1. Practicum A Kindergarten + First Grade Due March 5, 2015 CLASSROOM DESIGN LAUREN CUDDEN

2. William Fox Elementar y School MRS. BRADLEY’S CLASS KINDERGARTEN & FIRST GRADE

3.  To create a psychologically and physically safe and healthy learning environment  Classroom pets are a great way to promote a psychological security within the classroom  Although my practicum class does not have a classroom pet, I think that land snails would make a good choice  They will eat basically anything, can reproduce on their own, do not bite or sting, and can be released into the wild (as long as they are a native species) SECURITY & SHELTER

4.  To create a highly social learning environment  Seating arrangements in my practicum classroom consist of four rectangular tables  Each table has six small sized chairs to accommodate such young (and tiny) students  This allows the students to (quietly) talk amongst others at their table  This photo shows the students’ seating arrangements in my practicum class SOCIAL CONTACT

5.  To create a learning environment that is owned by both the teacher and all of the students as a whole community  In my future classroom I hope to have a wall solely dedicated to student artwork, including their personal pieces that may not relate to any lessons  This photo shows a section of the wall with sectioned areas for individual student’s artwork in my practicum class SYMBOLIC IDENTIFICATION

6.  To create a learning environment that allows students to easily and effectively accomplish tasks  Learning centers are a great way to promote task instrumentality within the classroom  Each learning center consists of either a specific subject or parts of a subject  This photo is of a reading based learning center from my practicum class TASK INSTRUMENTALITY

7.  To create a learning environment that is not only pleasing to look at, but is pleasing to be in  In my future classroom, I wish to have a space solely dedicated to leisurely reading  By being able to relax and unwind a bit, struggling students may be less anxious to read  This photo shows a very small couch that the students in my practicum classroom sit on during their free reading time and learning centers PLEASURE

8.  To create a learning environment that promotes students’ growth and development  I personally feel as though students learn better when lessons are hands on  By using manipulatives, students can access knowledge through kinesthetic or tactile learning  This is photo shows Mrs. Bradley’s collection of math and reading manipulatives GROWTH

9.  Weinstein, C.S. Romano, M.E. Elementary Classroom Management: Lessons from Research and Practice. Sixth Edition. McGraw Hill: 2015.  Image of child with snail from http://natural-japan.nethttp://natural-japan.net SOURCES