Reflection #2

• What would the ideal physical environment for the setting in which you currently work as an educator look like?
• How do you think the features of this environment would serve to enhance student learning?

In my ideal physical environment as an educator, my classroom and school would include several key features. The school building would have natural light throughout the hallways and classrooms. According to researchers, if a classroom is dark it may cause the pineal gland to produce melatonin which could decrease the alertness of the brain (Hardiman, 2003, p.42). Therefore, if a setting is well lit, students are going to feel more energized and awake. In my current classroom, there are numerous children who come to school tired from lack of sleep. I need a way to help wake them up and keep them energized.  Along the same lines, the walls in both the hallways and classrooms would encompass samples of student work that reflect the objectives that students are mastering in their classes. There would be bright, colorful bulletin boards and learning materials on the walls to keep the students engaged.  Each classroom would be neat and organized with materials and books on the shelves to enhance student learning.  Also, each subject area would have a distinct place in the room. For example, everything related to math would be in one area of the room so the students knew where to look to find vocabulary, student work samples, and center activities.  These features would allow students to feel safe, secure, intrigued, and calm. 

Teachers would be required to change their classroom displays on a routine basis for all subject areas.  For example, once a teacher began a new unit in math, he or she would be required to put up new vocabulary and educational materials that would reflect that unit.  Students are likely to be more attentive to their surroundings if they are intrigued by the displays in their learning environment. If the classroom looks the same as it has for several months, it can become monotonous for them and they could lose interest. In turn, they would have to find other stimuli to focus on. In 2000, Jensen reported that 90% of the total brain’s sensory input comes from visual sources. Therefore, the brain is constantly searching the environment for new and stimulating visual features (Hardiman, 2007, p.40). Teachers would also be more excited about their classroom if they are changing the displays frequently because they would constantly be assessing what material is on the walls.  Students can sense this enthusiasm and respond in kind. Frequently changing aspects of the learning environment would also assist those students who suffer from ADHD to focus on their education. The studies completed by Sydney Zentall in the early 1980s found that children are going to be more off task if there are not novel stimuli in the environment (Hardiman, 2007, p.41). If teachers are changing strategies or small parts of the classroom, students are going to be more interested in the learning environment. Therefore, they won’t need to search for new stimuli. 

Also, each educator would be required to put up student examples of work for that unit. Students certainly learn from their teachers, but sometimes students need to see work from their peers to fully understand a concept that they are learning.  Learning objectives and a daily schedule would need to be posted so that the students know exactly what they would be doing every day for each subject area. All educators would need to establish classroom rules within the first week of school. Rules should be designed by the students so that they could take ownership of them.  After establishing about five rules that were written in a positive way, the students would all sign the rules as a commitment on their part to follow them.  In my own experience, I have seen that students are more likely to follow rules that they have helped create.

Routines would also need to be established by teachers so that students knew what was expected of them during each subject area.  The students would know how to come into class in the morning, how to prepare for the learning day, what to do during each part of the day, and how to get ready to go home. For example, students would need to know what to do during the entire reading block. If a teacher has a time for whole group instruction, the students would know what was expected of them during this time.  If students are supposed to go to literacy centers and have an independent work time, they need to know how to rotate to each place during that block of time. In order for students to feel confident about what they are doing, they need to understand expectations. After all, how can a teacher get upset with a student for not following directions if they were not explained beforehand? Students are not going to be able to focus on the concepts they are being taught if they don’t feel self-assured in the classroom routines. I believe expectations for noise level should also be well-known by the students. This could be accomplished by having something as simple as a stop light poster in their room.  This would allow the students to have a visual representation of what the noise level should be during each part of the day. There would be clear expectations for them as well as these visual reminders. 

The physical environment would also need to provide a home like feeling for the students. This would be achieved by nature murals on walls around the school or simple things that could be done in the classroom. For instance, teachers could have a few plants, picture frames, or maybe even an aquarium or classroom pet to provide this type of atmosphere for the students. Students would feel safer and more at home if the classroom was setup in this way. This could help ease students’ nerves and help dissipate their stress. They may even be more open to learning and listening to what the teacher is saying because they are not upset or stressed. 

The seating arrangement in a classroom impacts the learning that takes place. In my ideal environment, every teacher would be required to arrange their desks in a way that allowed both the students and teacher to move around the room easily. Some children need to keep their distance from other students so they don’t bother others or become distracted. If students are sitting too close together or can’t walk around without bumping into others, they may constantly be tempted to touch their peers. This would result in a distraction to the remainder of the class. Desks also need to be placed in a room so that depending on the assignment, students can easily work together in groups, partners, or individually. If desks are easily moved around, the teacher will be able to alter the seating arrangement for each activity. There should be a place for teachers to sit with a small group of students and this place should be the same each day. Small group instruction allows a teacher the opportunity to differentiate instruction.

Inspiring quotations such as “I believe in you” and “I know you can do it” would be posted around the school and classrooms. Students need to feel encouraged as well as know that their teacher believes in them and their abilities. There could be a place for each child to be “show cased” each week for something such as a star student of the week. The students would be allowed to post pictures of themselves and information about their favorite things. Also, each classroom would contain motivational posters as well as “character counts” type posters promoting good character. These traits would include respect, honesty, trustworthiness, etc. Educators would also have places in their room in order to promote team building. For example, a teacher should have a place for the students to encourage their peers. This might include a compliment corner where students could write something positive someone else did for them. Students would write each other encouraging comments when they were the star student of the week and the teacher would create a booklet for each star student of the week. 

Teachers would be encouraged to use classical music during independent work time to help stimulate students’ thoughts. There would also be times that it would be silent for students so that they could concentrate on their work. The entire school would have scented air fresheners to provide a calming effect in the hallways. There would be a lavender scent throughout the hallways. In each classroom, the teacher would be able to choose the scents he or she would have in their classroom depending on the effect they desired on the learning environment. Smells impact student learning and concentration. In my own experience, when a child smells something that they dislike, that is all they can focus on. In 2001, John Ratey found that smells can affect an individual’s heartbeat and blood pressure. In 1999, Amie Gabriel conducted a study on the effect of scent on the behavior of students. She found that when a teacher utilized scented oil in the classroom, off task behaviors were reduced by 54% (Hardiman, 2007, p.43). 

I always knew the physical environment was important for a child’s learning to take place. However, since I have read more about the Brain-Targeted Teaching Model, specifically Brain Target 2, I have gained knowledge about the significance of the physical environment. Due to the brain research that has been conducted, we as educators can utilize this information to help promote student success. There are so many factors that impact a child’s learning in the educational environment. If a child feels nervous or stressed, their brain is not going to allow them to process anything the teacher is saying and in turn they will not be able to understand new concepts being taught. By providing novel visual stimuli and a safe learning environment for every child, we can help each child stay on task as well as become more engaged in learning.