Classroom Organisation
Create a warm, friendly and inviting classroom environment for your students. You will be spending approximately one quarter of your life in this room together – so make it special. Colourful and informative posters, comfortable reading corners, a spacious area for group work or mat time (in the younger grades), and well organised resources.
Arrange the desks for ease of access, de-clutter the space as much as possible, and ensure adequate lighting and ventilation before the class commences for the year. According to Krause et al (2010), desk arrangement should enable the teacher to walk around the class and supervise all students from close proximity and using eye contact, i.e. 1-3 metres.
Four Keys to Good Classroom Layout:
Arrange the desks for ease of access, de-clutter the space as much as possible, and ensure adequate lighting and ventilation before the class commences for the year. According to Krause et al (2010), desk arrangement should enable the teacher to walk around the class and supervise all students from close proximity and using eye contact, i.e. 1-3 metres.
Four Keys to Good Classroom Layout:
- keep high traffic areas free of congestion, e.g. pencil sharpening and the rubbish bin should be away from student work areas to prevent distractions. In Primary, a clear space should be available for group shared reading or mat time.
- Ensure all students can be easily seen from all areas of the classroom – avoid blocking your view of the students with furniture or bookcases etc.
- Keep all materials, books and supplies in handy locations – be also aware that some materials and supplies can become a distraction if they are too handy or visible for students, e.g. blocks and counters
- Ensure all students can see presentations and displays from where they are seated. Avoid cluttering the students’ work space with distracting posters or hanging artwork displays. Ensure the main instructional space only includes posters and aides that are most relevant to the lesson or activity.
