1. Steele’s 6 Functions By: Courtney C Greer Due 03/01/16
Classroom Design
Jackson Davis Elementary: Grade 2
Steele’s 6 Functions
By: Courtney C Greer
Due 03/01/16

2. Security and Shelter
A quiet reading area with soft carpet is tucked away in the corner of the classroom away from other students desks and away from high- distraction areas. For students that are easily overwhelmed this area offers some psychological security. It’s a place where students can choose from a variety of books that suit their interest and relax and read.

3. Some other examples of Security and Shelter
Classroom Rules
Bathroom Passes
I didn’t get a chance to take a picture of the bathroom passes in my practicum classroom but every time a student went to the bathroom they first grabbed the pass from the wall, then placed it atop their nametag on their desk. When looking around and finding an empty desk it’s easy to see exactly where students are in the building.
Classroom rules keep everyone in the class safe. They remind students to be kind and respectful to one another and the teacher and not to run or hit.

4. Social Contact
In this classroom the teacher clusters the desk to promote social interaction among the students.
Clusters put children closer together than if they were in rows and gives them opportunity to make direct eye contact with the person across from them.
Children are able to work together on activities, share materials, have small group discussions, and help each other with assignments.
Clusters are especially helpful for facilitating interaction among children from different cultural backgrounds and among children with disabilities.
Children here are seen either finishing their COGAT testing or working on a post-test activity

5. Symbolic Identification
Students make small pictures of themselves using construction paper. They were working on identifying nouns and verbs and each child has written a sentence identifying the noun and verb. We can see student’s interests through their sentence choices!
Here we can see a wall map of the continents. Directly above this map there are poster with different vocabulary words pretaining to different cultures and countries. Students can use this information to see that we are all connected and the same but it also highlights some cool differences between us. For example , Aaran is from India! (and he can point it out to you on the wall map and on the globe.

6. Task Instrumentality
The teacher has the classroom set up in such a way that even though the desks are clustered it is still easy to see the whiteboard where she does most of her instruction and issues behavioral rewards and disciplines. The projector is low to the ground and it does not block any students view of the board.
These clustered desks are especially helpful for group work. Here the teacher has word study groups posted on the wall. There’s the blue, orange, and yellow group posted on the wall complete with names and there are corresponding clipboards with lists of activities and worksheets for some of those activities. The students can go find their names, grab their clipboards, and head back to their groups for group work.

7. More examples of task instrumentality
This spot works perfectly for the class. Students are able to sit on soft carpet and face the teacher as she reads a story. If they’re on the reading rug for independent reading they can easily go to the book shelves and pick out a book that’s appropriate for their abilities and interests. This area is away from the door, pencil sharpener, and teachers desk, making it the most distraction free and relaxing place in the classroom which suites is function tremendously well.

8. Pleasure
There are lots of bright and colorful displays in the room. Bulletin boards are decked out with different colored backgrounds and metallic wiggly borders. There are words and pictures and classwork pasted to the bulletin boards. There are also special names for each group of children like the shark boys and lava girls. This gives the kids a sense of comradery and friendly competition and personalizes their space so they are proud to fill her classroom.
Natural lighting is important to me and if I were this teacher I would probably use lamps for the kids instead of the bright white lights overhead. Unfortunately the park is right outside of their windows so I understand why the teacher doesn’t raise the blinds

9. Growth
Something that I would have really liked to see to foster growth is plants or a class pet in the classroom. I think plants make a room feel more homey and make you happier as well as a class pet. These two aspects foster a sense of cooperation between peers and responsibility, as students will have to feed and water the plants and pets and spend time gently caring for both.

10. Bibliography
Meekfamily.net Pinterest.com Weinstein & Romano, C.S. & M.E. (2003). Elementary Classroom Management: Lessons from Research and Practice (Sixth Edition). New York, New York:McGraw Hill Education.