Artifact Title: Room Arrangement and Classroom Management Artifact Description: In the fall of 2013, I created a model of a high

school classroom with a group of my classmates. It was a class assignment that gave us freedom of how we would use the space of a classroom. We had to have reasons for why we set it up the way we did. Also in the fall of 2013, I constructed a classroom management plan that will be used to provide structure in my classroom. The artifact for theses experiences is a write up of my classroom management plan and a visual example of my classroom setup. Wisconsin Teacher Standard Alignment: This experience best aligns with Wisconsin Teaching Standard 5. Standard 5 is Environment: Teachers know how to manage a classroom. The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation. The environment that is most controllable by an individual teacher is their own classroom. The physical setup of a classroom has a large impact and reflection of the teachers management. In the mock high school classroom that I set up, I was challenged to think about group interaction, individual learning, social interaction, and various other aspects of the environment. I grouped my students at tables because it would allow for the students to work in groups that could vary in sizes of 2 or 4 and could allow the students to work individually. Using tables as the students work stations will bring about much more social interaction between the students. It allows them to see each others work and compare, as well as discuss with each other in general. In the mock arrangement I developed areas that allow for students to be individuals and still socially interact. One of my biggest focuses was to allow the students the ability to work individually or collaboate with their peer from the set up of their tables. This means that social interaction can still occur when the students are working on an individual level because they will still be around their peers. In many ways this set up of the room leads to active learning and self-motivated areas. These areas are self-motivated to students because they are given responsibilities and then are expected to accomplish them. The teacher is not always in all the area at the same time, the teacher is constantly moving around. The self-motivation in these areas also comes a lot from the teacher drawing them into the activity, which will come before the students take part in these activities. The students are fully engaged in these centers because it is a lot of hands on or kinesthetic work that takes place, meaning they are in control of their learning. As a teacher I am managing each of the room so students may be directly supervised at times allowing them to know and accomplish their task. To point out these areas are not just for kinesthetic learners they are adapted for all learners, because there would be demonstrations and pictures for visual learners and directions given for auditory learners. Another way to help motivate students with the physical classroom environment is by having really comfortable areas for them or different devices to manipulate. For example in the mock arrangement a couch was placed in the back of the room to sit on, a simple reward for good behavior or excelled academics. The physical layout of a classroom is a key component to managing an environment, but another large component is having a classroom management plan in place. My classroom management plan consist of rules, consequences (positive and negative), crisis plans, procedures, and an action plan. The rules of the classroom are what will be used on a daily basis for the behavior

the students. The students will know what is expected of them from the beginning of the year. Introducing the rules on the first day will assist the students in learning the rules in a timely fashion and will help shape their behavior faster for the room. There are consequences that go along with these rules. However, if you look at my classroom management plan there are positive consequences that correspond to the rules as well, not just negative consequences. These positive consequences are set in place to motivate the students individually and as a group to succeed and behave in my classroom. The positive consequences are small bonuses for the students that reward them for doing good, but all of these positive consequences are earned, not just handed out. For example students can earn a open-note exam or quiz instead or taking it traditionally without notes. The classroom management plan is put in place according to the action plan. Its purpose is to assist in the management of the classroom environment. UW-Platteville School of Education Knowledge, Skill, Disposition Statement Alignment: This experience best aligns with KSD2.d. Manages Student Behavior: The candidate can establish clear standards of conduct with student input. The monitoring of these standards is subtle and preventive with respectful student self- and peer monitoring also occurring. The candidate can respond to misbehavior effectively, being sensitive to individual needs. My ability to create a physical layout of a classroom is useful in managing the students behavior because I can set up where students are placed in the classroom. This could help avoid negative interactions and dangerous situations. In my physical layout I had the students set up in groups allowing them to compare to their peers and social interact, but also had room for the students to complete their work on individual levels. The classroom management plan sets clear boundaries of what is appropriate behavior and what would be considered misbehavior; with each having positive and negative consequences. This would be follow along and be adjusted to any individual needs of the students. Secondary Alignments: - KSD2.c. MANAGES CLASSROOM PROCEDURES - KSD2.b. ESTABLISHES A CULTURE FOR LEARNING Personal Reflection: What I learned about teaching/learning from this experience: In this experience I learned that as a teacher you have to take the time to prepare a physical layout of your classroom. It is important to decide where students can calmly do an assignment or work dilligently as a group on the computer. Planning for different areas in your classroom will help the behavior of your students because it is organized and allow them to transition better. A classroom management plan is another essential idea to have in place before entering the school year. It will assist in controlling the behavior of students because they will know what you expect of them. What I learned about myself as a prospective educator: What I learned about myself was that preparing both an arrangement and management plan takes time, but also need to be assessed on a daily basis if everything is working. I especially learned that classroom management plans may work for one classroom or one group of students, but may need to be adapted for other students. This goes for the physical layout as well. Students are all different and this needs to be taken into account as the year goes by and as a new year comes. The most

important component in managing an environment is finding something that works for you and your students.