Managing Your Space to Teach Small Group Nancy Lind Literacy Coach Lexington Elementary School Information from Spaces and Places by Debbie Diller

Planning Your Space Do you ever find yourself moving furniture around at the end of a challenging day with your kids, hoping it will improve behavior tomorrow? Is your desk strew with papers and projects? Would you like more space and better organization in your classroom?

Where do I start? Think about your instruction first…then plan for space to make that happen. Remember - there is a direct link between structure, organization, and effective instruction. Clutter can lead to chaos!

What should I consider? Whole-group teaching area Small-group teaching area Classroom library Computers Teacher desk/work area Literacy work stations Desk or tables Math materials Storage spaces

Step One … THINK about the teaching you want to do this year. Plan for spaces that match the way you want to teach. What do I want to be sure to include every day in my teaching? What spaces will I need to have in my classroom to make this happen? Where will this instruction take place? What materials will we need? Where will I keep them so I can work more efficiently and effectively? How can I promote student independence?

Step Two THINK about your ideal classroom. What does your ideal room look like? Your desk or work space? The student’s desks or tables? Your storage spaces? Your teaching areas? Browse your school and look at other classrooms.

Step Three Now LOOK around. How do you feel when you enter your classroom? How do the students feel when they come in your room? Does the entranceway to your classroom feel open and inviting? What do you need in terms of furniture, open space, and learning areas? Ask your students for their input, too.

Have nothing in your classroom “that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” adapted from William Morris

Step Four Start with a map Use a inch piece of construction paper. Draw all your permanent fixtures on it (windows, doors, outlets, built-ins, etc) Label small sticky notes with names of spaces you’d like to have on each. One name per sticky note. Place the sticky note on the map and think about the flow of your space. ( Diller’s classroom mapping kit for the professional look. Copy link for your files.

From Spaces and Places by Debbie Diller, p. 39

Step Four Continued Ask yourself: Does my entrance feel inviting and open (or is it cluttered with furniture)? Can I see all spaces from my small-group table? Do I have dead space (big areas that are unused or cluttered, like corners or spaces behind my desk)? Take inventory of what you’ve got, one bit at a time.

Don’t move ANY furniture until your map is DONE! Move sticky notes, not furniture, and save yourself about 8 hours of backbreaking labor. HINTS from Debbie… Decide where to put desks LAST, not first…you’ll see more possibilities for using the perimeters without the desks in the way and better utilize your space. Don’t “decorate” your classroom. Instead, plan for instruction and leave some room for your students!

“The amount of space you have cannot be changed-the amount of stuff you have can.” Peter Walsh

Small-Group Area Ask yourself: What is the purpose of this space? Does it link to instruction? What materials will we need here?

Small-Group Area My Instruction Daily small-group Space I’ll need: Small-group teaching area Thoughts on setting up: Have a clear view of all stations Be near a bulletin board or white board Have shelves and baskets for materials Label containers for easy retrieval

Suggested Materials Table for small-group teaching Shelves or clear plastic drawer units for materials behind table Located by bulletin board or white board for display Lesson plan and reading groups folder Anchor charts developed with students 6 dry erase boards, markers, and erasers Easel- dry erase/magnetic 6 sets of magnetic letters (lowercase) Pencils with erasers Word tiles for students Student text Sticky notes PVC phones

Why a designated area? Links instruction… Supports 4-6 students at a time as readers, writers, thinkers, mathematicians in small- group instruction Small groups for reading, writing, or math; literature discussion group meetings

HINTS from Debbie… Don’t put wheels on stacking drawers and they won’t break. Use the last minute of small-group time to have students help return materials to appropriate spaces in the small-group area while the rest of the class tidies up literacy work stations.

From Spaces and Places by Debbie Diller, p. 74

Teaching Tip When students use sticky notes to gather information, have them put the sticky notes down in front of them facing you to do a quick check instead of having each child share their note. Find the commonalities as you glance and teach from what you see. This saves time and give you an opportunity to assess their thinking.

Diller, D Spaces and Places: designing classrooms for literacy. Portland, ME. Stenhouse.