Think about how issues related to seating and mobility affect student learning. How might you change your classroom arrangement(s) and/or operating models in light of this information?
The static that stuck out the most for me in this chapter was "controlling for variables, the study found that students with the most sunlight in their classroom progressed 20 percent faster on math tests and 26 percent faster on reading tests compared with students exposed to the least lighting." Wow! I know that I will be more conscientious about lighting and blocking out the sun. I will keep the blinds open and lights on despite the glare of the sun.
I thought there were some good suggestions in chapter 6 for seating and lighting. Next year I am going to allow more students to sit on the floor to read or do certain work (with lots of modeling). I will also use the strategy of having students walk to music to find a partner for "pair-share" or other group work.
As far as lighting I've always kept classroom blinds closed because of being so close to the playground. However, I will work harder to open the blinds in the mornings when no ones on the playground and only close the blinds if it becomes a huge distraction. I am also open to their suggestion of holding class outside on occasion.
I always thought the natural light was better and frequently use lights out as a means of keeping some of my kiddo's calm or helping them to calm down. Guess I was wrong. As for set up this year..... I'm thinking as little furniture as possible! That leaves less to be thrown or turned over!!
Sorry this is so long..had so much to think about! I found this chapter interesting mostly because of our school being remodeled recently. There were so many things that seem like basic suggestions, but are things that may not have been considered with our renovation. -Carpeting is suggested in order to reduce noise, but most schools don’t install carpeting anymore. I personally like not having carpet all over the room and having smaller carpets throughout. For me, it makes some activities easier. I really like the oddball idea of hanging egg cartons around the room to reduce noise! I might have to try that this year as an experiment! -Temperature control was something small that you would think teachers could control to better help our students. Higher Powers have control (or so I’ve been told) of our school temperature. We can kind of change it (cooler, warmer), but that doesn’t usually help much. Sometimes it’s the choice of “freezing” or “sweaty”. Much to my students’ chagrin, I prefer the room to be cold rather than hot, which is what the book suggests. I was doing it to keep them awake though. I didn’t realize that it could actually impact them academically. I always encourage them to bring/wear sweatshirts so that the room can stay fairly cool. -I’m glad we didn’t paint our rooms with those pastel blue and yellow paints. Supposedly they can have a positive impact on learning, but they just make me sad. I like the white walls that we can decorate with student work and anchor charts (just not too many). I’m going to use my flip anchor charts again this year. It helps keep the walls from looking cluttered, but also keeps important posters available. -The desks versus tables thing is something I’ve felt strongly about, so I was happy to see my feelings were supported in this book. I honestly hate tables. If I want to do group work, I can push desks together. Since we can’t change that…I would definitely be willing to try out the sensory ball seats. They’re good for posture, focus, and energy. -I’ve always loved natural lighting—at home and school. I’m glad that my classroom this year (and last) is on the North side of the building so that I can keep my blinds open more often. It’s better for the students and doesn’t cause too much of a glare on the SmartBoard. In the past few years I’ve seen a trend of dim lighting in classrooms, especially during reading times. Lots of lamps for quiet, intimate reading spots. It seems like a cute idea, but lighting like that can cause lethargy, sleepiness, and lowered motivation. I hope to open up my blinds more this year and maybe take my kids outside for Science class when it’s practical.
Rachel, you echo much of what I was thinking while reading this chapter! I really wish we had this information before some of the decisions were made concerning furnishings, etc. I really thought I would like the tables, but I have found them to be frustrating at times when students need more isolated time to sustain attention. The book suggests putting no more than two or three at a table, but with higher numbers of students, this just isn't feasible this year. Oh, well, the best laid plans I guess... I will say the temperature thing frustrates me as well. I always say, it is either a freezer or a sauna in my room. I wish we had better control, and could actually see the degrees in the thermostat. That way we could keep I. The optimal 68-72 range that the book suggests. I did think that the book offered some good practical suggestions though when regulating temperature ourselves is difficult. I will have to disagree with the paint. I really like that idea! I see them as creating a happy, homey environment. Although the book also suggests not making the classroom too home like since home is not a positive place for all of our students Funny how two people's perspectives can differ. Makes me wonder what our kids, with their varied personalities and preferences would think about this idea.
Rachel I agree that our schools (even newly renovated ones like ours) don't always keep the best learning environment in mind. Anyone that has been in my office very long know how much I like the lamps and low light...I always thought it was claming to the students that freqently come to see me...guess that's not what is best really. I'm still not sold on that one for my position but I'll try more lights on this year :)
I am definitely conscious of how students are seated in my classroom. I am always trying to find the best way to arrange students together for cooperative learning. We do a lot of group work in all classes and who students are paired with can make a big difference in their learning, or lack of it!
The quote on page 83 is encouraging me to really think about which students should not sit at a table of 4 on a daily basis and how I can control this with the furniture we have. "Group seating around tables of four or more makes learning difficult for the most distractible pupils." There are certainly students who immediately came to mind when I read this who I fussed at all year long. I think I need to address this with a few students right at the beginning of the year and hopefully it won't be viewed as punishment because that's not the intention.
I also love the idea of trying the bouncy balls for students to sit on who have sensory disorders or attention deficit or highly kinesthetic learners. I inherited a few from Brittany that I plan to use and I know she was very pleased with the results.
I have to be honest, I have had the hardest time, last year and this year, to try and figure out how I wanted the tables to be placed in my room. I loved having the desks when we were over at the primary center. Like Rachel said, I grouped the desks together when we were to be working on activities that merited group work. However, there were some students who couldn't handle sitting with others in close proximity so they were moved and sat at their own desk. With the tables, there isn't the luxury of moving to isolate some if they needed it (thank goodness for the 2 desks we have now).
I think in regards to light, I too will try and have the blinds open more, however in the mornings where my room faces the playground it's pretty blinding for the students that sit at pink and orange table. I would love to venture outside more for lessons, but that can be distracting though as well. This chapter certainly has presented a lot to think about and take into account.
Thinking back to my school years...I remember sitting by various students who terrified me, and those whom I loved. I remember hating to sit in the front row, but loving the middle or back of the classroom. When it comes to seating and allowing kids to figure out where and how to sit, I just may have to give a little more leeway. I would like to give some freedom to the kids this year to see how well they do. As long as they are accomplishing what needs to be done, I don't see a problem with it.. As far as temperature, I don't have much control over that. I will however open the blinds everyday to let the sunlight in all year round. I also love the suggestion of having white noise going on in the background of my classroom. I may try that as well.
I have seen a big difference with my students this year with the option of turning off the flouerscents lights and opening the sky lights. I try to use as much natural light as possible. My students have multiple sensory issues and the natural light seems to soothe them and help with behaviors. This is my observations from having this option this past school year.
I think that the learning environment is definitely an area that as teachers we can easily respond to. I love having the extra lights in my room, but no know that I need to make much better use of the natural lighting that we have. With the giant windows in most of our room, it should be fairly easy to expose the students to natural lighting throughout the year. Although there is only so much we can do with seating arrangements, since we are suing tables, there is many things we can do to make the seating arrangements as beneficial as possible for the students emotional need. For the most part the physical environment of our classroom is something we can control and we should really take a closer look at it.
Seating is key piece involved in students' success in the classroom. Students are expected to pay attention while seated in groups and I agree with the text and Lindsey that for some of the more distracted pupils this is not the ideal seating arrangement. At the camp I worked at I would frequently encourage students to find their own space during our reading times, and I would tell them that I would let them pick their space as long as they were on task. This really worked for most of the students. They all wanted to have the freedom to pick their own spot so they stayed on task, and they were also able to spread out and reduce the temptation to talk with the person sitting right beside them.
I like the natural light but with the p;aground outside the window--the noise is a definite distraction. I had the blinds open a lot last year. I am wondering how many egg cartons it would take to make a difference in the sound?
The static that stuck out the most for me in this chapter was "controlling for variables, the study found that students with the most sunlight in their classroom progressed 20 percent faster on math tests and 26 percent faster on reading tests compared with students exposed to the least lighting." Wow! I know that I will be more conscientious about lighting and blocking out the sun. I will keep the blinds open and lights on despite the glare of the sun.
ReplyDeleteI thought there were some good suggestions in chapter 6 for seating and lighting. Next year I am going to allow more students to sit on the floor to read or do certain work (with lots of modeling). I will also use the strategy of having students walk to music to find a partner for "pair-share" or other group work.
ReplyDeleteAs far as lighting I've always kept classroom blinds closed because of being so close to the playground. However, I will work harder to open the blinds in the mornings when no ones on the playground and only close the blinds if it becomes a huge distraction. I am also open to their suggestion of holding class outside on occasion.
I always thought the natural light was better and frequently use lights out as a means of keeping some of my kiddo's calm or helping them to calm down. Guess I was wrong. As for set up this year..... I'm thinking as little furniture as possible! That leaves less to be thrown or turned over!!
ReplyDeleteSorry this is so long..had so much to think about! I found this chapter interesting mostly because of our school being remodeled recently. There were so many things that seem like basic suggestions, but are things that may not have been considered with our renovation.
ReplyDelete-Carpeting is suggested in order to reduce noise, but most schools don’t install carpeting anymore. I personally like not having carpet all over the room and having smaller carpets throughout. For me, it makes some activities easier. I really like the oddball idea of hanging egg cartons around the room to reduce noise! I might have to try that this year as an experiment!
-Temperature control was something small that you would think teachers could control to better help our students. Higher Powers have control (or so I’ve been told) of our school temperature. We can kind of change it (cooler, warmer), but that doesn’t usually help much. Sometimes it’s the choice of “freezing” or “sweaty”. Much to my students’ chagrin, I prefer the room to be cold rather than hot, which is what the book suggests. I was doing it to keep them awake though. I didn’t realize that it could actually impact them academically. I always encourage them to bring/wear sweatshirts so that the room can stay fairly cool.
-I’m glad we didn’t paint our rooms with those pastel blue and yellow paints. Supposedly they can have a positive impact on learning, but they just make me sad. I like the white walls that we can decorate with student work and anchor charts (just not too many). I’m going to use my flip anchor charts again this year. It helps keep the walls from looking cluttered, but also keeps important posters available.
-The desks versus tables thing is something I’ve felt strongly about, so I was happy to see my feelings were supported in this book. I honestly hate tables. If I want to do group work, I can push desks together. Since we can’t change that…I would definitely be willing to try out the sensory ball seats. They’re good for posture, focus, and energy.
-I’ve always loved natural lighting—at home and school. I’m glad that my classroom this year (and last) is on the North side of the building so that I can keep my blinds open more often. It’s better for the students and doesn’t cause too much of a glare on the SmartBoard. In the past few years I’ve seen a trend of dim lighting in classrooms, especially during reading times. Lots of lamps for quiet, intimate reading spots. It seems like a cute idea, but lighting like that can cause lethargy, sleepiness, and lowered motivation. I hope to open up my blinds more this year and maybe take my kids outside for Science class when it’s practical.
Rachel, you echo much of what I was thinking while reading this chapter! I really wish we had this information before some of the decisions were made concerning furnishings, etc. I really thought I would like the tables, but I have found them to be frustrating at times when students need more isolated time to sustain attention. The book suggests putting no more than two or three at a table, but with higher numbers of students, this just isn't feasible this year. Oh, well, the best laid plans I guess...
DeleteI will say the temperature thing frustrates me as well. I always say, it is either a freezer or a sauna in my room. I wish we had better control, and could actually see the degrees in the thermostat. That way we could keep I. The optimal 68-72 range that the book suggests. I did think that the book offered some good practical suggestions though when regulating temperature ourselves is difficult.
I will have to disagree with the paint. I really like that idea! I see them as creating a happy, homey environment. Although the book also suggests not making the classroom too home like since home is not a positive place for all of our students Funny how two people's perspectives can differ. Makes me wonder what our kids, with their varied personalities and preferences would think about this idea.
Rachel I agree that our schools (even newly renovated ones like ours) don't always keep the best learning environment in mind. Anyone that has been in my office very long know how much I like the lamps and low light...I always thought it was claming to the students that freqently come to see me...guess that's not what is best really. I'm still not sold on that one for my position but I'll try more lights on this year :)
DeleteI am definitely conscious of how students are seated in my classroom. I am always trying to find the best way to arrange students together for cooperative learning. We do a lot of group work in all classes and who students are paired with can make a big difference in their learning, or lack of it!
ReplyDeleteThe quote on page 83 is encouraging me to really think about which students should not sit at a table of 4 on a daily basis and how I can control this with the furniture we have. "Group seating around tables of four or more makes learning difficult for the most distractible pupils." There are certainly students who immediately came to mind when I read this who I fussed at all year long. I think I need to address this with a few students right at the beginning of the year and hopefully it won't be viewed as punishment because that's not the intention.
I also love the idea of trying the bouncy balls for students to sit on who have sensory disorders or attention deficit or highly kinesthetic learners. I inherited a few from Brittany that I plan to use and I know she was very pleased with the results.
I have to be honest, I have had the hardest time, last year and this year, to try and figure out how I wanted the tables to be placed in my room. I loved having the desks when we were over at the primary center. Like Rachel said, I grouped the desks together when we were to be working on activities that merited group work. However, there were some students who couldn't handle sitting with others in close proximity so they were moved and sat at their own desk. With the tables, there isn't the luxury of moving to isolate some if they needed it (thank goodness for the 2 desks we have now).
ReplyDeleteI think in regards to light, I too will try and have the blinds open more, however in the mornings where my room faces the playground it's pretty blinding for the students that sit at pink and orange table. I would love to venture outside more for lessons, but that can be distracting though as well. This chapter certainly has presented a lot to think about and take into account.
Thinking back to my school years...I remember sitting by various students who terrified me, and those whom I loved. I remember hating to sit in the front row, but loving the middle or back of the classroom. When it comes to seating and allowing kids to figure out where and how to sit, I just may have to give a little more leeway. I would like to give some freedom to the kids this year to see how well they do. As long as they are accomplishing what needs to be done, I don't see a problem with it.. As far as temperature, I don't have much control over that. I will however open the blinds everyday to let the sunlight in all year round. I also love the suggestion of having white noise going on in the background of my classroom. I may try that as well.
ReplyDeleteI have seen a big difference with my students this year with the option of turning off the flouerscents lights and opening the sky lights. I try to use as much natural light as possible. My students have multiple sensory issues and the natural light seems to soothe them and help with behaviors. This is my observations from having this option this past school year.
ReplyDeleteI think that the learning environment is definitely an area that as teachers we can easily respond to. I love having the extra lights in my room, but no know that I need to make much better use of the natural lighting that we have. With the giant windows in most of our room, it should be fairly easy to expose the students to natural lighting throughout the year. Although there is only so much we can do with seating arrangements, since we are suing tables, there is many things we can do to make the seating arrangements as beneficial as possible for the students emotional need. For the most part the physical environment of our classroom is something we can control and we should really take a closer look at it.
ReplyDeleteSeating is key piece involved in students' success in the classroom. Students are expected to pay attention while seated in groups and I agree with the text and Lindsey that for some of the more distracted pupils this is not the ideal seating arrangement. At the camp I worked at I would frequently encourage students to find their own space during our reading times, and I would tell them that I would let them pick their space as long as they were on task. This really worked for most of the students. They all wanted to have the freedom to pick their own spot so they stayed on task, and they were also able to spread out and reduce the temptation to talk with the person sitting right beside them.
ReplyDeleteI like the natural light but with the p;aground outside the window--the noise is a definite distraction. I had the blinds open a lot last year. I am wondering how many egg cartons it would take to make a difference in the sound?
ReplyDelete