Classroom Layout
Rationale
Flexible Seating
We decided to maintain a flexible seating scheme in our classroom as a way to support community and student autonomy. In Grade 6 students are expected to work both cooperatively and independently to promote an effective learning environment for everyone. This means recognizing when they need to find a spot where they can work more effectively or how they can use the space cooperatively to make sure everyone can work more effectively. We have two conference tables that are primarily used for small group instruction like guided reading, group conferencing or while demonstrating science experiments...etc. When the conference tables are not reserved for activities like these, they are available work spaces.
We decided to maintain a flexible seating scheme in our classroom as a way to support community and student autonomy. In Grade 6 students are expected to work both cooperatively and independently to promote an effective learning environment for everyone. This means recognizing when they need to find a spot where they can work more effectively or how they can use the space cooperatively to make sure everyone can work more effectively. We have two conference tables that are primarily used for small group instruction like guided reading, group conferencing or while demonstrating science experiments...etc. When the conference tables are not reserved for activities like these, they are available work spaces.
Student Bins
Having shared tables instead of individual desks means that students need an alternative space to organize their school supplies. In our classroom each student has a plastic bin in which they keep all their day-to-day school supplies: folders, workbooks, textbooks...etc. We believe this is a good way to promote responsibility, organization and help students get ready to segue to using lockers in Grade 7.
Supplies
There are two supply carts, one on each side of the room. These carts have typical school supplies like pencils, glue sticks, coloured pencils, rulers...etc. We believe accessibility to supplies is important to maintain productivity and promote creativity and independence.
Having shared tables instead of individual desks means that students need an alternative space to organize their school supplies. In our classroom each student has a plastic bin in which they keep all their day-to-day school supplies: folders, workbooks, textbooks...etc. We believe this is a good way to promote responsibility, organization and help students get ready to segue to using lockers in Grade 7.
Supplies
There are two supply carts, one on each side of the room. These carts have typical school supplies like pencils, glue sticks, coloured pencils, rulers...etc. We believe accessibility to supplies is important to maintain productivity and promote creativity and independence.
SMART Board & Meeting Area
In our room we have a Smartboard which allows us to integrate technology in our program. Although our carpet is not big enough to accommodate 28 big Grade 6 students, we feel it is important to have an informal area where students can gather. If we meet at the Smartboard some students can sit on the carpet and others can pull chairs up to the perimeter. This is an important space when we have Friday Community Circle.
Word Wall
Our Grade 6 classroom has many English Language Learners that are still consolidating difficult English sight words. This bulletin board is a space to organize and display those tricky words for quick reference. We use the wall to display words from our Social Studies and Science inquiries that we expect students to be able to spell accurately.
Classroom Library
We believe that students in Grade 6 should still have access to a rich selection of books in the classroom. We have a selection of interesting books to choose from for our Daily Read Aloud, sets of books for our Literature Circles and books in our students' first language. We also use this space to display any books we have taken from the library that might relate to our current units of inquiry in Social Studies and Science.
Computers
Our classroom only has three desktop computers. They allow us to print easily and are available for students who need technology support. Although we only have three computers we feel that computer literacy and technology integration is an important part of any 21st Century classroom. We are lucky to have mobile cabinets of laptops in our school that we can book for specific periods.
