Reflection: Classroom Environment : Monnet International School

 

19-09-2022

REFLECTION ON CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

The class began at 8.30, with 12 students, and they had a series of activities on introduction, assigning responsibilities, discussing what they did over the weekend in class, and demonstrating the cardinal points.

The classroom is divided into 2 parts, the carpet at the back of the class. The students use the carpet for their warmup activities, group work, reading, and eating their snacks during break. 

They can also go to the carpet to isolate themselves when they are not in the mood to follow the lesson, and during such moments the assistant teacher helps to comfort them, keep them company and encourage them to join the class or do their tasks. 

This space is important because it provides a relaxing and convivial setting for learning to teach, promoting closer interaction among the students and teachers who feel a little bit at home.

In front of the class, the desks are a set of tables, and chairs are arranged in orderly rows, facing the board and the teacher’s table at an angle. 

As such the teacher has a clear view of all the students, who in turn can focus on the teacher.

 The teacher can also easily organize whole-class activities that involve general discussion, using the board, realia, PowerPoint or other presentations, and videos to watch. 

The teacher was careful to get all the students involved, not neglecting those at the back of the class, and leaving her table to follow up with each student.

The fact that the tables are separated from the chairs makes it easy for them to be rearranged into separate tables for group work activities, such that the teacher can move around to check their work.

Concerning the classroom decorations, on the wall, there are a lot of visuals to guide the students during various activities, general class management, and class rules. They are either pasted on a board or even hunged on a rope on the ceiling.

 I was impressed by how the teacher would deploy so much effort just to ensure good visibility of the learning tools. 

I liked the decoration at the entrance with the writing “Oh, what if you could fly?”. It prepares the student for adventures and fun, not an experience that is too formal and boring. This puts them in a good mood to cooperate in the learning process. 

However, I would recommend a bright cart board for the wall posters so that the writings would be quite visible, even from far. 

The students put their bags on the floor, but they also have enough space for their tools in the cupboards. 

The trash cans enable the sorting out of waste, which I find very important in instilling in the children the concepts of environmental preservation.  Also, there are natural plants in the classroom, which are well aerated and lighted with two windows that allow enough daylight in, and reduce the use of artificial light during the day, which is more costly, and not environmentally friendly. 

All of these contribute to making the classroom an excellent place for effective and efficient teaching and learning to take place.

I was very satisfied with was I saw, especially the way every material was consciously displayed to meet specific purposes such as classroom management, instructions, and sanitation...

...and I feel awesome!