EDU 3410

Name Lizabeth Mattson

Observation Date 9/14/16

Observation Time 8:00 AM

(B-1) Objective: To observe and make note of the whole classrooms learning environment
and its value to students and teacher.
Directions: Observe the classroom environment and respond to the questions that follow. Use
class resources (text, web, articles) to provide support for responses.
1.
What kind of learning environment has the teacher created for learners? The
rectangular shaped room has 6 round tables with 4 chairs at each. There is a plastic popcorn box
in the middle of each table with the table number on all 4 sides of it (this is where they throw
their little bits of trash while workinggenius!) She calls students to the carpet by table number.
There is a pencil box in front of each student (purchased by the student at the beginning of the
year) with the students name hand written attached to it. (It looks like the students wrote their
own names, though some probably had help.) In each students box are crayons, a pencil, a glue
stick, a pair of scissors, and any Bee Bucks they have earned. On the back of each students
chair is a plastic hook on which is hooked a large Ziplock bag with the students name on it, with
the students homemade books in it.
2.
What are the most important qualities of this environment? Simplicity (not a lot
posted on the walls yetthe frameworks are there, but they are not filled in yet). Space to
expand (you can just imagine everything being filled in as they go).
3.
What things appear to be important symbols and sites in this environment, i.e.,
rocking chair used for an authors chair, round tables to conduct literature circles, student
writing displayed on the walls, classroom library filled with books available for student
check-out? In short, what is most valued in this classroom? There is nothing like this in the
classroom. This is the very beginning of the year, so there is no student work displayed
however, in looking at what is on the walls there does not seem to be an obvious space for
student work to be displayed. The classroom has a Wizard of Oz theme, and pictures of the
characters from the film version of the Wizard of Oz are around the room as part of several of
the wall displays. There is not a classroom library, which I found surprising. The furniture is
generic. To me the most important symbols were the alphabet, the number line from 0-100 and
the students own names used to label their spaces and belongings.
4.
What does the teacher most value? How do you know? Students, Literacy, Math.
There are places to list student names all around the room (class list, going home list, daily role
assignment display, student job assignment display, birthday display). The alphabet is posted at
the very front of the room above the whiteboard. There is a Word Wall at the back of the room.
Along one side of the room are 3 tables: a computer table, an iPad table, and the writing center.
On that side of the room is a large display with symbols of the 5 tasks of literacy. On that side of
the room there is also a large bulletin board split into 3 sections: ELA, Math, and Science.
Along the top of the back of the room are the numbers from 0-100. It is clear to me from looking
around that the tasks at hand are literacy and math, and getting students used to being a part of a
classroom community.
5.
What do students most value? How do you know? Crayons, Bee Bucks, any of their
belongings (because several students were fighting over them and accusing each other of
stealing them). TV/video games, flowers, houses, family, basketball and football, rainbows, the

sun, clouds (because this is what the students were drawing when the teacher asked them to draw
all the things they like the best).
6.
What do teachers and students not value? How do you know? Luxury. The room felt
almost stark, but I appreciate the simplicity of it. There is a job to do, getting students to learn to
read, and there is a good reason to avoid distractions in serving that job.
7.
How has this observation pushed your thinking about the kind of learning
environment you wish to create? Where did you find these links to our course literature? I
definitely want my classroom to have a certain personality. I value things made out of natural
materials, and I feel like so much of life pulls us away from that, so I want my room to have as
much wood as it can. I want beautiful books to be evident. The Wizard of Oz theme made me
think, some of these kids might not have seen that movie, so it might not have meaning to
them. The issues of the story of the Wizard of Oz seem more mature than the kindergarten level,
plus the movies characters are all white European types and most of the students in the class are
not white European descent kids. If I were to choose a theme it would be more universal, such as
a type of animal. Do I want to invest in ornate, beginning of the year bulletin board displays that
will just be changed up later? No, I like the idea of starting empty and filling displays. I would
rather invest my time and money in supplies than fancy bulletin boards, so I resonated with that
aspect of the teachers dcor, but I might make some different choices. The course literature talks
about having an authors chair, and I can see how that might be a symbol that says, we value
literacy. I like the idea of having comfortable spaces for reading to self, but that requires space.
The literature also talks about having labels for things around the room. I like that idea, but it
might be actually a good exercise to have the students do it themselves, so have it come later.
Many suggestions from the literature also discuss having literacy aspects added to a play
environment in the classroom. I was surprised that there was no household area in this
classroom. Now that I think of it, I have not seen a housekeeping area in any of the Durham
kindergarten classrooms. I wonder if it has been outlawed? In Chapel Hill each kindergarten
classroom had a housekeeping area which was used daily during fun centers. I think I would
have something like this in my classroom, if allowedsome aspect of the traditional
kindergarten blending the work of young childhood with that of primary school. In general, I
would like to create an environment of warmth and safety that is also simple and business-like.

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EDU 3410.0L1 Mr. Donald Barringer, MA