The Physical Environment of The Classroom

Hello everyone. Nice meeting you again. You have seen in previous posts that we have already covered the basic of classroom management. So, in this entry, we will discuss about the physical environment of the classroom, just like the tittle suggest. :) 

One of the simplest principles of classroom management centers on the physical environment for learning is the classroom itself. In this topic, there are 4 factors that teachers must consider to get the classroom manageable and comfortable for students.

Example of a classroom

1)  Sight, sound and comfort

These three are the basic things that can disturb students learning process. Talking about the conducive space or place for learning process to take action, students must consider the following questions;

- The classroom is neat, clean, and orderly in appearance.

- Chalkboards are erased.

- Chairs are appropriately arranged.

- If the room has bulletin boards and you have the freedom to use them, take advantage of the visual.

- The classroom is free from external noises as possible (machinery outside, street noise, hallway voices, etc)

- Acoustics within the classroom are at least tolerable.

Heating or cooling system (fan/air conditioner) is operating.

At times, teacher might not be able to control all the factors mentioned above, especially in Malaysia. Malaysia is a tropical country where most of the classroom doesn't have air conditioning, the concrete walls of the classroom echo so badly you can hardly hear anyone, and the thin wall cant comprehend noises from the street or even the classroom next to it~ however, if some of the factors can be controlled, don't pass up the opportunity to make your classroom as physically comfortable as possible. ;)

2) Seating arrangements

Okay, this is my favorite part of discussion; the seating arrangements. You know why? Because, there are many patterns of seating arrangements, but there’s no implicit answer on which one is better. This is because the pattern changes with what subject the teacher is teaching and how the teacher wants to manage the class. Thus, as we are the language teachers, we will focus on how language class should be arranged.

In language class, students are members of a team and should be able to see one another, to talk to each other (in English!), and not be made to feel like they just walked into a military formation. so, teacher should consider pattern of semicircles, U-shapes, concentric circles, or --- if your class size is small enough --- one circle so that the students aren't all squarely facing the teacher. if the room has tables with two of four students at each, try to come up configurations that make interaction among students more feasible. give some thought on how the students will do interaction/discussion with little chaos as possible.

The best arrangement for a language class would be the arrangement where students can actively interact with each other to do group work or discussion together.

okay, to be fair to other subjects, we will cover the other types of seating arrangements in our later post. So, be sure to check it out, readers! :D

3) Chalkboard use

Okay, some of you might wonder, "why chalkboard?". Well, a teacher must know that chalkboard is one of his/her greatest allies. It gives students added visual input along with auditory. It allows you to illustrate with words and pictures and graphs and charts. It is always there and it is recyclable! So, take advantage of this visual aid by profusely using the chalkboard. at the same time, try to be neat and orderly in your chalkboard use, erasing as often as appropriate; a messy, confusing chalkboard drives students crazy. =.=

4) Equipment

Many courses now assume that equipment is either built into the classroom or readily available on portable carts. If you're using electrical equipment (say, a projector, or an audio or video player), make sure that;

• the room's electrical outlets are within reach of the cord provided, and if not, that an extension cord is on your equipment list,
• the equipment fits comfortably in the room,
• everyone can see/hear the visual/auditory stimulus,
• you try out the machine ahead of time to ascertain that it actually works
• you know how to operate it
• 
  

well, you would be surprised how many lesson plan go awry because of some very minor practicality surrounding the use of equipment.