My 21st Century Classroom

In  my 21st Century Classroom (kindergarten) I choose to have the walls painted in bright colors to enhance creativity  and learning in my classroom.I also chose to position my teacher desk in the front of the classroom over looking the room and the student’s. I personally want my teacher desk in the front because that way I can see the entire class from my desk. I also positioned my desk where I can see who is at the door so I can stay alert to who may    enter my classroom. I wanted my desk near the chalkboard so it was close for using and I wanted to be close to the students if they needed help. I have placed the students desks as three tables. They will have nametags so they know where they sit. This  will aid in learning the student’s names and also keeping students under control. I wanted to have tables because this would be good if we were doing a differentiated instuection. I already have three tables and I could break them up in groups of how well they understand what I am teaching. 

They are positioned near their cubbies so if they needed to get any supplies from there book bags it would be close. I have placed them close enough to myself so that I can see if they misbehave. I have placed their desks near the supplies they would need, near the pencil sharpener and close to the door as well.

 I have placed one table in the back of the classroom to use for stations or as a table for centers. I have placed it in the back so that if I needed to use the table during regular class it would not be a distraction. It would be useful for a child who needs more time to finish work. I have a table in the center of the room for arts and crafts, a sand table for interactive play, shelves in the reading area to hold books, and tables in the back of the room for games and toys.   

 The technology in the classroom is the Promethean Smart Board located in the front of the classroom next to the chalkboard. I have placed the boards toward the front so the children can see the board from their seats. The technology is close to my desk so that I can keep an eye on the student’s if they are using it. The computers are near the windows in front of my desk. I also have books on tape so that if the children want to listen to the books on tape that is an option. This equipment is good for my classroom to have for the children to use for educational games or during free time. I have placed chalkboards in the classroom to use if the lesson is not easy to teach on a smart board or is not an interactive lesson. I will use the interactive bored when I am teaching lessons that could involve vides or interactive games where they children could get up and help with the lesson.This will promote the children to want to be engaged and may help them to remember what is being taught. Teaching lessons to Kindergarteners in difficult already so hopefully adding something more fun to learn from will help in the learning process. 

Here is a video showing Kindergarteners using the Smart Bored

 to do interactive learning games as a center.

The cubbies in my classroom are placed on the wall near the door. They are placed in a way so that the children can come in and place their belongings in their spot. The cubbies are labeled so they know where their books and book bags go. They are close to there tables/seats so they can get to their belongings quickly if need be.

 Along the back of the classroom I have placed shelves that are labeled filled with games and toys. There are shelves in the center of the room that have art supplies for them to use with their easel or for projects. I have also placed shelves in the corner near the comfy spot for reading books. There are three garbage cans in the room. One in the front of the classroom directly when you walk in, one over by the arts supplies, and one in the back by the toy shelves/ center area. I have placed a quiet area for children to go to if they are showing poor behavior or need time to think about what they are doing that is not an acceptable behavior in my classroom. 

I have designed my 21st Century Classroom this way because I feel that a classroom needs to be set up in away that promotes learning. You need to watch where you place centers and students to make sure that the classroom is a good learning environment. 

For children with disabilities I have made the classroom room very open so they could get wheelchairs around easily. If I needed to for a visually impared student I would have brail books and worksheets, I would use a microphone to enhance my voice to their hearing aid. I would pair the child up with a buddy to make sure they got help if I was busy with other students.

I arranged my classroom this way because I feel that I have set up my classroom in a way that there in enough space to get around and everything is separated so that you can focus on what you are doing and not get distracted by other people at different centers. I feel that my classroom fits in my vision as a teacher and it benefits my student's because I have placed a lot of good learning games and tools in my classroom. I have made a welcoming and safe environment for my students to have a fun and enjoyable time in my class.

For my PLN as a teacher I will grow to become a better educator to my students each year and each time I do a lesson. I will take risks and see how things turn out. I will adapt my instruction to meet the needs of the children better. If i find my lesson is to hard or to easy I will change it to better meet the needs. I will grow as a learner by continuing my education as seminars and by continuing school to keep up on changing standards and curriculum. 

I will make sure that I am involved with my classroom and the students are involved as well. We will make sure to get out and go on field trips and go out and help the community by picking up trash. I will have Parent- Teacher meetings so make sure the parents can come and share any comments with me they might have. Also, I will encourage parents to visit my classroom webpage to see what we have done and what is coming up in the week. they can leave comments there or can call/text me about their child if need be. I want the parents of my studnets to feel involved as much as possible and to feel like they can talk to me about anything involving their child.