For our third school visit I went to Frank Hobbs and was placed in a kindergarten/grade one split class. I was surprised to find that the classroom was small and fairly unorganized. There were lots of paper pieces and art supplies shoved under the counters, and there were books and loose papers scattered in the shelves. It looked like the teacher had a ton of resources, but that nothing was organized and kept clean. I was wondering what people thought about keeping classrooms clean, is it important, or not so important? Does it affect children's learning? Does it have an impact on our professionalism as teachers?
Another area that I found interesting during my school visit was the common use of split classes in the Elementary grades. I can understand how older grades helping younger grades can be beneficial to the learning process, but how does a teacher effectively reach two different learning groups? Do you teach everyone at the same time, but give the two groups different assignments? I was wondering what everyone else thought about the use split classes. Is this concept something you would embrace when you start teaching?
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In response to Kathy's comment on her experience in an untidy classroom, I would like to say that I believe in having a very tidy working environment. In my opinion it is important to keep a tidy classroom as it reflects your teaching philosophy as well as your values and beliefs as a teacher. Having a tidy and organized classroom not only makes it much easier to teach but it also sends a message across to your students that this is the best way for learning and productiveness. I know that everyone is different and some people work well in an unorganized, messy environment, but I feel that as a teacher it is important to model this type of organized learning environment.
In response to split classes, when I visited Frank Hobbs, both of the classes I visited were split (2/3 and then a 3/4). I also find that it is more common now to have split classes than when I was in elementary school. I remember only having one or two classes that were split in the whole school. The 3/4 split class I visited seemed to be very independent while working on activities. Their teacher instructed them on what to do and then she let them work at their own pace until the block was over. In a split class I feel it is important to have this type of freedom in order for students to work together and help each other reach their goal according to their grade level. I never really agreed with split classes, but now after being present in and observing two, I feel that if organized properly they can be very effective learning environments.
I was with Kathy in the class at Frank Hobbs, and it was super unorganized. My initial reaction was wondering how the students focus with so much going on around them. There were numerous posters of letters, words etc. on the walls, but even I had a hard time focusing on them. The art area was a mess and I can't imagine children wanting to work in it. I think it is really important to teach children about organization because it is a habit reflective also in the way we learn. Organization plays an important role the learning process ie: in notes, materials and thoughts, and so teaching students this skill in various forms both physically and mentally is important. Thus, as a teacher I think it is important to keep an organized learning environment for our students.
I agree that the classroom should be kept organized. Not only does it represent us as professionals but children do best with some structure and consistency. If the classroom is kept clean and organized students will have a better understanding of what is expected of them. It will also teach them to be respectful of the space around them.
In regards to the split classes, I've noticed they were very frequent at Frank Hobbs as well. Im not sure if that is normal in most elementary schools or not. Im also not too sure how beneficial they are for students. I would worry that the older students are not getting all the requirements for their grade level. Does someone have anymore insight into this?
Like everyone else I think it is very important to maintain a tidy and organized classroom. Personally I think that it reflects on one's teaching. If the teacher has a vast amount of resources, but is unable to attain them when needed how are they benefiting the students and helping them reach success? As teachers we need to set examples for our students. I think this will only create an admirable working environment and portray the importance of staying organized.
I went to Arbutus and had a grade 7 8 split class. They were doing spelling and math test that morning. So the teacher took turns for their spelling tests. The grade 7 wrote their tests first while the grade 8 sat next to them waiting quietly. Then the same happened to the grade 8 while they took their test.
During the tests the teacher seemed to have to keep control of the other grade by telling them to keep quite, she even had to send a boy out of the room. I am not a fan of the split classes I would feel like I would be in more control of my class teaching everyone the same thing. The teacher was very organized in her classroom but the children where very loud and hard to control. I think split classes con work like Kathy said if they are organized they can be very effective learning environments.
I also have the questions of how you teach 2 grades in one. And Is their a lot more independent work so they can work on their grade level?
I agree on everyone's opinions on having a clean classroom. I think that having a clean classroom is very important in creating an atmosphere where students can focus and learn successfully. Having a messy classroom I think would create a place where students struggle to focus. The way that a classroom is kept is reflected upon the teacher, and I think that espcially as new teachers we need to present ourselves in a positive way.
As for the discussion on split classes I am also wondering the benefits or negatives of having two grades in one classroom. I went to a smaller school that only had one class per grade, so the concept of having multiple grades in a class is new to me. I honestly can't see that many benefits to the children, because it seems to me that the grade levels are never fully focused on. For example, I think it would be hard for a first grader to be in a second grade class being presented with second grade materials. I think it will be interesting to see how different teachers deal with these situations!
Seeing as everyone has agreed on having an organized classroom and provided many reasons as to why, all I will say is ME TOO!
In regards to split classes however I have a little more to say! Being a student who was in a split class every year in her elementary days and always being the younger grade (except grade 1 as I had the same teacher as kindergarden and grade 7 as there was no one older) I never had a problem with split class. Also, as I was a student who got stuck in that LOVELY duel-entry extravaganza, I was almost 2 years younger then the oldest student in my class. Now, not to toot my own horn, I was a good students and never struggled with this but I know other students did. I don't remember exactly how lessons were taught I believe we all worked on reletively the same tasks but they were perhaps changed slighty for us when needed. However in subjects like PE, Music, Art etc we worked all at the same level on the same tasks. I believe for the right students having a split class can work for them. It allows them to strive to a higher standard and I do remember always being proud of myself for being able to do something an older kid could do.
But I wonder about struggling students? It seems to me that being in either position (the lower or higher grade) may cause them some problems. If they were a grade 3 in a 3/4 split and were behind for a grade 3 how would they feel sitting next to a striving grade 4? And if they were a struggling grade 4 how would they feel sitting next to an excelling grade 3? Now if they wasn't TOO confusing, I'd love to hear what anyone else thinks...
In regards to the messy or tidy classroom I agree that it is important that the room is kept neat. We should teach our students to respect our own and other people's belongings and the easiest way to do this is to model that behaviour! I also agree with Navi's point that there is no reason to have a ton of resources if you can't take advantage of them.
As for the split class when I was growing up I always remember the "split class" as being a negative thing. However, I think it all comes down to how you as the teacher handle the situation. Personally if I had a split class I would probably teach all students the older grades curriculum with some modifications for the younger students when necessary. I don't think there is a problem asking younger students to work at a higher level as long as it is an attainable level and the students are not at a disadvantage. If organized effectively I do not think that the split class is a negative thing.
In response to Kathy's blog, I personally feel that having an organized classroom will make a difference in classroom management. When I a classroom environment is tidy and organized, their will be a difference in their behaviour. In my own experience, I cannot effectively and efficiently work at home, if my house is a mess. I usually have to clean up and organize myself before I am able to start any assignments. I also agree with Danielle, in that it represents ourselves as professionals.
In response to the issue of a split classroom, I personally don't support having a split class. As we have learned from the IRP's, each grade has different learning outcomes, and with a split class, we may not ensure that these outcomes are met because of the two different levels.
When visiting Arbutus, I was obsering a grade 7/8 class. When we walked in I thought this was a classroom with a discipline problem because many of the students where not participating the spelling test. After the teacher finished and then said "Now grade 8 words" I realized that the grade 8's were simply waiting for their test. It seemed that having the split was disruptive and wasted a great deal of the students time.
Well... I’m not going to discuss the many reasons why I agree that a tidy classroom is important to maintain because everyone has hit the nail on the head!
As per our other discussion on split grade level classes I have a little experience with the topic because 3 out of my five years in elementary school I found myself in a split class. Throughout my education I attended French Immersion schools. Because there are not as many students in French Immersion the bulk of the students were placed in split classes because one year there would be too many students to only have one class and other years there would be too few. In grade 1 & 4 I was the younger grade in the class and in grade 5, I was the oldest because at our elementary school you were the senior grade. I loved being in split classes! I enjoyed being able to push myself to complete the assignments the older students were working on. As you can tell I didn’t have too many academic problems… but after reading Lindsay’s post on a struggling student being placed in a split class it made me stop and think. Looking back it must have been extremely frustrating for some of the older students to see the younger students working on the same assignment and having little to zero difficulty with the task while they are sitting there struggling. I think more than anything, it would be very disheartening and make wanting to learn extremely difficult. What might we do in these situations? As teachers we don’t have a choice on whether it is a split class or not… and we should allow stronger students to challenge themselves? Where do you draw the line?
In addition to the rest of the comments, I feel that I tidy classroom is important. I was in the same classroom for the Frank Hobbs visit with Kathy and the room was quite disorderly! It was great to see that the teacher had a lot of resources for the kids to use, which is important, but I found it to be distracting and I’m a University student. I know that when I’m doing homework or studying at home the area I’m in has to be tidy or I can’t do my work. Having lots of resources is great but I think that the best environment for students to learn in is a tidy environment.
I’m not really too sure how I feel about split classes. It seems to be more and more common in school today to have quite a few split classes. Maybe this is a result of schools closing down and needing to accommodate more students. In grade 10 I did a week of job shadowing for a kindergarten/grade 1 class. When the grade 1’s were working on their math questions the kindergartens were reading books on the carpet. It seems slightly unfair that one grade had to work on math problems while the other grade was reading on the carpet, since reading would be more appealing to most kids. The teacher did the best she could with her situation in giving all the kids an activity to do. I think that it would be difficult to try and meet the needs of both grades through one lesson. Personally, I think that students would benefit more from being in a single class with other students in their own grade.
On both visits to Arbutus, I sat in the same two classrooms each time. The first room I was in was a grade 7 Math class and this room was very well organized, had a lot of artwork on the walls, and several posters on the walls. The room had a lot of information in it, however, it was tidy and organized. I felt that the teacher was in control of her class and her class seemed organized and efficient.
The other class was a grade 7 Science class. This room had the desks organized in clusters and the walls too were covered in children's artwork and maps and such. There was a great difference though in the teacher organization I felt. Due to the children's desks situated in clusters, the teacher spent the majority of her time asking people to stop talking. I also thought it was difficult to reach all students effectively. As well, the artwork was not hung on the walls but rather, was on desktops all around the class.
Therefore, I see the relevance of having a tidy and organized room from which you can more effectively reach/teach the students. The tidiness of a room I believe reflects the tidiness of the teacher.
I agree very strongly with everyone who posted that our tidiness and organization reflects on us as professionals.
I think that is important when parents come into the classroom that they see our ability to manage our environment. When I enter someones home or office, one of the first things I notice is whether or not their space is tidy. If it isn't I tend to pre-judge them as lazy, and scatter brained - two things I DEFINATELY don't want ot be as a teacher!
Maintaining a neat and organized classroom will help students to focus, and impress parents because it will give them (at least) the impression that we as teachers have the ability to maintain control of our environment, their children, and the activities we are participating in as a class.
Along with everyone else, I agree that an organized classroom is important. I think it is important for students to know where things are and be able to easily access them. I have been in a lot of classrooms that aren't necessarily unorganized, but quite cluttered with things on the wall, and this is something I want to avoid. I think it is so distracting when the classroom is decorated on every surface. It is nice to display artwork and other work, but I think it should be done in a way that does not overtake the room.
Split classes I'm not too sure about. I have not had much exposure to them and I was only in one split class as an elementary student. My initial reaction is that it would be extremely difficult as a teacher, however as we have learned, very few students are actually at grade level, so I am guessing this is something we would have to do in some way in a classroom with just one grade level.
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