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Ashlyn Cummings
Reflection #1
SPED 310
2 October, 2015

Aggie Honor Code:

On my honor as an Aggie, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this academic
work.

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Reflection #1
The significance behind classroom arrangement, teacher movement, and routines is that
they all influence the environment and learning capabilities of the students. These three topics
develop the atmosphere and climate of the classroom. The impact they have can determine
whether students focus, get the help they need, and even how they behave in the classroom. For
classroom arrangement, modifications are made not just to fit the teachers needs, but more
importantly to meet the needs of the students. Teacher movement illustrates the benefits of
student and teacher interaction. Finally, routines demonstrate the impact of rules and procedures
on student behavior. All three factors strengthen the classroom environment and the capabilities
of the students when they work together.
Teachers have a difficult decision to make when arranging their classrooms. The setup
has to be accessible to all the students, as well as arranged in a way that the teacher can navigate
through with ease. Classroom arrangement has a direct impact on a students ability to focus and
participate in class. For example, if a student has his back to the smart board and the teacher does
most of her teaching there, then the student loses out on the opportunity to not only participate,
but also to be actively engaged in learning. Classroom arrangement is also extremely important
in providing modifications for those who are physically unable to move freely around the
classroom, or for the students who have severe behavior problems. In the Jones article titled
Tools for Teaching, he states, in the classroom, eight feet is the difference between prevention
and remediation whenever you are standing in the front of the classroom (Jones, pg.40). The
article conveys the importance of having eight feet in between the desks to help decrease
unwanted behavior in the classroom. Jones goes on to emphasize the importance of having five
feet in between the teacher and the students, so that the teacher is able to manage any disruptions

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or problem behaviors in the classroom (Jones, pg.40). Both statements discuss how to build a
classroom arrangement that is both flexible and comfortable to interact in. Classroom
arrangement provides the avenue for teachers to correct behaviors that are unwanted, and allows
the students who need modifications to be included in the classroom activities.
Teacher movement is another aspect that has a great impact in a classroom. Teacher
movement can determine whether a student is actively engaged in an activity or understanding
the material that was taught that day. Effective teacher movement provides a way to connect to
students and manage the classroom environment. As we have learned in Dr. Fogartys class
discussions, teachers who have effective movement are able to correct any behavioral challenges
that might be occurring and even help students feel more involved in class (Fogarty, 2015). Each
point presented by Dr. Fogarty, demonstrated the crucial impact teacher movement has on
teaching because it allows students to feel more connected with the teacher. In the Jones article
titled Tools for Teaching, he shares how teacher movement is connected to room arrangement.
He states, The objective of room arrangement is to create walkways in order to make mobility
easy. I do not mean little, narrow walkways, I mean boulevards (Jones, pg.41). This articulates
the need for teachers to be able to move throughout the classroom easily. For example, during the
field-based experience, the teacher had several desks pushed all the way up against the walls.
This made it is very hard for her to move around the classroom and reach every student. In
addition, during the classroom discussions in SPED 310, Dr. Byrns shared the importance of
students being able to see and hear the teacher (Byrns, 2015). If the students were closed off, the
teacher would not be able to see or know if a student was struggling (Byrns, 2015). This is very
important to the overall classroom experience, and is something a teacher can easily change to be
more effective. This describes another aspect of how room arrangement directly affects teacher

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movement, and why it is important to make sure that they are both effectively used in the
classroom. Effective teacher movement provides an environment that promotes positive
behavior, student engagement, and overall student learning.
Routines are the foundation for establishing an effective classroom. Routines can
determine whether a day will be a good one or bad one. Routines are the foundation of a
classroom because they are the first things that teachers discuss with students: where to put their
backpacks, where to put their folders, how they walk in the hallway, their voice levels, etc.
Routines help substitute teachers and students when the teachers are not there by providing
consistency. This also allows the students to have a constant procedure that happens throughout
the day to keep them organized. Lemov in chapter 10 discusses the importance of a strong start
to the day by stating, It sets the tone for everything that comes after. Classroom culture is not
static from day to day. It is shaped by the opening minutes of a lesson- whether you intentionally
engineer them or not (Lemov, 356-357). The classroom discussions in SPED 310 touched on
classrooms where there are no routines at all. The discussions described how the classes are
hectic and chaotic, as well as completely distracting from the learning environment (Byrns,
2015). Routines are important because they take care of the constant chatter and are reminders
between teachers and students of what is expected of them. From the field-based experience,
there have been several examples that demonstrate this. Each student knows that they put their
folder in the bucket when they walk in to class and immediately start bell work. They do not
have to be reminded to do this or instructed to do this. The students understand this routine due
to the practice that the teacher established during the first weeks of school. This has also been
demonstrated as they walk in the hallways or in the cafeteria, when there was no set routine. For
the past few weeks, the students have been placed on red or yellow during lunchtime. The

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teacher felt that this was unacceptable and immediately began to start eating with them at lunch
and make them practice the desired behaviors and have a routine. This example provides insight
into the importance of routines and why they are essential to student execution and learning.
Overall, many things affect the classroom. Each piece plays an important part of both a
child and teachers day, which can be the breaking point between a bad and good day. If there is
proper classroom arrangement, it allows easy access to students, as well as provides a more
functional classroom experience for the students. If effective teacher movement is in place, then
the teacher is able to minimize unwanted behavior, as well as increase student engagement and
learning. Lastly, routines demonstrate the desired and expected behavior for each student. They
are not only beneficial to the start of the day, but are continuously useful throughout. If routines
are not in place, the classroom has no structure. Routines become the true glue of the classroom,
affecting not only how the day goes, but also how well the students behave throughout the day.
Effective classroom arrangement, teacher movement, and routines all play a part and work
together to make the best possible classroom experience for both the student and teacher.

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References:
Fogarty, Melissa (2015). Class Discussions.
Byrns, Glenda (2015). Class Discussions.
Jones, F. (2007). Arranging the classroom in Tools for teaching: Discipline, instruction,
motivation. Santa Cruz, CA: Frederic H. Jones & Associates, Inc.
Lemov, D. (2015). Teach like a champion 2.0:62 techniques that put students on the path to
college (p. Page #s). San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.