My Classroom and the Environment
My classroom is set up in such a way as to promote:
1. Exploration
2. Curiosity
3. Meaningful Learning
4. Play-Based Inquiry
5. Social Skills & Responsibility
6. Critical Thinking
7. Fun!
My ideal classroom would allow for exploration, encourage curiosity, blend structure with free investigation, play, and strategies and resources for self-regulation. Teaching these students would encompass scaffolding my instruction so that students gain confidence in what they do and how they do it.
"The idea is that new lessons and concepts can be more readily understood and comprehended if support is given to a child as they're learning." (Rock, A. 2019). The idea is to "gradually release" students from solely depending on the teacher for instruction, and begin to develop the confidence to explore on their own.
Having learned more about the importance of self-regulation, one proposal I have is to include a quiet area in my classroom where students can use a weighted pillow, a blanket, a stuffed animal, a wiggle cushion or other item to regain a feeling of calm-readiness. Nowadays, there are so many things that can cause a child stress such as their family dynamics, too much sugar or junk food, various sounds and smells that a child may find repellant to not enough sleep or not having breakfast. Being able to provide snacks or opportunities to have a break will also be important.
I'd like to introduce the Zones of Regulation and include some meditation and yoga into the mix. Kids need to learn different strategies at an early age, and my hope is that by incorporating these ideas into my every day teaching kids will better be able to regulate themselves. "Kindergartners learn self-regulation best through activities in which children—and not the adults—set, negotiate, and follow the rules." (Bodrova, E., Leong D. J., 2008) This means children need to be able to do make-believe play as well as play games with rules. And who doesn't love games?
Areas of Note in My Classroom:
Sand/Water/Rice Table - sand and water tables allow children to enjoy variety of sensory experiences - tactile, vestibular, visual, and proprioceptive. Use a variety of textures to stimulate different sensory input in children including sand, water, beans, or shaving cream.
Calm Corner – has jelly chairs, stuffed animals and other toys where children can go to calm, play quietly and/or re-regulate; a classroom calming corner is a quiet area of the room supplied with soft furnishings and/or soothing materials to help a student de-escalate when upset; children can move to this area to briefly get away from the frustrating task or over-stimulating activity to de-escalate (Porter, 2003).
Lamps/Lighting – floor lighting and desk lamps; natural light has been shown to have the greatest positive impact on focus and attention; when classrooms don’t have access to enough natural light and/or they’re lit by fluorescent bulbs, feelings of anxiety and stress can increase (Schoolyard Specialty, 2020).
Reading Area – with a bean bag chair and two (2) couches where kids can sit quietly and read.
Writing/Drawing/Colouring Area – a place where students can sit and colour, draw, doodle, create with paper, pencils, crayons, markers, etc.
Alternate Seating – bean bag chairs, stools, Jelly chairs, pillows/cushions, yoga balls, emotion cushions (students can sit there during circle time, if they wish, to let others know without words, how they are feeling during morning routine/check-in); students feel empowered by being given choice on where to sit and what to sit on; flexible seating allows them to wiggle, bounce, lean or stand, which increases oxygen flow to the brain, blood flow and core strength; helps students’ focus (Smith System, n.d.).
Plants – In a study in 2009, a researcher found that students in a classroom where plants showed considerably higher fewer sick sick days and fewer trips to the principal’s office than students in a regular classroom (Han, 2009).
1. Exploration
2. Curiosity
3. Meaningful Learning
4. Play-Based Inquiry
5. Social Skills & Responsibility
6. Critical Thinking
7. Fun!
My ideal classroom would allow for exploration, encourage curiosity, blend structure with free investigation, play, and strategies and resources for self-regulation. Teaching these students would encompass scaffolding my instruction so that students gain confidence in what they do and how they do it.
"The idea is that new lessons and concepts can be more readily understood and comprehended if support is given to a child as they're learning." (Rock, A. 2019). The idea is to "gradually release" students from solely depending on the teacher for instruction, and begin to develop the confidence to explore on their own.
Having learned more about the importance of self-regulation, one proposal I have is to include a quiet area in my classroom where students can use a weighted pillow, a blanket, a stuffed animal, a wiggle cushion or other item to regain a feeling of calm-readiness. Nowadays, there are so many things that can cause a child stress such as their family dynamics, too much sugar or junk food, various sounds and smells that a child may find repellant to not enough sleep or not having breakfast. Being able to provide snacks or opportunities to have a break will also be important.
I'd like to introduce the Zones of Regulation and include some meditation and yoga into the mix. Kids need to learn different strategies at an early age, and my hope is that by incorporating these ideas into my every day teaching kids will better be able to regulate themselves. "Kindergartners learn self-regulation best through activities in which children—and not the adults—set, negotiate, and follow the rules." (Bodrova, E., Leong D. J., 2008) This means children need to be able to do make-believe play as well as play games with rules. And who doesn't love games?
Areas of Note in My Classroom:
Sand/Water/Rice Table - sand and water tables allow children to enjoy variety of sensory experiences - tactile, vestibular, visual, and proprioceptive. Use a variety of textures to stimulate different sensory input in children including sand, water, beans, or shaving cream.
Calm Corner – has jelly chairs, stuffed animals and other toys where children can go to calm, play quietly and/or re-regulate; a classroom calming corner is a quiet area of the room supplied with soft furnishings and/or soothing materials to help a student de-escalate when upset; children can move to this area to briefly get away from the frustrating task or over-stimulating activity to de-escalate (Porter, 2003).
Lamps/Lighting – floor lighting and desk lamps; natural light has been shown to have the greatest positive impact on focus and attention; when classrooms don’t have access to enough natural light and/or they’re lit by fluorescent bulbs, feelings of anxiety and stress can increase (Schoolyard Specialty, 2020).
Reading Area – with a bean bag chair and two (2) couches where kids can sit quietly and read.
Writing/Drawing/Colouring Area – a place where students can sit and colour, draw, doodle, create with paper, pencils, crayons, markers, etc.
Alternate Seating – bean bag chairs, stools, Jelly chairs, pillows/cushions, yoga balls, emotion cushions (students can sit there during circle time, if they wish, to let others know without words, how they are feeling during morning routine/check-in); students feel empowered by being given choice on where to sit and what to sit on; flexible seating allows them to wiggle, bounce, lean or stand, which increases oxygen flow to the brain, blood flow and core strength; helps students’ focus (Smith System, n.d.).
Plants – In a study in 2009, a researcher found that students in a classroom where plants showed considerably higher fewer sick sick days and fewer trips to the principal’s office than students in a regular classroom (Han, 2009).
References:
1. 10 Effective DAP Teaching Strategies. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2019, from https://www.naeyc.org/resources/topics/dap/10-effective-dap-teaching-strategies.
2. Bodrova, E., & Leong, D. J. (2008). Developing Self-Regulation in Kindergarten Can We Keep All the Crickets in the Basket? Retrieved from https://www.franklinboe.org/cms/lib/NJ01000817/Centricity/Domain/1977/Teaching Kindergartens to Self-Regulate.pdf
3. Rock, A. (2019, September 18). How the Scaffolding Method Is Used in Early Childhood Education. Retrieved from https://www.verywellfamily.com/education-scaffolding-preschoolers-2764951.
4. Shanker, S. (2013). Calm, Alert, and Happy. Retrieved from http://edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/shanker.pdf (2019, October 10). Retrieved October 12, 2019, from https://vimeo.com/101964738.
5. Porter, D. (2003). A Quiet Place for Rough Moments. Retrieved from Responsive Classroom: https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/a-quiet-place-for-rough-moments/
6. Tier 1 Strategies for a Calm Classroom. (n.d.). Retrieved March 9, 2020, from https://scsdbehaviormatters.weebly.com/blog/tier-1-strategies-for-a-calm-classroom
7. Sensory Tables. (n.d.). Retrieved March 9, 2020, from https://www.especialneeds.com/shop/sensory-motor-skill-tools/tactile-stimulation/sensory-tables.html
8. A Sensory Life. (2014). Retrieved March 9, 2020, from http://www.asensorylife.com/index.html
9. Specialty, S., & Classroom Environment: Helpful or More Distractions? – Don't Quit Dancing in the Rain (2019, March 6). Affordable Options for Calming Classroom Lighting. Retrieved March 9, 2020, from https://blog.schoolspecialty.com/affordable-options-calming-classroom-lighting/
10. Han, K. T., (2009). Influence of limitedly visible leafy indoor plants on the psychology, behavior, and health of students at a junior high school in Taiwan. Environment and Behavior, 41(5), 658-692.