ELIZABETH CORNWELL PRACTICUM A GRADE 2 MARCH 4, 2015 Steele’s 6 Functions in a Classroom

Security & Shelter In a classroom there needs to be a sense of both physical and psychological security for the students. The students need to feel safe in the classroom from the outside and safe emotionally. In my classroom the teacher keeps the door locked from the outside so students know that they are secure and safe in her classroom.

Social Contact It is important to get to know your students and have a social interaction with them. The students need to feel your presence everywhere in the classroom. It is important to move around both physically and vocally so all students are involved. The classroom I am in works with an interior loop design. This gives the students their own space in a desk then leaves the middle of the room for group work.

Symbolic Identification Visual cues and images around the classroom help the students identify with the classroom and each other. It refers to the classmates and the people that spend time there. It can include pictures, art, or other signs. In my classroom the teacher hangs the students artwork around so the students can be proud of each other and see.

Task Instrumentality It is important to place and organize the classroom so that the flow and movement in the classroom is manageable. In my classroom the computers are used for literacy and for rest time. These are placed in a corner far from the students as to not cause distraction when some students are on them and some are at their desk.

Pleasure It is important to have your classroom be attractive. It promotes the students to work harder and makes them proud of their classroom. The teacher in my classroom has comfy chairs in a corner for reading. This texture and place motivates the students to work hard and show that they can handle the privilege.

Growth It is important to provide areas that promote academic, personal, and social achievement. The teacher has a library of books and leveled readers that the students can choose from. This promotes individual learning and lets the children choose which books they would like to read.

Picture on symbolic identification page curators/