Classroom Layout and Rationale

Classroom Layout and Rationale

Marina Madrid

Arizona State University

Classroom Layout and Rationale

My future classroom is minimalistic but effective. I have included all that I believe are

necessary without all the extra “fluff”. In my personal learning experience, I felt uncomfortable

in a cluttered classroom. It was an eye sore every time I walked in to see every wall covered in

what seemed like mess. It distracted my learning and inhibited my motivation in the class. I try

to keep things uncluttered, and put away in a specific place in my own home and plan to also

implement this into my classroom. Another thing I’ve noticed in my learning experience is that a

clear workspace allows for a clear mind. I believe that when the workspace is clear the mind can

focus on the task at hand instead of the clutter laying around.

To begin, I’ve organized my desks into groups of four. Part of my teaching philosophy

includes the understanding for the importance of collaboration and connection in the classroom. I

plan to rotate my students’ seats so that they all get a chance to sit with new people by the end of

the school year. I strongly believe that students feel more motivated and comfortable in the

classroom when they feel connected to their peers. I also believe that collaboration can create

incredible outcomes. Collaborative learning can transform the classroom into a supportive

learning community. Working together allows the students to come up with solutions and be

exposed to different perspectives they would not get working in isolation (Block, 2014). My goal

is to allow my students to learn from one another and create ideas by bouncing off each other’s

thoughts. This will improve their social skills and also create the supportive community that will

add to their learning experience. I’ve also added extra high top seating so that some students will

use if they desire to work away from their desks. This will be called the “Regroup and Research

Center”. During class time students will be able to sit at these high tops as long as they are using

the space appropriately. The view from the glass wall will provide a calming scene of trees and

our garden. Students will be allowed to sit at the high tops and refocus their energy by breathing,
Classroom Layout and Rationale

meditating, reading, drawing, whatever they choose. This will help me manage classroom stress

and allow me to provide support to my students.

This leads me to my “Collaboration Corner”. I have included a coffee/tea/snack cart that

will only be allowed to be accessed during nutrition breaks and lunch. This will allow my

classroom to be inviting and will hopefully encourage students to spend time in my classroom,

which will allow me to get to know them better. The floor cushions provide a relaxed setting

where students can collaborate and communicate together. My bookshelf will also include a

variety of literature as I will require the students to read one book each quarter. Near the coffee

cart is one of the two supply carts. I plan to keep two carts for classroom supplies. One cart will

be strictly office supplies, while the other will contain arts and crafts supplies. I will also keep a

9-cube storage unit filled with pull out cubbies. There will also be more storage for cleaning

supplies behind my desk area. This way, the chemicals will be tucked away in a corner under my

supervision.

My students are required to have their own devices and bring them to class every day,

thus I do not need a laptop cart. I will integrate technology into the classroom by sharing

classroom activities and documents with the students for them to view on their devices while

also projecting it onto the Smart Board. The Smart Board will allow my lessons to be interactive

with the students and promote participation in the classroom.

Classroom Layout and Rationale

Reference Page

Block, J. (2014). Collaboration matters, social and emotional learning. Retrieved from

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/collaboration-matters-joshua-block