C3238953 Position Statement EDUC2181

This statement will show how I envision my year eight History classroom, and how I

would like it to be a productive learning space which caters to the educational and social

needs of the students I am teaching. The creation of this learning space will be achieved

through the implementation of relevant educational and behavioural theories which promote

freedom and choices while I am still maintain control of the classroom. I will maintain a

friendly and open learning environment through the seating within the classroom, the style of

teaching I exhibit onto the students and how my classroom is presented to enhance student

concentration and positive behaviour. The theories I use to reinforce these ideas will also be

evaluated and discussed to how they would work within practice.

Seating

The aim of my seating arrangement is to promote a sense of community within my

classroom. My ideal seating is groups of six positioned around the classroom with my own

table in the back of the classroom. I prefer this because it allows for students to create social

communities in the classroom. With students in their own communities, it will promote a goal

for the group to succeed and additionally other groups and push for a further knowledge of

history (Lyons & Ford, 2015, p. 21). This seating can also promote educational growth, with

myself choosing the seating I can place students where they will develop most (Shabani,

Khatib, & Ebadi, 2010, p. 238) This is known as the Zone of Proximal Development (1978),

a cognitive idea from Vygotsky, which states a student can succeed more with assistance from

others. I will place the students per intellectual, behavioural and social abilities and try to

distribute the children equally among the classroom. The accommodation of different

learning levels allows for the students that are failing to keep pace with the help from other

students, while reinforcing the information with the higher students teaching them (Lyons &

Ford, 2015, p. 21). I put my desk in the back of the classroom to act as a presence while I

walk around the classroom and watch the students work and their behaviour. The teachers
C3238953 Position Statement EDUC2181

desk in the back also acts to seat students who misbehave away from the students and

drawing attention away from them (Adnum, 2017). The seating method I use is to try and

achieve communities of all kinds of students within my classroom, as I believe this gets all

students towards the same level intellectually and socially.

Teaching Style

The teaching style I plan to put into practice paints the teacher as a leader rather than

being in an overbearing and dominant position over the children. I plan on leading the

students through history by directing the students to learn the content and express how they

understand it to their in-class communities (Lyons & Ford, 2015, p. 25). I envision group

discussion of the sources and ideas being presented. For the groups in the classroom to use all

their own ideas to critically think about the actions of the past and their outcomes on the

world. This will help the children think wider than their own perspective when thinking about

their own actions (Lyons & Ford, 2015, p. 25). Cooperative learning within my classroom

will play a big role, and as the teacher I will facilitate the goals of the students, but the

children must independently in their communities strive towards the goals and knowing of

the topic. Working through the topic with discussion lets the students gain a better

understanding through breaking down key information and talking through their

understanding. Cooperative learning also forwards a childs social skills by forcing them to

interact with their communities (Lyons & Ford, 2015, p. 74).

Discipline within my teaching style will draw attention away from the misbehaving student,

eliminating one of the factors which leads students to misbehave (Lyons & Ford, 2015, p.

221). If the problem continues I will give the students choices in which they will be able to

get back on to track or face disciplinary consequences. (Glasser, 1989) By being a leader
C3238953 Position Statement EDUC2181

rather than dictator in the classroom, I hope to have a cooperative classroom which features

communities that can rely on group discussions and actively enhance their learning together.

Classroom Design

The classroom I envision for the students I teach is one of history and relevance

towards their topics. Posters about historic personalities, ideals and events will be displayed

around the room. For example, within modern history, some personalities had considerable

effects over a topic that will be displayed Having applicable information about these people

around the room will give students more knowledge and help students remember the topic

and personality. This is to also give the children useful information about the topic while also

stimulating students learning (Barrett, Davies, Zhang, & Barrett, 2015, p. 118). By creating a

stimulating and knowledgeful classroom tit will help the students form a deeper knowledge

and understanding (Department of Education and Training, 2003). The decorating of my

room being pushed towards history also helps the students who do not pay attention, as no

matter where they look they will be directed towards history and hopefully push them

towards learning. Through decorating the classroom to push the students towards history,

they will gain a deeper and more thorough understanding of the topics.

Why These Ideas and what do they do for teaching?

The theories I have referenced present the type of ideas I believe in when discussing

educational strategies. I hope to create an open learning environment which converses about

the topics and group work while also maintaining the good behaviour of all my students. I

wish to have students work independently within their own created communities without the

interference of myself. These ideals are supported through theories such as Choice Theory,

this is a preventative approach (Lyons & Ford, 2015, p. 25) to classroom management that

allows students to choose their own learning outcomes with the teacher leading them to their
C3238953 Position Statement EDUC2181

decision. This theory connects to my viewpoint on teaching because I believe that a teacher

should not be the dominating figure in the classroom, but encourage students into the learning

outcomes and goals. Secondly, the Goal Centred Theory is another theory that I referenced, as

this theory revolves around the idea that students should be pushed towards a goal not

outright punishment (Lyons & Ford, 2015, p. 23). This theory in practice will let students

dictate their own behaviours and rules in the class, while teacher discusses the needs the class

must reach (Lyons & Ford, 2015, p. 23). Goal Centred Theory reinstates my idea of

communities in the classroom, as the students will be responsible for their own rules and

behaviours it will push students to act positively in their own created communities.
C3238953 Position Statement EDUC2181

References

Adnum, J. (2017, March 21).

Barrett, P., Davies, F., Zhang, Y., & Barrett, L. (2016). The holistic impact of classroom

spaces on learning in specific subjects. Environment and Behavior, 89, 118-133.

Department of Education and Training. (2006). Quality teaching in NSW public schools: A

classroom practice gudie. Ryde, N.S.W: Author.

Lyons, G., & Ford, M. (2015). Classroom Management: Creating Positive Learning

Environment (4th ed.). South Melbourne: Cengage Learning Australia.

Shabani, K., Khatib, M., & Ebadi, S. (2010). Vygotsky's zone of proximal development:

Instructional implications and teachers' professional development. English Language

Teaching, 3(4), 237-248.