Before becoming a teacher I created a floor plan. Read about the details. I must say many of the ideas have been develop in my classroom. I designed a floor plan for a Kindergarten classroom with the following characteristics:
The square footage of the classroom is 35 feet by 20 feet
Reading, writing, math, science, art and creative play, and dramatic play centers
Whole group area, small group area, cubbies, teacher work area, technology, storage, windows, bulletin boards, tables and chairs for 24 students, and a door
The reason I created my floor plan the way I did: The greeting and dismal area:
At the door
In the reading corner there is a shelf where different genre books will be organized. The key to successful classroom arrangement is to make materials accessible and have access to a range of spaces (Brewer, 2006). In between a window and a shelf by the reading area I created a bulletin board for students reading and writing work. This can easily be access by the students, who love to see their work. Right beside the reading area, there is the small group meeting area and the “teachers” table. There is not a teacher’s desk because this classroom is designed for a kindergarten classroom and most teachers of young children do not need a desk, they take up too much floor space that can be put to better use (Brewer, 2006).The small group meeting area is between the reading center and the technology center because these two stations require for a minimum of noise, which will allow the teacher to work with the teacher’s small group. Quiet areas should be close together so that students who want to work quietly can do so (Brewer, 2006). On the right hand of the small group meeting area there is a listening area and right next to it there are four computers. The computer stations and the audio center are also two centers that require minimal noise or no noise at all. Therefore, it will allow the students to focus while the teacher is doing small groups. Beside the computer stations there is the whole group meeting area. The whole group meeting area consists of:
Big square rug
A projector
SMART board
Additional whole group meeting area:
Four tables with six chairs each
Tables 1-4 are the students’ seating arrangements
Brewer (2006) stated that the most flexible furniture includes tables and chairs. The way the whole group meeting area is set up will allow the teacher to reach out to all learners by facing them. By table four there are two sinks and two shelves. Table four will be used as the art and creative play center. This will allow students to have cleaning materials right at their reach. Next to the art center, there is the math and science center, along with a bulletin board with students’ science and math work. Areas in which water is used should be as close to the water supply, such as art and science (Brewer, 2006). Beside the whole group area there is the writing center right on one corner of the room. The writing center includes:
Bilingual word wall easily accessible for students
A shelf with writing activities and material
Behind the writing center there is the dramatic play area. By the dramatic play area there are cubbies for students to place their personal belongings such as backpacks, jackets, etc. Overall, activities that require students to be less talkative are located on one side of the room, whereas those activities that require students to be more talkative are located on the other side of the room, this way students get the best learning experiences. For instance, students will not be able to focus if the reading area were right beside the dramatic play just because one activity requires less noise than the other.
Reference
Brewer, J, (2006). Creating an environment for learning. Boston: Pearson, Allyn and Bacon.