March | 2016 | Ms. Toor's Blog

My Inquiry Synthesis

Over the last few years, I have had the opportunity to work in various classroom environments, which educate students through the traditional methods of learning. Throughout my observations, I have been able to recognize and question various types of routines and classroom structures. My inquiry arises from my curiosity and hopefulness of modifying parts of the classroom environment to better fit the needs of my students. It also arises from my personal schooling experiences where I never felt that my environment was thought of as being a key factor in…read more

Teacher’s Discretion

Seating arrangements within a classroom have generally been left up to the teacher’s discretion. However, the article “Classroom Seating Location, Student Grades and Attitudes” by Llyod Stires looks into a study that shows students who sit near the front and center of a classroom get better grades and like the instructors better than students who sit in the back or at the sides. This article provides a varied approach to my inquiry question because I have mainly focused on which students should sit beside who and so on… however, I never…read more

Successful Learning!

As a teacher candidate, I get the opportunity to observe various strategies and techniques that teachers implement into their classrooms. I also get the opportunity to figure out what practices I prefer over others and which I would like to implement into my own classroom one day. The environment in which students work and study is vital in successful learning. As a future teacher, I strive to absorb all the knowledge and tips around me to create an environment that is inviting, caring, and comfortable for my students. My inquiry…read more

Row- and- Column Seating

The article “Location and Interaction in Row-and-Column Seating Arrangements” by Mele Koneya investigated the effects of verbal behavior, physical locations, and seat preferences of members of large groups in row- and column seating arrangements. This article looks at a study that depicts whether students of “high,” “moderate,” or “low” verbalization rates were affected when being assigned a seating arrangement or when given autonomy to choose their own seats. This article supports my inquiry because it provides results from a study that show students are impacted by where they choose to…read more

Classroom Univerals

Posted by jasleen toor in Inquiry Project, inquiry resource

The article “Classroom Universals to Prevent Problem Behaviors” by Robert Trussell talks about the implementation of universals as being essential within classrooms. Classroom universals are those organizational and teacher instructional practices that are essential in preventing the occurrence of problem behaviors while simultaneously increasing academic achievement. This article goes into depth with the various types of universals that, when applies consistently and collectively, help create safe and effective classrooms. It also provides evidence throughout the article to support my inquiry that the classroom environment does indeed have direct impacts on…read more

Therapy Chairs!

Classrooms generally have a chair and a desk for each student, they may be set up in various ways but the overarching themes of classroom are typically quite similar. The article “Alternative Seating for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Effects on Classroom Behavior” by Denise Schilling looks at getting rid of the simple chair in classrooms and introducing therapy ball seating for students with autism. It looks at a study that indicates substantial improvements in engagement and in seat behavior when participants were seated on therapy balls. As a…read more

Assessment and Environment

The book “Classroom Environment” by Barry J. Fraser looks at how teachers and schools are consistently subjected to judgments of performance based on simple measures of cognitive outcomes. However, this book looks at other factors such as places, typically classrooms, where learning takes place and where the quality of life in the classroom, impacts the type of education you receive. This resource is interesting because it offers a comparative aspect that I can use to justify my inquiry question and its importance in the learning environment. As a teacher candidate,…read more

What constraints exist?

In the article “Principal Perception on Classroom Physical Environment” by Ramli Hidayahtuljamilah, a differed perspective is brought into question. It talks about the decision of arranging a classroom and how it should be based on many things such as the teacher role and pedagogy used in learning subjects, how the classroom is managed, the existing space, and the learning activities in the classroom. Although teachers may try to rearrange their classrooms to better suit the needs of the students, the teacher still needs to consider that that there may…read more

seating plans!

The article “The Role of seating Position in group Interaction: A Review, with Applications for Group Trainers” by Jerald Greenberg mentions the importance of seating positions. It talks about studies that have found that people who sit in central seating positions were able to maintain better eye contact with other members around them. The study also found that tasks requiring interpersonal communication were associated with the use of close seating arrangements and tasks requiring independent activities were associated with distant seating arrangements. This article provides studies and research to help…read more

A Learning Experience

As a teacher candidate, my biggest fear is not being able to manage a classroom environment and behavior; therefore, I’m always trying to find new ways to become more comfortable with this. My fear of classroom management and disruptive student behavior led me to various resources that could help me overcome this. I found an article “Classroom Management for Elementary Teachers” by Carolyn Evertson that offers techniques to prevent poor classroom management by planning and addressing decisions that a teacher makes on a daily basis. This article also mentioned that…read more