I am always amazed by the different feelings you can have when entering classrooms within the same school building. All teachers are able to work in different environments: neat, cluttered, colorful, plain, rushed, organized. It doesn't matter who you are, your classroom will reflect your own personality. I am often teased for the organization and lack of clutter in my classroom. My teaching partner cannot get over the fact that I cannot leave before my desk is tidied up! Aside from what our own personal desires are for the classroom, it is important to think about what will also help create a perfect learning environment for our students. Elena Aguilar wrote a blog about "How Classroom Environment Can Ignite Learning and Cultivate Caring" on Edutopia this month. She wrote about a classroom in Oakland, California that used the theme of a village to set up a classroom in which students were eager to participate and learn. One fantastic idea that was shared in this article was about the Carecrow. Aguilar explains, "Recently, the teacher has been addressing bullying. A child-size "Carecrow" hangs on one wall. Students have taped messages onto the figure reflecting their commitment to care for each other." It seems like an area in which children enjoy spending their time and learning new things!
Read the entire article here.
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