Journal #1-Domain #1-Teaching and the Environment

Journal #1-Domain #1-Teaching and the Environment
How is the classroom physically organized? Do children seem to know where things are?
I have the pleasure of being able to work with an amazing teacher, Ms. Faith. She is a first grade teacher at Highland School in Skokie, IL. The first thing I noticed about her classroom is how organized it is. Although it is not the biggest classroom, Ms. Faith did a good job of separating the different parts of the classroom. I was impressed when the students were told to get their reading books, the students immediately went to the reading area, and picked out a book. There was no confusion on were the books were. The different areas such as reading, math, and writing, were clearly labeled on the bookshelves, which is eye level for the students. The bookshelves also serve a dual purpose by creating separators for the different areas.

How do learners and teacher’s use the classroom space?
The space is used every efficiently. The students utilize all the room in the classroom. Any extra little space in the classroom is used for group activities, such as reading a play or playing a game.
The teacher does not have a desk. Her desk is just a table with an adult chair surrounded by extra student chairs. She doesn’t waste space in having a desk of her own; she uses this extra space to help the students.

Is the room more child-oriented or teacher-oriented? Give examples.
The classroom is definitely more child-oriented. In the reading area for example, every book can be read by a first grader, there is no book that is challenging to the average reader. Important resources within the classroom are colorful posters and pictures that address the curriculum that is being taught to the students. Another example is we are doing a penguin unit, so there is information and pictures of penguins all throughout the classroom. The classroom also has a number line as well as a word wall that will assist in the students learning.

What resources are in the room? How do children and adults use them?
There are many resources in the room. There is also a bookshelf and bins filled with books. There are labels on these objects saying what category the book falls under. Fiction and Non-Fiction are examples.
Behind Ms. Faith’s chair, there is all these different curriculum books, each organized and labeled by subject. There is also three computers in the classroom. One is for Ms. Faith’s use only; the other two are for the students to use to play learning games.

What techniques are used to get students’ attention, to transition them from one activity or place, to another?
To get the students attention, Ms. Faith tells the students to put their hands on their heads if they can hear her. Then she keeps moving to different parts of the face until the all the students are paying attention.
A way she transitions the students to their desks, is instructing when they get back to their desks and take out everything, to put their heads down to show her she is ready to teach. This strategy seems very effective in helping the flow of transiting from one activity to the next.

What examples of technology are available?
There are three computers that are in the classroom, but one is only for teacher use. Everyday the students have different stations in the morning in which they rotate and the computer is one. The students play different math and reading games. Other then the computers there is not that much else used technology wise.


In a paragraph, reflect in an analytical manner, what you learned about Teaching and the Environment. You must integrate at least two ideas from class discussion or the text.
The classroom has a meeting area in the back. The students sit on a giant rug. This is their community area, as the text referred to it as, kind of the same idea as home base. This is the student’s start their days by morning check-in and end their days with what is the homework for tomorrow. The set up of the classroom is very similar to what was discussed in our text, about the students needing a general meeting area.
Another idea that Ms. Faith incorporates in her classroom is the fact that she used the different areas for subjects like science, math, writing, and reading. This was discussed in our text as an important way for organization. This is very effective because the students as discussed earlier were able to find a book in about 10 seconds.