Ashlyn Cummings

SPED 310
September 30, 2015
An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those who do.

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Map the Classroom

Using information presented in course texts and classroom discussion, evaluate your classroom
layout on the other side. Identify pros and cons of the layout and explain how you think the
layout could be improved.
Pros
Cons
What should be changed?
My mentor has her
I think that this is a great thing that she
main desk in the
incorporated in the classroom. I loved the fact
middle of where
that she is in the middle of the students desks so
the students are
that she can monitor them at all times. Although
working. This
it is very accessible for her with her students, it
allowed her to be
also becomes very accessible for her students to
able to focus and
look and mess with her documents. I would have
pay attention to the
added different filing cabinets that I could lock to
students from all
make sure that the documents of students and
angles. Her desk
their grades were kept safe. I also would make
faced the students
sure that I was not directly in the middle, but
and provided her
close enough so that I do not become a
access to her
distraction to the students.
students when they
needed help.

My mentor teacher
made a lot of room
in the front of the
classroom. This
allowed the
students to have
plenty of room to
see the white board
and provided room
for her to teach
during rug time.

Another pro of her

classroom is that
there is at least 8
feet between the
desks for easy
mobility. Both the
students and

I really liked how my mentor teacher had plenty

of room in the front. It was very helpful during
times where the students were suppose to be in
stations, and with the extra room the students
were able to work effectively. Though this is very
important for the students to have room in the
front of the room, it can be very hard for students
who need to be seated closer to the white board
so that they can see. I would change this by
moving the students desks closer up, but still
providing a good area for the students to move in
for rug time. It would be in the shape of a
rectangle and be big enough to fit the students
comfortably, but not too big to where the desks
are pushed further back in the classroom.
I really liked how open my mentor teachers
classroom was. It was great to see how much
room each student had and the amount of
mobility that was around each desk. For my
classroom I would make sure that the desks are
not touching the walls so that the students are not
feeling cramped in those areas. I would also

teacher are able to

effectively move
around with ease
and can move
around to each
student in the
classroom.

make sure that they are closer to the front of the

room so that every student could see and that the
teacher could have easier access to what the
students are doing.

The location of the

snack counter could be
a possible distraction
to the students. This
could be seen right
before lunch time or
even if the students
had not had a meal for
a couple of days.

I think that the ability to provide snacks for the

children is incredibly important because so many
children go without eating for a while. Although
this is a good thing to provide it could also be a
major distraction if they are hungry. In my
classroom I would make sure that I had a specific
area for the snacks that are out of sight, so that
the students could focus on what they are
learning rather than the fact they see food and
they are hungry.
I love the aspect of having a movable white
board so that you can teach from anywhere in the
classroom, but it can also be very hard to put
away. In my classroom I would have a specific
place that the white board would be stored so that
the students would not have to look around it or
have to bother with it being in their way during
times where they need to see the main board. I
would make sure that I place it back after I was
done using it, and have it to where it is in a good
place in the classroom where all the students
would not be distracted from it.

The movable white

board is another
example of a con
because although it is
easy to move around,
it is not easy to store.
This can pose a
distraction to students
who are trying to copy
information during or
a lesson. The movable
white board would
need to be moved out
of the way for the
students to see and
focus during classes.
Analysis of classroom arrangement:
My mentor teachers classroom arrangement was very good. I really enjoyed how her
classroom was very open and was spaced out across the room. She maintained the 8 feet rule that
the article Arranging the Classroom, by Fredric H. Jones, where he described the importance
of having 8 feet between the desks (Jones, 2007). Jones states that eight feet is the difference
between prevention and remediation (Jones, 2007). This shows the importance of having a good
room arrangement, by allowing the teacher the ideal place to be at when teaching her students so
that she can effectively manage her students. My mentor teacher made sure that she had her
teacher desk in the middle of the students desk to add to the idea of proximal control of the
classroom, as well as provide her with a closer connection to her students when students act up

or act right. The importance of this is stated also in Jones, he shares that it provides an avenue for
the teacher to see and be closer to what her students are doing around her (Jones, 2007). This has
been a very crucial part already in what I have seen in my field placement because the behavior
in her classroom is very minimal, due to her catching them and correcting them. Due to this
classroom having a more open space to move around, this has played a major importance in the
contact that she has had with each student. By putting the students in a U shape around her
main teacher desk it creates an easier path for her to walk and move around to each student.
Analysis of teachers movements:
My mentor teacher had a lot of great movement throughout the day. She was very active and
made sure to make her way around to each student. Although she did a great job at getting to
everyone at some point during the day, I did notice that the students on the right side of the room
closest to the white board did not have as much experiences with her coming to their tables.
Jones discussed the idea of the interior loop and how it provides a way that you are only in a
short distance from each student (Jones, 2007). By the way the desks were set up my teacher had
an opportunity to see and quickly correct any behaviors that were unwanted. At times the desks
did favor that of what a U shaped classroom would be, where when she was on one side of the
room, it became harder for her to correct or see what was happening on the other side of the
room (Jones, 2007). She made sure to move around a lot throughout the day, but was not able to
fully get all of the students who were closest to the wall. Overall, I think that my teacher showed
great movement throughout the day.
Jones, F. (2007). Arranging the classroom in Tools for teaching: Discipline, instruction,
motivation. Santa Cruz, CA: Frederic H. Jones & Associates, Inc.

Classroom routines
Purpose of routine
C.H.A.M.P.S.

Bell Work

Expectation

Scripted steps

How and when taught /

reviewed

The students are expected

to know that depending
of whatever activity or
time period of the day
they need to have a voice
level from a range of 0 to
2. A level two is expected
when they are outside
during recess, and a level
0 would be at rug time or
during tests. The Hrepresents the students
asking for help. They
know that they raise their
hand if they have a
question or comment,
and that they ask at least
two peers before coming
to the teacher. A- the
students are expected to
the activity that they are
given whether that be
bell work, assessments,
or even independent
activities. M- the students
are expected to only
move around the
classroom when told to,
so they are to remain
seated unless they ask to
use the restroom or get
water. P- the students are
expected to participate
and pay attention to the
lessons, as well as being
prepared to answer
questions. S- the
expectation is to be
successful in all their
assignments and times of
their day.
The expectation is that

The students are to walk

into the room knowing
that they immediately
begin on their bell work
and that they are at a
level 1. Throughout the
day and the transitions
to math, science, and
social studies lessons, or
test, they are at a level 0
and paying attention to
the teacher. They know
that throughout the day
there is designated times
that they go to the
restroom such as before
and after recess, CAMP,
and towards the end of
the day. They are to
raise their hand when
needing to ask a
question at any time
during the day, and are
allowed to work
together unless they
were doing a test.

The students begin to be

taught this during the
first week of school. The
teacher models each
designated behavior that
she asks the students to
do, and then asks them to
repeat it until it becomes
natural for the students to
do. They continue to do
this process until they the
teacher feels that they are
ready to move on.
Throughout the year she
will continue to remind
them and re-teach when
necessary, if an action
seems to be happening
more than once.

W
d
c
C
w
d
s
d
t
w
m
b
a
t
c
c
w
p
t
w
t
t
e
a
t

The students first walk

The students begin to

the students are to pay

attention to what the
teacher is asking of them
and make sure that they
follow directions the first
they are asked to do it.
This is especially so
when moving around the
classroom. Students
know that when they
come into the classroom
they are expected to put
their folders up into the
bin and then the students
will automatically begin
bell work. They will
work on this until they
are completely done,
after they are finished
they will color on the
back.

Being Respectful in the

Cafeteria

into the door and put

their back packs on their
hooks and folders out.
They then put their
folders in the designated
bin and turn in any
homework from the
previous day. After this,
the students go back to
their seats and start on
their bell work. The bell
work is usually over
counting to 100, or
making 10.

practice bell work, and

the expectations during
this time in the first week
of class. They continue to
go over the expectations
everyday so that the
students begin to
automatically turn their
folders in and start their
bell work.

m
w
f
b
s
w
b
l
s
b
o
g
a
f
w
t
f
i
m
w
t
s
r
r
t
w
The students are expected The students are to walk The students will go
S
to have a level one voice into the lunch room with through the expected
t
which is at a whisper.
their bubbles in mouth
lunch line procedures the t
The students are not to
and gator tails. They
first weeks of school.
f
throw, hit, kick or push
then move through the
They will practice getting p
their food on their
lunch line already
in line at the lunch line,
e
neighbors, as well as be
prepared for what they
punching in their
t
kind to the staff and
want to eat for lunch.
numbers, sitting at the
a
friends. The students are They take their trays and table, and finally
t
also expected to pick up
go straight to their seats. maintain the level 1 voice c
their trash and trays and
From this point on they during the entire duration s
follow directions that the are to have a level 1
of the lunch period. If the p
lunch staff provides
voice and stay seated
students continue to have t
them. After this, the
until the lunch staff tells problems the teacher will b
students are expected to
them to get up. The
practice multiple times
n
line up and be prepared
students then they put
by modeling and having
t
to leave and be in the
away their trays and line the students then
l
hallways with a bubble in up to go.
practice what is expected
their mouth and gator
of them once more. This
tails.
continues through the

whole year.