Guided Observation #2 Physical Arrangement

Name: Morgan Brewer

Date: Spring 2014
Course: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education
School: Hillcrest Elementary School
Instructions for the Observer: First, draw a map of the classroom you are observing, including
seating arrangements, placement of furniture, computers, telephone, and other equipment. Give
a brief critique of the effectiveness and use of: technology, lighting, traffic patterns, instructional
displays, management, and motivational elements. Then design your own perfect classroom
1. Draw classroom map:

2. Effectiveness of:
a) Technology: In the classroom, there is a SmartBoard for Mrs. Connelly to use. There
are 4 computers in the room, 3 are for students and 1 is for Mrs. Connelly. The 3
computers for the students are in the corner for AR testing. When the students test on
their Thinklink, Mrs. Connelly brings in a cart with Macbook Airs for the students to
use. The students have access to Neos. Neos are small devices that they can receive
extra help in a certain area when they have finished their Daily Spiral.

b) Traffic Patterns: The teachers desk in the front left hand side of the room. The
students desks are arranged into groups of 4. She does this because Common Core
wants everything in groups of 4. The whiteboard is behind the teachers desk. There
are no windows in the classroom. The arrangement positively affects the children
because there is a smooth flow around the room and they can ask a peer for help if
needed without disrupting the class. The arrangement negatively affects the children
because they are so close to their classmates, they can cheat off their paper instead of
learning and retaining the material. Mrs. Connelly walks around the room and
monitors the students when they are taking a test.

c) Instructional Displays: There are posters on every wall with helpful hints for the
students to refer back on. There is not much space left on the wall because there are
so many posters. The utilization does support instruction, routines, and information
because there is a poster for routines in the classroom, information about the school,
and then several posters on the lessons she has taught that includes her helpful hints
for the students.

d) Classroom Management: The students are pretty wound up when they first come
into the classroom, but quickly calm down and do their work. There were several
interruptions doing the time that I was there completing my service learning hours.
The students were very well behaved during the interruptions except 3 or 4 children.
The consequences for unacceptable behavior are a Pick Slips. The teacher fills them
out and describes the behavior the child exhibited and is stabled into the planner for
the parent to sign along with the child. If a student gets 4 in a 6-week period, he or
she does not get to attend the end of the 6 weeks reward party. The teacher is very
authoritative and the children have respect for her. I did not see any variables as a
mean of preventive discipline, but I could tell in the students that they respected her.

e) Motivational Elements: The reward system in the classroom is little sheets of paper
that Mrs. Connelly calls Chance Cards. If a student answers a difficult question
correctly, she gives them a chance card. If they had something signed in their planner
or something she gave them, they get 3 bonus points and a chance card. The cards are
placed in a bowl and after the jar is full, she draws 10 cards out and the students
called can get something out of the prize box. I didnt see the teacher privately reward
a student when I was there. I saw negative reinforcement from the students. The
students give the troublemaker in the classroom attention and that child feeds from it.
The behavior then gets worse.

3. Draw your perfect classroom: