Romero,+Adriana,+Classroom+Ambience

Classroom Ambience "First we shape our buildings, then they shape us” [Winston Churchill, 1943] What is Classroom Ambience? Classroom ambiance speaks to the conditions in the classroom. The "feel" of the environment which includes lighting, temperature, sound or noise level, spacing and arrangement of the desks and other furniture, the smell of the room and the way the space is separated from the "outside" by walls or windows. The learning environment must be envisioned in both a physical space and a cognitive space. The physical space of the classroom is managed as the teacher prepares the classroom for the students.This cognitive space is based upon the expectations teachers set for students in the classroom and the process of creating a motivational climate

Why I chose this topic I chose to do my wiki presentation on classroom ambience because i think that it is crucial for teachers to create a classroom environment that meets the needs of his/her students. I know that this can be a challenge, but an organized classroom is essential and allows students and the teacher to fully focus on learning by eliminating distractions.

Top 5 things I learned
 * 1) **Keep supplies within easy reach.** Easily accessible materials and supplies can eliminate delays, disruptions, and confusion as students prepare for activities. In poorly arranged classrooms, students spend a lot of time waiting — waiting in line, waiting for help, waiting to begin. To eliminate some waiting, store frequently used items such as scissors and paste in several different areas.
 * 2) **Establish informal furniture arrangements where students can sit on soft chairs or pillows, or lounge on the carpet.** Research supports the common sense notion that many students pay better attention and achieve higher goals in more comfortable positions.
 * 3) **Develop a climate in which teachers encourage students to do their best and to be excited about what they are learning.** There are two factors that are critical in creating such a motivational climate: value and effort. To be motivated, students must see the worth of the work that they are doing and the work others do. A teacher's demonstration of //value// shows students how their work is worthwhile and is connected to things that are important for them, including other learning and interests. //Effort//ties the time, energy, and creativity a student uses to develop the "work," to the value that the work holds. One way that teachers encourage effort is through specific praise, telling students specifically what it is that they are doing that is worthwhile and good..
 * 4) **Establishment of expectations for student behavior**, which are expressed through rules and procedures. Rules indicate the expectations for behavior in the classroom, and for how one interacts with one's peers and the teacher. Procedures have to do with how things get done. Rules can be, and frequently are, developed with the students' help, which increases the likelihood of compliance.
 * 5) **Evaluate the classroom space and your style.** The physical layout should reflect your teaching style. If you want students to collaborate in small groups, for example, organize them around tables or clusters of desks. For frequent whole-group discussions, try a circle or U-shaped desk configuration. If you plan on an individualized self-paced curriculum, you might set up learning stations.

My Top Resources I really like the scholastic website because it gives teachers all the tools that they need in order for a teacher to create a positive classroom ambience. Here you can find multiple articles on how you can organize your classroom. In addition, it offers a computer tool to help you arrange your classroom. Finally, you can find a list of books to read in this subject. I give this resource a 5 out of 5 because its your one stop in becoming more informed in classroom ambiance. [|Scholastic] Additional Resources [|Managing Classroom Space] I really liked this article because it covers a variety of things that you need to consider when arranging your classroom. Some of the topic it includes are room arrangement, work surfaces, seating plans, personal space, displays, and checklist. I give this article a 5 out 5 because I feel that it touches on all of the components that a physical environment should include to create class ambience.

//Organized Teacher, Happy Classroom// is a great book that teachers you a fresh perspective on organizing your classroom to promote productivity and efficiency, allowing them to focus more on student achievement and worry less about keeping their classroom materials in order. This book teaches you about; strategies for managing students' papers, curriculum material, and essential paperwork, time management tips to maximize your instruction time and lesson planning, checklists for starting and ending the year well organized, helpful forms and templates you can use in your classroom, plans for arranging a classroom that promotes positive student participation, support to simplify your classroom, and efficient storage solutions for all teacher and student material.I give this resource a score 5 out 5. I really liked this book because at the end of each chapter a summative checklists is included. I found the summative checklist to be very useful because it teaches you how to apply the key principles as you organize your classroom.

media type="custom" key="18966636" In Setting Classroom Expectations On the First Day, I learned how you can begin to talk about classroom expectations. First it is important for the teacher to know the feelings of his/her students because this is going to decide how they approach that student for the day. Then students list what they think their character needs to bring on the first day of school, next set the noise level, listening and classroom expectations, and students draw classroom rules. I give this video a 4 out of 5 because I found his ideas on how to present classroom rules very useful. My favorite was the display of Give me 5, which means keep hands to yourself, my feet are still, I'm silent, my eyes are on the speaker, and finally student is ready to learn.

[|Bulletin Board Ideas] In the website you can find many ideas to decorate your bulletin board. You can find ideas for every month in the year, seasons, holidays, grades, subjects, and themes. I rate this website a 4 out 5 because you can find vibrantly colorful displays that make the classroom come alive, creating an engaging learning environment. The only component that this website needs are more detailed steps on how to create a particular bulletin board.

media type="custom" key="18966738" I found this slideshow to be very helpful because this was the only resource that included how to create a physical and emotional environment. I give this presentation a 5 out of 5.

media type="custom" key="18966754" Adding color to the Classroom video teaches you how you can create a bright inviting classroom. In this short video I leaned that it is important that your classroom is not dull. In the contrary your class should be fun, and bright, and inviting to promote play because he greatest lessons learned are through play.I give this video a 3 out of 5 because i really like the enthusiasm that Mr. Van Dyke has throughout the video. I feel that this video was really short and I would have found it very useful if if he would have elaborated in this subject.

[|Classics for Kids] I really liked this website because it gives a list of benefits that music has in education. Then it teaches you how you can apply music into your curriculum. I give this website a 4 out of 5 because I think it is vital for a teacher to find ways to incorporate music into the curriculum. Sometimes teachers don’t know how to do this and because of this they leave music out. This website offers a wide range of ideas on how a teacher can achieve this goal.

media type="youtube" key="CIa0vHdChN8" height="315" width="560" In //Organizing Classroom Learning Centers// video, you learn an effective strategy in organizing your classroom learning centers with zip-loc bags and plastic containers. In the zip-loc bag you place your lesson plan materials and then in the plastic container you store the zip-loc bags. I give this video a 3 out of 5 because I feel that I can use both a zip-loc bag and plastic container when organizing my classroom learning centers. This organizing technique keeps all of the material in a single location and it is inexpensive. What I didn't like about this video was that it wasn't fun, energetic, or engaging.