Week 6 Discussion Presentation

Classroom Environment The effects it has on a child’s behavior

Intro

The following presentation will be discussing the effects a classroom environment has on a child’s behavior. I will be using three sources to further elaborate on my claim. Throughout the discussion, I hope you will gain better knowledge and ideas on how to improve your classroom space.

Clear Pathways http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=413

Each classroom should have a clear pathway that leads to an area of play. There should be little to no obstructed in the opening of the area. This promotes that the child can “do it themselves”, which allows the teacher to tend to others areas if needed.

According to the site Early Childhood News it states, “These include dead spaces that encourage wandering and unruly behavior, and pathways that lead nowhere or interfere with play already in progress. When space is poorly organized, children depend on the teacher for guidance and the teacher's behavior becomes directive.” In the beginning of the year, the children may be very dependent on the teacher especially for those who are “first year”. However, the goal is for the children to be self-dependent.

Classroom Acousticshttps://www.kaplanco.com/ii/preschool-classroom-layout-tips

The classroom acoustics or volume can have a dramatic affect on the classroom and how the children focus. As a teacher, it is best to consider which areas will be put near each other and how they will affect one another. For example, according to the Kaplan website, “Try to keep spaces with a low noise level placed together and separate from spaces that tend to have a high noise level”. Try not to put the library area next to the block area as it may promote more noise in the quieter area than intended. A verification that can be done is using headphone for the reading to keep any extra noise out of the child's attention.

Limit Excessive Wall Displayshttps://www2.ed.gov/teachers/how/early/teachingouryoungest/

page_pg4.html

The classroom walls should not be filled with too many displays which can cause noise that may interfere with the child’s focus. As it was

mentioned by the U.S. Department of Education, She displays many examples of printed materials, yet she does not display excessive print or print that is not meaningful. The children are able to see

labels, signs, and printed directions in the places that count”. With less materials on the walls to distract the classroom attention and focus on the activity. However, this is not to say that the classroom

walls should be bare but rather have the walls covered in the children work. In my classroom we display the children’s work based on the

activities done for that “study”. Once the study is complete, we remove the work and leave the walls bare to later be filled with work

from the new study.

Final pointA classroom is not just a room the children spend their day in but it is the solid grounds where the children will learn and grow. Each area will affect these children which is why it is very important to provide a safe and appropriate environment for them to thrive in.

“A teacher is a compass that activates the magnets of curiosity, knowledge, and wisdom in

the pupils.”

- Ever Garrison

The main point to take away from this presentation is:

to remember that children are sponges, which is why it is important to

provide them with the knowledge and tools to develop successfully.

References Earlychildhood NEWS - Article Reading Center. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2017, from http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=413

How to Plan a Great Classroom Layout (Preschool Edition). (2017). Retrieved February 17, 2017, from https://www.kaplanco.com/ii/preschool-classroom-layout-tips

Schickendanz, J. (2007, August 31). Teaching Our Youngest: A Guide for Preschool Teachers & Child Care & Family Providers - Index-- Pg 4. Retrieved February 17, 2017, from https://www2.ed.gov/teachers/how/early/teachingouryoungest/page_pg4.html