EDUC 2000 Physical Environment Observation 1

Ellyn Culotta

Physical Environment Observation

Teachers decorate and structure physical environment of classroom to support students’
learning. As you walk around, jot down your responses to these questions. Take pictures
of them and embed them in this document to better illustrate your description. Please
make sure that you explain pictures. The observation will help you think about how to
structure your future math classroom:

1. How are hallway bulletin boards used to showcase math?

There are currently no bulletin boards in this schools second grade hallways.
There are stripes of corkboard, one on each side of the wall. This is where writing
worksheets are displayed but never math.
2. How are classroom bulletin boards used to share students’ mathematical thinking?
There is what is called a “Math Zone” on the back-bulletin board in my second-
grade placement classroom. Within the Math Zone there are lots of vocabulary
words pertaining to mathematics with the definitions. Besides this section of the
bulletin board there are two number charts hanging in the classroom. There is
little room for students to share their mathematical thinking. There is a super
student wall where the teacher will hang up some of the students’ best work,
however I noticed it is used for writing rather than math.
3. Describe the mathematics pictures, posters, or other displays in your mentor teacher’s
classroom. What mathematical ideas do they support?
There are some mini math anchor charts that discuss addition and subtraction.
Another small poster that is in posted in the front of the classroom has a
subtraction poem on it. This is used as a reference for the students during their
individual working time in math centers. Each of the few posters that pertained to
math, had to do with subtraction or addition or they were simply the number
written out in numerical order.
4. Describe any bulletin boards that have mathematical practice standards or math class
rules.
There was a spot located at the top right-hand side of the white dry erase board for
the math standard. Because this objective, or standard, changes weekly according
to that the students are learning, it is written on the white board and therefore easy
to change. There were no class rules designated specifically for mathematics
listed anywhere in the classroom.
5. What manipulatives and tools are evident? What mathematical ideas do they support?
Are they accessible to the students (can students get tools at any time, or does the
teacher determine when they are available)?
There are math games that the students are encouraged to play during their
designated math center time. There are also place value disks in the back of the
classroom that the students use in the beginning of the year. Then as the year goes
on there role as an assistive tool in the learning process dwindles unless
necessary. The mathematics ideas supported with the use of the disks include
bundling and subitizing. The students are encouraged to also draw out the disks
when the manipulatives themselves are not present. Students can retrieve these

Field Experience Guide: Resources for Teachers of Elementary and Middle School Mathematics ©
Pearson Education, Inc., 2013
 manipulatives at any time however they normally wait for the teacher’s direction
on when would be the most appropriate time to use them.
6. Draw a sketch of the location of the desks, calculators, computers, overhead
projector, whiteboard (or chalkboard), and other math-related resources.

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7. What physical aspects of the classroom do you feel “create a spirit of inquiry, trust,
and expectation”?
The centers that are located around the classroom create the sense of exploration
for students. There are stem boxes that the students are encouraged to discover at
the end of each day as well. Along with the stem boxes, there are a diverse range
of concepts taught. There are also clear expectations from the teacher of what is to
occur during that designated time. For example, no running or yelling. The
teacher does display a sense of trust when it comes to the separate groups during
math. She allows the students and expects them to work on math the entire time
and work with each other when necessary to figure out the problems.
8. Pictures from my placement classroom below with descriptions.

At the top of this white board there is a labeled math standard. My mentor teacher
changes the math standard every week or two depending on how fast her students get
through the concepts being taught.

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Pictured above is the SMART board that my mentor teacher uses to display math
problems and show her work in other to solve them. The students in the small group that
she is teaching during math sit on the rug pictured at the bottom of this picture.

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On the left-hand side of this picture by the window there is a projector and a laptop. Both
of these tools are used during math instruction to enhance the students learning. They are
part of the process that depicts the problems onto the SMART board. The subtraction
poem is also featured on this picture as well, which is there to remind students of the
steps of subtraction.

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Above there is a picture that shows the right side of the classroom when looking at it
from the back of the classroom. This is one of the four sets of desks that the students use
for whole group instruction. The way that the desks are arranged encourage group and
partner work.

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This is a wide lens picture of my mentor teachers second grade classroom depicts a
group of desks in the center of the classroom. There are two games played on one of
the groups of tables that helps students practice bundling.

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In this picture, there are two more groups of desks arranged as well as a portion of
the third to the right-hand side. Again, this desk arrangement encourages the
students to work together or in partners when appropriate.

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In this picture, there are five computers pictured where the students are
encouraged to practice their math facts on a program called Zearn. This program
tracks their progress as well as allows them to rework problems.

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This is a picture of the Math Zone bulletin board with lots of vocabulary words and
definitions the students are encouraged to use. The students do not seem to use this
back-bulletin board.

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