About My Classroom
The classroom is not simply a room with desks and chairs, but a safe space curated by careful planning and deliberate efforts to create a sense of community.
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The layout of furniture, the types of learning activities we do, the accessibility of supplies, the student work I choose to display on the walls of our room, and more are all chosen with care.
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The images on this page showcase just some of the methodologies I employ to create a collaborative, warm learning environment in my 8th grade math classroom. Please click on each image to learn more about it!
Desks are arranged in such a way that students will always be able to bounce ideas off of another student. Some students like to be able to move around a bit more and have the option of sitting in a rolling chair. Those chairs, however, were strategically placed so movement was somewhat limited for minimal distraction to other students.
These whiteboard desks are my absolute favorite. Not only does the novelty of being able to write on the desk directly engage students, the ability to adjust the height gives students who are a bit more fidgety or simply need a change in position the opportunity to stand while working.
Instead of being interrupted by the sound of pencils sharpening while speaking to the whole class, I put a system in place where students can grab sharp pencils and return dull ones. Other supplies they may need are also readily available at the front of the room.
This was my first foray into flexible seating. Some days were definitely a bit more stressful than others, but it definitely created a more relaxed space. I am still working on figuring out ways to encourage students to change their seats more often, rather than hunkering down in one area.
The messages that are displayed in the classroom are important for setting the tone. I want to teach students not only math, but to become kind and responsible members of the community.
These posters remind students of commonly forgotten "rules" of math that appear frequently in our lessons. It is convenient being able to point up at the wall to quickly refresh students' memories.
The start of the year is focused on helping students get used to our classroom system, but by the end of it, they know where everything is and transitions become smooth and seamless.
This kidney bean table is perfect for asking a few students to join me for a small group refresher lesson. When students are placed into group work, this space is left open so that students can feel free to step up and ask for help whenever they need it.
COVID-19 threw a wrench into teaching as we knew it. Adjusting to the virtual setting had a rough start, but that didn't stop teachers from having fun with classroom decoration, albeit an online one! This served as a consistent landing page for every lesson. This meant students always knew where to find the objectives, the lesson, classwork, and homework.
My students got creative with setting up social media profiles for various quadrilaterals. This activity brought in a very familiar platform to the students and provided students an opportunity to combine their humor, creativity, and understanding of the topics.
Students keep up an interactive notebook where they create study tools to reference when reviewing for their unit test. This method of note taking helps students who are better focused with kinisthetic elements while learning.
Even during a pandemic year where more than half the students remained virtual, my students managed to shine. Teachers volunteered to deliver awards to student homes. This was the first time I met this particular student- over half a year later from the beginning of the school year.
Math jokes and riddles bring me great joy. My students find them infuriatingly entertaining. These riddles are posted outside my classroom door so students and teachers alike who pass by can spend a few moments pondering. Even a silly riddle can encourage deeper math thinking from all levels of students!
Students use their Chromebooks to set up a battleship-like game area and play a math game that encourages high-level use of math vocabulary. Tables where groups can gather are an important element of encouraging collaboration.