Setting Up Your Classroom

Whether you're getting ready for your first day or if you're looking for a change of pace to help change the dynamic in your class it is important to give thought to how your class is set up.

Classroom Set Up

The physical set up of your class plays an important part of how your class will run and how you pro-actively contribute to the positive energy of the classroom.

Here are some simple ideas that will help you make your classroom a productive place:

FRONT AND CENTER
- don't hide in the corner. Younger elementary students actually do not associate you being there unless they can see you. Students need to see you at the front of the room in plain view to remind them that the Commander-in-Chief is right there. This is war. You have to fight to keep control of your classroom.
Wall space
- covering the walls with pictures and alphabet and numbers and famous people is important but don't let these pictures change colour on the wall. CHANGE THEM. Be creative and put thought into your decorations and your students will respond with creativity and energy in turn.
Assignment Board
- have a spot on the wall for you to hang student assignments. They need to see that their work is appreciated and that it will be displayed. You will be amazed at the different quality you'll get when students know it's going to the wall.
Open Space
- this is a critical function to elementary or primary classes because you'll be spending a lot more time on the floor. Be sure that you have some comfy open space for students to sit down with you and do activities.
Reading Lounge
- get students to bring in their own pillow for the reading lounge. Here you can set up a corner of the room or use the open space in the front to read to students and talk about the stories you are reading. Make sure the cases are machine washable and be sure to wash them regularly.

Where do I start?

First day of school and you have a bunch of rowdy students yelling and bouncing off the walls or, you walk into the classroom and there are a bunch of scared doe-eyed students staring back at the giant that stands menacingly in front of them... what do you do.

In both cases, do pretty much the same.

Address the situation immediately.
Talk in a calm, friendly quiet voice.
Bring the students into the open space you created and sit them down and then sit down with them.
Get down on their level.
Let them calm down with you.
Remember that if students are just coming back from vacation their attention spans are going to be much shorter.

It is at this time that you really need to open channels of communication WITHOUT forcing them. If you push too hard shy students will back further away and if you open the door too wide the eager to share student will push the door open and push you to the side. Calmly take control of the conversation and the room.

Describe yourself but keep it short. Too often nerves take over and your mouth starts moving and you just let words come out. Don't. Focus on the following:

education background
family
favorites/hobbies
goals for the class

Move immediately to exercises that will reinforce the goals of your class but don't turn this into a diatribe about how this is going to be the best year ever and your friends are going to visit you over Christmas and you are going to go visit this place and this place and your favorite color is blue and when you were teaching in...

Short, simple, and most importantly, set the stage for you to be the leader. To be the teacher. Make the first day interesting and make sure you reinforce your classroom rules - be consistent.

Jobs for Students

Motivating your students can often simply be a product of respecting them and giving them responsibility. Here are some jobs you might consider delegating in your classroom: