Journal #1-Domain #1-Teaching and the Environment

Before I moved to Hoffman Estates, I taught preschool for about 4 to five years. I really felt comfortable working with the younger children. Because of this, I really wanted to observe in a setting that was out of my element. I am blessed enough to observe a well respected 6 to 8th grade science teacher at Lincoln Prairie School in District 54. Her name is Mrs. Jones.
I used this first observation as a chance to get to know the teacher and classroom that I will be observing a little better.
Mrs. Jones has been teaching science to upper level children for over ten years.
Her classroom is a typical science class, filled to the rim with materials that are used for the different labs Mrs. Jones will guide her children through.
How is the classroom physically organized?

Mrs. Jones desk, laptop, filling cabinet, and books are found in the corner of the room. In the back of the room are all the different science text books and dictionaries that will be used for the next three years. Because it is a science room, there are resources here that are not found in other classrooms. For example there is a sink and emergency safety rinses. These are located next to the door, across from the teacher's desk. The children's tables are located in the middle of the room. They are large tables set in groups of eight. In the middle of the each of the tables are boxes with pencils and any other materials that students might need.

One of the eight tables contains the materials that are being used in this day's activity.

Do children seem to know where things are?

As far as I could tell, the children knew were the materials were located. When one student needed a ruler for he lab, he stood up and got it from the back of the class without asking Mrs. Jones. Then when it was time for a new activity, the teacher placed all the materials needed on a desk and explained everything to the students so that they could become familiar with the materials. 
How do learners and teacher’s use the classroom space?

The room seemed kind of cluttered because all the materials are stored inside the classroom instead of some other storage space. It seemed that the materials not being used took up a lot of classroom space. In the meantime though, Mrs. Jones saved space by having the children work in groups, by putting the tables together. 

Is the room more child-oriented or teacher-oriented? Give examples.

It is hard to say if it was either-or. The children seemed to know where the work materials where located. They were well organized for easy access. But all the other materials, such as beakers were located in the corner of the room in a locked closet. Everything else was kind of piled on top of each other, not labeled, just for the teacher. 

What resources are in the room? How do children and adults use them?

The plus side of having all the materials in the room is that the teacher can access them whenever needed. For example, the magnets she set aside for an activity wasn't strong enough so she was able to look through her closet and find a better one. Another resource in the room is the sink. The children were able to clean up after themselves using the sink to clean their beakers. The room also has a projector and a white board which the teacher uses to post a "science starter". 

What techniques are used to get students’ attention, to transition them from one activity or place, to another?

Mrs. Jones used a transition which she called a "science starter" in order to start the class. These science starters allow the children to transition into class and start getting into the right state of mind. During the class, if the students are starting to drift off into their own conversations Mrs. Jones raises her voice and says, "Class Class". The students then respond, "Yes Yes". This helps all the students return their focus on the teacher. If they really start acting out, Mrs. Jones will turn off the lights to get every one's attention again.
What examples of technology are available?
Mrs. Jones has a laptop which she connected to the projector. The classroom also has a television with a DVD and VHS player. The classroom had electronic scales which they used in the activity. I also noticed a closet with many laptops that the students can use when needed. The last example of technology that i noticed was a document camera that was also connected to the projector. 

In a paragraph, reflect in an analytical manner, what you learned about Teaching and the Environment. You must integrate at least two ideas from class discussion or the text.

I really enjoyed being in the classroom and observing, first hand, how the different environmental strategies can be used. Mrs. Jones creates a classroom that conveys a sense of belonging by displaying the children's work on the closets and boards. The classroom also contains displays that children can use for learning, like the periodic table. An interesting aspect of the school that I learned when I arrived, is that they have multiple ages within one classroom. For example, in Mrs. Jones teaches science to six, seventh, and eight graders in one classroom. She uses this to her advantage though by pushing all the science tables together so that the students can collaborate on the labs and classwork. Arranging the tables this way also allows Mrs. Jones to save space in a crowded room. She puts the often used materials in a pencil box in the middle of the table. And then, any other materials like rulers and staplers are placed in a clearly labeled cabinet in the back of the room.