~ Classroom Design~ Kindergarten Mechanicsville Elementary School

Steele’s Six Functions found in my Practicum Classroom…

SECURITY AND SHELTER Example found in Practicum classroom: Children need physical and psychological security in the classroom. This basic function is the most fundamental. When children step into the classroom they need to feel like they are in a safe and secure environment. The door of my practicum classroom remains locked at all times. There is also a first aid bag that hangs on the door handle, in case one of the students has an emergency or accident.

SOCIAL CONTACT The desks in my practicum classroom are all arranged in little groups. This arrangement allows students to easily work cooperatively. It also allows them to interact with each other. Students interact with each other in the classroom on a daily basis. They also have interactions with the teacher. How these interactions occur varies from classroom to classroom. Example found in Practicum classroom:

SYMBOLIC IDENTIFICATION A classroom should represent the students who are in it. It should be personalized to show who the students are and should represent their cultures, interests, activities, backgrounds, accomplishments, and preferences. The birthdays of all the students are posted on the wall in my practicum classroom. This personalizes the room and tells a fact about each student; the month in which their birthday occurs. Example found in Practicum classroom:

TASK INSTRUMENTALITY Example found in Practicum classroom: The classroom environment should be set up in a way that allows the teacher and the students to get what needs to be done during the day completed. The classroom setup should help to carry out the tasks that need to get accomplished. In my Practicum classroom there are supplies found on every group of desks. These supplies include boxes with pencils, crayons, glue and scissors, a mini trashcan, and a box of books. These supplies help the students to carry out different tasks and assignments throughout the day. Having them on the desks makes them easily assessable.

PLEASURE Example found in Practicum classroom: A classroom should be attractive and organized. Since a teacher and his or her students spend a great deal of time in the classroom, it should be an environment that is comfortable and pleasing to be in. It should have a homey feel, especially since it is the students “home away from home”. My Practicum classroom has a cute curtain over the window that helps to create an attractive environment and give it a homey feel.

GROWTH Example found in Practicum classroom: A classroom should reflect the student’s cognitive development and academic achievements. When you walk into the room it should show a little bit of what the students have learned and how they have progressed. The classroom should also include things that help to foster the learning experience. These items include puzzles, brainteasers, manipulatives, and art supplies. The word wall in my practicum classroom shows growth because the students add to it throughout the year. When you walk into the room you can see what words the students have learned. If you come back to the classroom at a later date you can see how the students have progressed and how they have learned more words.

Source: Weinstein, C. S., & Romano, M. E. (2015). Elementary classroom management: Lessons from research and practice. (6th ed., pp ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.