Classroom Learning Environment Plan

EDE 4504 Adriana Giral

Philosophy Of Management Statement

I believe in a student-centered learning environment that encourages collaboration and cooperation. I believe that parents should be involved in every aspect of their childs school life. Students will learn from each other while also being attentive to the lesson plans.

I believe that students learn better in a student-centered learning environment because it gives them the chance to explore their own ideas and learn from each other. In order for this learning environment to work, students need to be cooperative with me and be willing to collaborate with other students. One approach that I value is Linda Alberts Three Cs of Cooperative Discipline. She states that this fundamental approach helps students see themselves as capable, connected with others, and as contributing members of the classroom. By achieving Alberts three Cs, I will make the students feel like they have something unique to offer in the classroom. I will help them make connections with their peers in order for them to participate in class discussions or lessons. This technique will motivate the students to be cooperative and engaged when in my classroom. I believe that parents should be involved in every aspect of their childs school life so they can assist in their childs education outside of the classroom. I want there to be positive and constant communication between parents and myself so I can inform them on important matters in the classroom. I want the parents to know that I care about what goes on in their childs life and that I will do my best to give their child the most outstanding education. Parents also have an effect on their

childs behavior in the classroom. According to Albert, teachers should inform parents about cooperative discipline and the class code of conduct that teacher and students have been discussing (Albert, 78). If parents are informed about the class code of conduct, they can have a better understanding of the classroom environment and try to encourage respectful and cooperative behavior at home. If I had to contact a parent about a behavioral issue involving their child, the parents will already understand what is expected of their child in my classroom and, hopefully, take the necessary steps to rectify the distracting behavior. Not only do I want students to learn from me, but I also want them to learn from each other to encourage tolerance and expose them to different perspectives. Each student needs to be willing to express their points of view on a topic or lesson so others can learn from them and take away valuable lessons. Although I will encourage students to interact with one another, I expect students to give me their full attention and respect when I am speaking or teaching a lesson. I will use attention-getting strategies to bring the students attention back to the lesson when there are any distractions. It is important for the students to learn that they must give respect in order to receive it from others in return.

Classroom Profile
My classroom has 18 students that is split into 10 girls and 8 boys. All of the students are between the ages of 8 and 11. The majority of the class comes from a Caucasian background with the exception of two African American and two Hispanic students. The two Hispanic students both qualify as ELL and get pulled out of the classroom due to ELP. There are two students that are both diagnosed with ADHD, and they both take medication to control their hyperactivity and attention. Five students have a difficulty with paying attention while the others do not. There are six students that are high achievers in the classroom that are above reading level. The two Hispanic students are considered as below reading level due to their language barrier. The other ten students in the classroom are all on reading level. Three of my high achievers have been labeled as gifted or talented and have a positive influence on the class. The class is generally well behaved except for instances when one of the students with ADHD does not take his medication. As a result, this student begins to distract all of the other students from doing their work. This makes the day a lot harder to get through because all the students will be off task. Most of the students get along with the exception of four of the students. I usually try my best to separate them to avoid any problems. Two of these four students are behaviorally challenged and need emotional support to make it through the day. They easily lash out when they do not get the support and attention that they need.

Letter To Parents
Dear Legal Guardians, Welcome! I am your students 4th grade teacher. My hope is that this year is one of the best school years of your childs life. I have a lot of fun activities planned for the year, but I will also make sure that your child receives the best instructional learning. My name is Adriana Giral and I am a first year teacher. I graduated from the University of South Florida with my Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education. At school, I am dedicated to my students and my work to ensure that they have an ideal learning environment. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy running, crafting, and watching movies. Throughout the year, I will be sending correspondence, much like this letter, to make sure that we are in constant communication with one another. If at any time, you feel that you need to speak personally with me regarding your childs experiences in the classroom, please do not hesitate to schedule a conference or a phone call. My classroom is a student-centered classroom that gives children the opportunity to be themselves and grow during the year. They will get the chance to collaborate on assignments, and the classroom will be centered on them. Since I have an abundance of great activities and lesson plans mapped out for the year, I will need your help with implementing the content at home. Please find a copy of our classroom schedule below.

Our Schedule:

7:45-8:15 8:15-9:15 9:15-10:15 10:15-11:15 11:15-11:45 11:45-12:45 12:45-1:45 1:45-2:15 2:15

Morning Work, Morning Meeting Language Arts Reading Social Studies Lunch Mathematics Science Computers/Learning Centers Dismissal

I expect the students to try their best at succeeding in the classroom. I will be creating classroom norms in order to avoid any confusion on how they should behave in classroom. I do expect the students to be on their best behavior and give me their complete attention throughout the day. I want your child to be confident when participating in classroom discussions, as this is a safe environment for them. Communication is a very important between the parents and teachers. As I mentioned at the beginning of the letter, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone at (555)-888-222 or by e-mail at agiral1@sdhc.k12.fl.us. I am looking forward to this new year with your children! I hope to meet each of you personally at the upcoming open house.

Sincerely, Adriana Giral

Physical Environment

Physical Environment Rationale

I have four large round tables with four chairs at each one, allowing the students to sit at the tables all together. This setup promotes collaboration, which is essential in any classroom. According to Levin and Nolan, If a teachers primary instructional strategy involves a lot of group work, the teacher may put three or four desks together to facilitate these activities (Levin & Nolan, 153). I want to make an emphasis on group work in the classroom because I believe that students are capable of learning more when collaborating with each other. I dont just want the students learning from me, but I want them to be able to learn from each other and grow together. There are baskets in the middle of each table to hold different books for the students to read during reading time. The baskets will be rotated each morning, so the students can see the variety of books that are available to them. When I have the chance, I will bring in new books every month, so the students do not get the same books to read over and over again. I want to expand their knowledge of reading by providing a numerous amount of books for them. Next to the basket will be a pencil case to hold pencils and other supplies for the students use in class. My desk is placed in the back of the classroom, because I will have a better view of the students to make sure that they are on task. This placement also gives me the perfect view of the door, and I will be able to see who is at the door before I were to open it. The crescent shaped table is used for reading, writing, and any other instructional needs that the students may have. The shape of the table gives me the chance to work with more than one student at a time.

According to Levin and Nolan, A cluttered, sloppy, unorganized classroom suggests to students that disorganization and sloppiness are acceptable (Levin & Nolan, 154). I want students to be as organized as possible, so that is why every student will have their own cubby to place their items in to keep off the floor and tables. They will be given five minutes to go to their cubby to get their items for the next subject or lesson. In the classroom, there are two plastic containers (homework cabinets) that have five drawers each. Seven of the drawers will be labeled with the days of the week for students to put their homework assignments or bellwork in. The other three drawers will be labeled as Wednesday folders, important papers from parents, and substitute teachers. With these plastic containers, the classroom will be more organized and neat. The storage cabinets will be used for extra supplies and textbooks that students have access to when needed. There will be a shelf with baskets near the storage cabinets for students to put books in. Students will have their own book basket on the shelf to put books in that they are interested in reading. There is a classroom library and reading area for students to access when they want to look at books and read in a different area, other than their table. The students can use the four beanbags that are provided, but they would have to be in good standings in the classroom. The areas labeled as testing area have computers that students can use for taking an AR reading test, playing FASTT MATH, and going on any other educational websites. I will make a word wall for the students to use as reference if they misspell a word. The word wall will be placed at the front of the classroom, so the students can

have a clear view of it. The other blank space on the walls will be used for posters, student work, and a classroom calendar. Remember that decisions about the use of classroom space and decorations may be shared with students to create a more student-directed learning environment, in which students feel ownership, pride, and a sense of community (Levin & Nolan, 155). I believe in this statement from Levin and Nolan, because students should be able to be creative and confident to hang up their work, or drawings, given to me. I want the classroom to feel personal to them, so they can grow and succeed throughout the year.

Community Building
At the beginning of the school year, it is important to me that I learn as much as I can about my students. After I receive my class list, I will compose two rosters; one will be organized in alphabetical order, and the other by the students birthdays. The students will complete a worksheet that has questions about what their interests and hobbies, how many people are in their family, where they have lived and traveled, and similar questions that will help me to learn more about them on a personal level. I will also invite the students to participate in activities that will require collaboration from them in order to get to know each other. I want to provide an environment for them to feel safe and welcome in the classroom when doing these activities. One idea I have is an activity called a me bag, where they can bring in and show their favorite things or hobbies with others. Other activities that we would do during the first week of school that will help the students learn each others names and build connections are popcorn greeting and yarn greeting. In the popcorn greeting, the students will say their name as they pop and then call on someone else to pop. This will continue around the circle until everyone is called. The yarn greeting will be done outside on school grounds in order to have more space. The class will get in a circle and toss the ball of yarn to someone across from him or her, but theyd have to call that persons name first, and then their own. The rules of the greeting could be changed. For example, instead of saying a persons name they could say something that they have in common with someone else in the class. With these activities being implemented,

the students will learn each others name and also some of the other students interests at the beginning of the school year. On the second day of school, we, as a class, will create a classroom calendar and a set of classroom norms. The calendar will consist of birthdays, holidays, and days off from school. This technique will give the students a sense of belonging in the classroom and it makes it more personal to them. The students will be able to give me ideas about what the classroom norms should be. We will implement the norms together and make sure we continue to follow them throughout the year. Another idea is to have a classroom pet that will be a long-term visitor in our classroom for the entire year. The classroom pet will be either a hamster or gerbil. The students will learn how to care for the pet learn and learn the true meaning of what the word responsibility means. Each student will take turns feeding the pet and cleaning its cage. Our community in the classroom will grow stronger by having the pet in common and learning how to care for it. These are some of the ideas I have to build community early on in my classroom in order to achieve the most comfortable learning environment for all of my students. I feel this is crucial in order for a student to learn to the best of his or her ability.

Routines and Strategies

Morning Routine: Every student will be greeted every day with a warm hello and smile to start their day off right in the classroom. The students will take their necessary items out of their book bag for the first subject of the day. They will then place their book bag in their personal cubby. While the students are unpacking, they can place their completed homework in one of the drawers with the correct corresponding day. Each student will then go to his or her table and start working on their bell work for the day. After all students have arrived, I will call the students over to the rug in the reading area to start our morning meeting. During the meeting, we will discuss our schedule for the day to prepare the students minds for learning. This morning routine will teach students how to be responsible for their own items and to be organized and prepared for learning each day.

Afternoon Routine: Before the students leave the classroom for the day, I will ask them to gather back on the rug to discuss what they learned that day. They can share what they liked the most or what lessons gave them the most difficulty so that I can have a better understanding of what adjustments I should make to my lesson plans. This routine gives students the chance to unwind from the day while also preparing them for the next days lessons. After gathering on the rug, the students will fill out their planners with homework assignments to complete. I will then give them an opportunity to grab their book bags to fill with the items they need to complete any

homework. The students will then clean around their area, making sure that it is as clean as it was that morning. If it is necessary, I will take some time at the end of the day to hand out any correspondence that needs to be shared with parents.

Attention: Throughout the day, students are liable to get out of control and off task. When this occurs, I will use attention-getting strategies to get them to focus and back on task in order for them to complete the lesson. One attention-getting strategy that I like to use is the give me five strategy because it is simple and causes minimal distraction. I will raise my hand and say, give me five, and the students will respond by giving me five back so I know that I have their attention. Another attention-getting strategy that I like is instructing the students to clap their hands a certain amount of times. Even though this strategy may be louder, the students are able to get more energy out by clapping their hands. Most students will enjoy this because they can be loud without getting in trouble.

Every Day Routine: For students to be able to use the bathroom, they will have to raise their hand and wait for me to call on them. I will supply them with a bathroom pass to take with them when they go use the restroom. When the student comes back, they will pass it along to the next person in line. This routine will be done during a silent reading time or during their time with computers and learning centers. The

students will learn about being patient from this routine because they have to wait for me to call on them in order to go to the bathroom.

References
Charles, C. M. (2002). "Linda Albert's Cooperative Discipline": In Building Classroom Discipline. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Nolan, J. L. (2010). Principles of Classroom Management: A Professional DecisionMaking Model. Boston: Pearson Education Inc.