Savannah Jarvis December 10, 2013 Classroom Map Classroom Map Description Entrance Near the door to the

left on the wall will be an information wall. There will be two long hanging file folder organizers. One will be for information going out and one will be for information coming in from parents. Each child will have their own section that will be labeled with their name. On this wall will also be a bulletin board containing the weeks lesson plans. A sign in book will be kept by the door on top of the cubbies. Inside the cubbies, jackets and backpacks and other belongings will be kept. Next to the cubbies is the storage for mats and bedding. The storage unit shown is similar to what I would try to have. The unit I had in mind would have separate slots for each childs sleep gear. This area is intended for parents to feel welcomed and included into the class. They will be kept updated here. Computers There are two computers for children to use for learning purposes. This part of the classroom is required for the center. The table and desk chairs would be low to the ground so as to be at the childs level. The table would be wood and chairs would be like rolling desk chair one could find in an office. I wanted to area to look kind of like a home office. In the corner I might put a fake house plant and maybe some class photos framed on the desk. This provides a more comfortable and home-like feel to the area.

Literacy The literacy area has a few things going on in it. The first is the small kid-sized bookshelf. The books that are being read and talked about at any time during a unit plan will be displayed here. During a time of free choice children would be able to look at these books on their own. It is important that there are not too many books here. It could start to look really crowded and cluttered. Ideally there would be about 20 books displayed here. In the corner are soft things. There are two bean bags and a variation of stuffed animals and puppets. I did this for two reasons, both involve comfort. I want children to feel like reading is something they can be comfortable doing. They can feel as though they are in their own living room. Another reason for the bean bags and animals is for when children need alone time. Many of these children are going through changing family structures of family drama. When a child cannot understand what is happening around them, they can become distressed. To help children talk out their thoughts or problems are the puppets. It is a good way for children to say what they are thinking with a smaller risk of being known. In other words, the children may feel less threatened by talking to puppet rather than a person. The next piece is a long and low table. On the bottom it has storage that can be covered by sliding doors. On top of this table would be the books highlighted for the day or week and the artifacts that go with the stories. A CD player would also be up top so that children could listen to audio books. Children could also play music from certain set-out CDs during certain times. In the storage underneath could be extra charts or books or other resources. Above the table will be a board displaying the calendar and artwork the children want to display. A clock will be hung here so that children can reference the time. This area is

specifically for the children. It is their space for personal expression like you would see in a living room of someones home. For the teacher chair I added a rocking chair for multiple reasons. The first is so that when we are in circle time I can see them all and when I am reading a book they can all see me. I only added a rocking chair because it saves space as opposed to a large couch chair that I have seen in many other rooms. The other reason I have a rocking chair instead of just a stand still chair is that the rocking motion can sometimes calm children. If they are very upset or just need comfort rocking with someone or by themselves is a good way to help. In front of the rocking chair are red rectangles which are to represent carpet mats. Each child will grab one and place it on the ground where they would like to sit. This way, children can have their own obvious area that is theirs to sit in and let anyone know who comes close that they are sitting there. The mats will be picked up at the end of each circle session and placed in a stack against the opposite side of the mirror that is part of the dramatic play area. The overall atmosphere of this area is to feel like a living room that they would have in their house. To do this, everything is touchable for children; nothing is off limits. The area is full of soft materials and comforting objects. Dramatic Play Along the back wall are a sink, oven and stove, and a refrigerator. The wall dividing the dramatic play and literacy area is a washing machine and dryer and a mirror. Play clothes will be stored inside the washer and dryer and a laundry basket. Along the side with the window is a table and chairs like a dining room. All materials in this area would be made of wood like one would find in a home. The washer and dryer would be painted white though to resemble one made of metal that you could buy at a store.

Block Area The block area divides the dramatic play area. The shelving unit that houses the blocks folds up. I chose this piece in case more room is needed in the dramatic play area. It can also be folded during nap time to provide more floor space and so it is not distracting. Art The art area consists of two easels normally. If table space is needed to two tables on the other side can be used. On the wall will be another bulletin board for art to be displayed. When projects are done and need to dry the white shelving by the sink is for that. There are different sized slots that can be used for various purposes. Science The science area consists of a sand and water table placed by a window. Next to that is a board for posting procedure, findings, and materials. The table can be closed when not in use and use for art drying area or meal time. Storage/ hand washing The back wall is used for storage and hand washing. In the middle is the sink for washing hand before and after meals, after entering the class, and whenever needed (messy projects). Above the sink will be a poster of hand washing steps. The sink will be at childrens level. On one side is a cabinet (purple in picture) that will close off with doors. Materials for art or science area will be stored here. They are closed off so that children know they are not to use those materials. Doors will be locked and have a sign saying Wait! Ask a teacher written on it. On the other side is a place for storage of childrens wet artwork in the cubby part. On the top and very bottom will be closed off storage. The bottom part will have mealtime supplies like napkins, plastic ware, etc. On the top will be cleaning supplies that will be locked up.

In an ideal situation these cabinets would be matching colors. Others Tables will be used for meal times and projects. They are to be cleaned before and after each use and chairs are to be pushed in. The open area in the middle of the room is intentional. The area is for large projects that need floor space. The area will also be used for naptime when mats are laid out. Class Routine Daily Schedule: 1. When children come in the door they put their belongings in the cubby by the door. Parent/ caregiver will sign the child in. 2. Parent/ caregiver is informed of any new information and reminded to take any papers from the childs folder. 3. Parents can stay through opening activities until 8:30AM 4. Once caregivers have left children will meet at circle time 5. During morning circle time we will talk about any news they have, the calendar, what month/day it is, and the days activities 6. Children are dismissed from circle time and are free to do planned activities as teacher walks around talking and interacts with children. 7. At 10:30 AM they will begin to have their first snack 8. After snack is done everyone will wash their hands and go outside for play time 9. While children are outside one teacher will set up for lunch. 12PM is lunch time. Children come in, wash hands, and eat

10. After lunch teachers will help children prepare for nap time. There is a 2 hour nap time allotted. Music can be played to calm children. They are allowed to have a book and one snuggle toy with them. 11. Children put away mats and prepare for snack 12. At 2:30 PM children will come to circle time once more for a story 13. After circle time is done, children may play quietly. Activities at this time are limited to reading, writing, art, or listening to music on the headsets at the computer. Talking is kept to a minimum and children can move around. The time is to be set aside for literacy purposes 14. After literacy/ quiet time we will do a group activity. This can be a game or project or lesson. Mostly a time to encourage community. 15. After the group activity they are free to play where ever until caregivers come to pick them up. Classroom Climate The overall climate is to be warm and welcoming. The childrens work and photos will be displayed throughout so that they feel as though they own the classroom. They have a say in what goes up and what comes down as far as work goes. Furniture throughout the room will be what someone would find in a home. The long wall in the classroom would be painted a medium purple. Not to be too dark or too light. Darker colors tend to make a room look smaller so painting the long wall makes it look cozier. Purple is also said to be a creative and playful color which is the atmosphere I want for this class. By inviting parents to stay for the first hour I would hope to build a sense of community and family within the families inside the class.

Professional Reflection In looking back upon my first attempt at this project I can see how the Bullard book has helped me develop effective ways to create a classroom. The classroom I had before looked very stereotypical. There was not as much thought put into it and only the basic needs were met. After reading the Bullard book, my floor plan looks well thought out and intentional. A few examples are the tables I chose to use. The round tables promote more conversation because all children can be seen while sitting down. The other tables looked more like a dining hall. I added a science center, recognizing that it was an important part to the learning experience. I also learned a lot from other classes about how to include students into the curriculum that will help the classroom climate. Providing a space for parents to connect and communicate is something I added to this plan. Also allowing parents to stay for a period of time each day allows them to feel as part of the class too. Having parents in can also show a lot about what the parent interaction looks like with their child. They can also bring a lot into the classroom culturally when staying to do activities. I think that having the childrens parents stay a bit longer also helps the children let go easier when it is time for them to go. Children may feel less like they are being left and more like it is just an extension of their day.