-child and child-to-child – in your classroom? How will you develop your Classroom Community? How often will you hold Classroom Community Meetings?

Welcoming children into the classroom community

Using classroom meetings to build a sense of community

Meetings to start the day

Meetings to discuss issues important to students

• Coming together at the end of the day
• Teaching respect and responsibility
• Promoting children’s social, emotional and academic competence
• What will be your strategy for determining what rules you will have in your classroom? 
• How will these rules be decided?

Who will make the decisions when designing this set of rules? Will you “impose” the rules or will you include the students in the “decision making process”?

Discuss first, the Routines that you will establish (i.e. arrival, lining up, restroom, lunch, snack, recess, centers, departure, etc.).FILLER TEXT

Discuss the Procedures for each routineFILLER TEXT

1. Describe the Transition Signals you will use to move from one activity to the next (i.e. lights out, “Freeze”, “One-two-three, Eyes on me. One-two, Eyes on you.” clapping pattern, etc.)FILLER TEXT

References

This paper must include sources to support the decisions, choices, strategies, etc. within your paper. Use in-text citations to support your reasoning. These can be found in the course textbooks and articles (see list above). Provide a detailed listing of sources used to support the content of this paper in the Reference List at the end of the paper. Make sure to carefully study and apply APA style formatting and writing procedures. Consult the American Psychological Association (APA) Handbook, 6th edition, to ensure you are writing your paper per this formatting style. APA style formatting rules can also be accessed on the “Purdue Online Writing Lab” website: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/. Failure to comply with the APA formatting style will cost you points on your final grade for this assignment. A minimum of 3 sources (i.e. text book readings and articles) must be included and to gain full points for this component on the grading rubric, you must have more than 3 references. Sources should be referenced within the body of the paper, as well as in the Reference List at the end of the paper. 

NOTE: No more than 10% of your paper can be direct quotes.