Guided Observation #2 Physical Arrangement

Name: Blake Lamb

Date: April 16, 2017
Course: EDUC 2300 Introduction to Education
School: Bean Station 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 Mrs.
Smiths classroom,
there is a smartboard

at the front of the room. There are 3 computers in the room. Two of those computers
are in the back of the room while the other one is on Mrs. Smiths s desk. It makes it
very convenient for her to take attendance and put grade onto this computer. There is
also a laptop that it located at the front of the room for her lesson plans. The teacher
also has access to IPad minis when needed.
 b) Traffic Patterns: The desks are in the center of the room in a u type pattern with
three desks that are in the center of it. The arrangement of the desks negatively affect
the students because they are too close to their peers. This can cause behavior
problems and cheating. Mrs. Smiths desk is located on the left side of the room
because it allows easy access for students when needed. This is very beneficial for the
students because there is a lot of open space around her desk. There is a kidney
shaped table in the right back corner of the room that allows Mrs. Smith to utilize
time between her and a small group of students or one on one time. The room is very
open so traffic flows very smoothly throughout.

c) Instructional Displays: Mrs. Smith has many educational posters throughout her
room. She is a Social Studies teacher so there is a timeline of many important
historical events that pertains to her class on the back wall of the room. She has many
maps posted on the wall that she often refers back to when teaching lessons. The
posters in her room take up much of her wall space. She utilizes her space very well
because each item on her well benefits her students. Not only does she has posters,
she also has projects from recent students displayed in her room. There is an entire
shelf full of pyramids that are a representation of an important topic that they cover
during her class.

d) Classroom Management: Classroom management is a key component of helping

your class be successful. Mrs. Smith is a 6th grade teachers so she has four different
classes every day. The students are usually wound up and loud, but it does not take
them long to calm down and obtained a respectable manner. Mrs. Smith has a new
bell ringer on the board each day that helps the students focus in on class. For the
most part, Mrs. Smiths students were very well behaved. When students were too
loud and continued to interrupt, there name and behavior that occurred gets put onto
the clipboard. This type of consequence reduces bad behavior in her classroom.

e) Motivational Elements: Mrs. Smith uses motivational elements such as candy to

reward her students. When a student answers a difficult question, she will let them go
to a drawer beside her desks that has different types of candy. This helps with the
amount of student participation that she gets. If they know they may get a reward,
they put more effort into it. If she notices a student who usually struggles with
behavioral issues and that student shows an increase of good behavior, she allows
them to also go to the candy drawer.

3. Draw your perfect classroom: