Revisit: Designing the

Classroom Environment
Guided Notes
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Rising educators will be able to:
•Answer and Explain:
• How can classrooms be set up to create a safe, inclusive,
and equitable environment for all students?
• How can the physical layouts and resources of learning
environments create effective classroom management?
Lesson
• How do norms, routines, and student groupings affect
classroom culture? Objectives
• How can the physical and social aspects of the learning
environment communicate clear and high expectations?
 What is meant by the “classroom environment?”
A. The physical layout of the classroom
B. Classroom procedures, rules, and norms
C. The instructional style used often/daily
D. All of the above

Warm-Up
• Classrooms must fulfill students’ needs.
• How does each of the following concepts help
students fulfill a need in Maslow’s hierarchy of
needs?
The Goals of
the Classroom
Environment
 What elements create a physical environment that
meets students needs?
• Comfort such as lighting and temperature
• Aesthetics such as classroom décor and furniture
• Layout such as clear zones and traffic patterns

The Physical • Access to materials and clear procedures for how to

interact with the physical environment
Environment
According to the article Creating an Inviting Classroom
Environment, to create an ideal classroom environment that
meets students’ needs, teachers need to focus on:
• Furniture (pages 26-27) Activity: What
• Aesthetics (pages 27-28)
• Comfort (pages 29-31)
is the Ideal
• Instructional Items (pages 31-32) Physical
• Professional items (pages 32-33) Environment?
To create an ideal classroom environment that meets
students’ needs, set up:
• Routines/Procedures
• Practical step-by-step instructions for how to get things
done in the classroom
• Rules
• Regulations for what to do and not do in the classroom
The Social
• Norms Environment
• Social agreements between all students and the teacher
which create the culture of the classroom community
• Procedures should be:
• Specific, so that students know exactly what is
expected
• Practiced daily by all students until mastered.
• Given reminders when students forget them. What Are
• Examples include:
• Be in your seat when the bell rings.
Classroom
• Collect your graded papers from your mailbox. Procedures?
• Take a worksheet and pass them on to your left.
• Sharpen your pencils during work time.
 • Rules should be:
• Co-created with students.
• Clearly defined to ensure accountability.
• Stated in positive terms.
• Examples include:
What Are • Wait our turn to speak.
Classroom • Use only kind words and actions.
• Keep hands to ourselves.
Rules?
• Norms should be:
• Co-created
• Created after rules and procedures are established
•
•
Based on a desired classroom culture of success
Stated in positive terms
What Are
• Examples include: Classroom
• We help each other follow the rules.
• We encourage each other to ask questions.
Norms?
• We see mistakes as learning opportunities.
How does diversity affect the classroom environment?
• What types of diversity exists in the classroom?
• Describe how each of these factors may be affected
by the diversity of your students?
• Classroom Décor
Diversity in
• Norms the Classroom
• Other classroom considerations
Environment
 How will you establish a classroom that runs well
according to your pedagogy?
• What types of procedures will help your students know
Classroom how to work well in the classroom?

Procedures, • What types of rules will help your students know what to
do/not do in the classroom?
Rules, & • What types of norms will help you create a positive
classroom culture?
Norms
 Teacher-centered vs student-centered environment

Teacher-centered Student-centered
Teacher as direct instructor Teacher as facilitator

Oversight-based management Guidance-based management

The Learning Teacher directs/organizes class Students are self-directed
Environment Teacher disciplines students Students hold each other
accountable

Rules are teacher-created Rules are co-created

Rewards are extrinsic Rewards are intrinsic

Students learn passively Students learn actively

Visitors rarely enter the class Colleagues and other

professionals may be invited
 Where on the spectrum of teacher-centered to
student-centered would each of the following
strategies fall?
• A: Direct Instruction/Lectures
• B: Memorization Drills
• C: Demonstrations
• D: Whole Group Discussions
Reflection • E: Cooperative Learning
• F: Problem-Based/Discovery Learning
• G: Co-created goals and contracts
• H: Projects and Inquiry Assignments
• I: Self-Assessments

Teacher-Centered Student-Centered
Which learning environment is more effective?
• Teacher-centered environments Creating
• Are based on mistrust and deficit thinking
• Constitute a “pedagogy of poverty” Student-
• Expect little student growth
• Student-centered classrooms:
Centered
• Are more inclusive and equitable Learning
• Create a more positive classroom culture
• Communicate higher expectations Environments
How student-centered your pedagogy?
• Where on the spectrum of teacher-centered to student-
centered would your teaching philosophy fall? (mark an x
along the line)
Activity:
Choosing Your
Teacher-Centered Student-Centered
Pedagogy

• Why did you place your mark where you did on the
continuum?
What are cooperative learning strategies?
• Kagan Structure: PIES
• Positive interdependence
• Individual Accountability
• Equal Participation Cooperative
• Simultaneous Interaction
• Over 200 instructional techniques :
Learning
•
•
Pair-Share
Peer Instruction
Strategies
 How do teachers begin setting up their classrooms for
success?
• There are 6 steps to setting up a classroom:
• Survey the room.
Setting Up the • Identify items needed to match your instruction.
• Create a blueprint for your classroom.
Physical • Determine a budget.

Classroom •
•
Seek out funding sources.
Make the appropriate changes to the classroom.
The 7 “zones” of the physical classroom layout:
• Community zone
• Subject Area zone
• Supplies zone Setting Up
• Discovery zone
• News zone
Classroom
• Quiet zone Zones
• Teacher zone
Seat Arrangements

Pairs Separated U
Grid/Traditional Double U

Horseshoes
Groups of 4 Groups of 5 Double E
Congratulations! You’ve just been given your first
classroom!
• When you walk in the room, you notice that the room is
in disrepair and lacking in furniture. Activity:
• Describe the steps you will take to set up the physical
classroom.
Classroom
• What classroom zones will you set up? Set up
Scenario
Norms &
Procedures
Seating
Zones

Bulletin
Teacher Desk Boards
 Subject Area Zone News Zone

Your Classroom Community Zone Supplies Zone Quiet Zone

Teacher Zone
Discovery Zone

Whiteboard

Teacher’s Desk Pillows/Bean

Bags, etc.

Student Desks Round Table/

Activity Center

Cabinets/Counters
 You have been given 26 student desks. Your class
roster totals 24 students.
• Seating should be based on your pedagogy.
• Is your seating arrangement better for whole-class
Activity: •
instruction or groups?
Is your seating arrangement flexible?
Seating
Scenario
Reflection
• As a student, describe your ideal classroom environment:
• What does the physical classroom look like?
• What does the social environment entail?
• What instructional techniques are used? Day 1:
Formative
Assessment
 Rising educators will be able to:
•Answer and Explain:
• How can classrooms be set up to create a safe, inclusive,
and equitable environment for all students?
• How can the physical layouts and resources of learning
Revisit: environments create effective classroom management?
•
Lesson How do norms, routines, and student groupings affect
classroom culture?

Objectives • How can the physical and social aspects of the learning
environment communicate clear and high expectations?
References
• Alber, R. (2017, August 18). Rules and routines in the classroom. Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/rules-
routines-school-year-start-classroom-management

• Brame, C.J. & Biel, R. (2015). Setting up and facilitating group work: Using cooperative learning groups effectively. Vanderbilt
University Center for Teaching. Retrieved fromhttp://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/setting-up-and-facilitating-group-
work-using-cooperative-learning-groups-effectively/

• Desautels, L. (2014, February 6). Addressing our needs: Maslow comes to life for educators and
students. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/addressing-our-needs-maslow-hierarchy-lori-desautels.

• Durlak, J. A., Domitrovich, C. E., Weissberg, R. P., & Gullotta, T. P. (Eds.). (2015). Handbook of social and emotional learning: Research
and practice. The Guilford Press.

• Earp, J. (2017, March 16). Classroom layout – What does the research say? Teacher Magazine. Retrieved August 16, 2021,
from https://www.teachermagazine.com/sea_en/articles/classroom-layout-what-does-the-research-say
References

• Finley, T. (2014, August 12). The science behind classroom norming. Edutopia. Retrieved from
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/establishing-classroom-norms-todd-finley

• Foster-Harrison, E. S., & Adams-Bullock, A. (1998). Creating an inviting classroom environment. Phi Delta Kappa Educational
Foundation. https://www.pdkmembers.org/members_online/publications/archive/pdf/FB433-Foster.pdf

• Garrett, T. (2008). Student-centered and teacher-centered classroom management: A case study of three elementary teachers. The
Journal of Classroom Interaction, 43, 34-47. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ829018.pdf

• Gorski, P. C. (2013, September 1). Building a pedagogy of engagement for students in poverty. Phi Delta Kappan, 95(1), 48-52.
Retrieved from https://www.pdkmembers.org/members_online/publications/archive/pdf/PDK_95_1/48pdk_95_1.pdf

• Haberman, M. (2010, October 1). The pedagogy of Poverty Versus Good Teaching. Phi Delta Kappan, 92(2), 81-87. Retrieved from
https://www.pdkmembers.org/members_online/publications/Archive/pdf/PDK_92_2/81pdk_92_2.pdf
 References

• Johnson, B. (2016, September 2). The 5 priorities of classroom management. Edutopia. Retrieved August 16, 2021,
from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/5-priorities-classroom-management-ben-johnson

• Kane, K. (2016, August 12). Why creating classroom community is so important. NAEYC. Retrieved August 13, 2021,
from https://www.naeyc.org/resources/blog/why-creating-classroom-community-so-important

• Knutson, J. (2018, January 11). Setting up effective group work. Edutopia. Retrieved from
https://www.edutopia.org/article/setting-effective-group-work

• Kurt, S. (2021, January 30). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in education. Education Library.https://educationlibrary.org/maslows-
hierarchy-of-needs-in-education/

• Lopez, V. (2015, July 28). 7 essential elementary classroom zones. Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/7-
learning-zones-classroom-veronica-lopez

• Loveless, B. (2022). Developing a student-centered classroom. Education Corner - Education That Matters. Retrieved
from https://www.educationcorner.com/developing-a-student-centered-classroom.html
References

• Mugabi, T. (2019, December 4). How to create a safe classroom. Classcraft Blog. Retrieved August 16, 2021,
from https://www.classcraft.com/blog/how-to-create-a-safe-classroom/

• Parsons, S. A., Nuland, L. R., & Parsons, A. W. (2014). The ABCs of student engagement. Phi Delta Kappan, 95(8), 23-
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from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/the-physical-environment-of-classrooms-mark-phillips

• Renard, L. (2019, December 19). 19 classroom seating arrangements fit for your teaching. BookWidgets. Retrieved from
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• US Department of Education. (2021, August 25). Family educational rights and privacy act (FERPA). Retrieved from
https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html
References

• Wong, H. K., Wong, R. T., & Seroyer, C. (2009). The first days of school: How to be an effective teacher.

• Yussif. (2021, November 17). Classroom routines and procedures: Why are they important? Classroom Management
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