P R A C T I C E

DESIGN AND USE IN EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS AND INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES

My first year of teaching has had many hiccups and growing pains along the way, and I'm only stating that four months in – I'm confident there are several more within my future path. A hindrance I have not experienced, thankfully, is within my classroom and its efficiency and setup. I recognized prior to even beginning my teaching journey that my classroom needed to be a space that is welcoming, comforting, and inviting to myself and my students. This includes an intentionally curated space that communicates a sense of engagement and genuine joy in the material to be learned throughout the school year.

EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS: STUDENT DESK ARRANGEMENTS

As an English Language Arts teacher, I attempt to utilize a seating arrangement with student desks that inspires collaboration, engagement, and investment in classroom discussions and classwork. With students grouped together, from a horseshoe layout to a grouping of three or less desks to larger groups ranging from four to seven desks, each format has been arranged to inspire communication, accountability, and teamwork. I have seen all of these elements blossom successfully in different variations, allowing students to practice their collaborative and conflict resolution skills.

EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS: FLEXIBLE SEATING AREAS AND OPTIONS

One of the most vital connections I believe in making for students is creating a bridge between reading, enjoyment, and comfort. I aim to achieve this through offering a variety of flexible seating from rolling swivel chairs to stools and smaller seats that promote a larger awareness of proprioceptory functions. These have all proven successful in gaining student interest and use throughout the school year already. In addition to multiple work surfaces outside of student desks, students are also able to enjoy the classroom library I've built while sitting on a futon for comfort.

INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES: NO-NAME GRAVEYARD

Students in sixth grade range from ages 11 to 13 years old, and are not well-versed in the responsibilities required for middle school. They must learn to hold themselves accountable for ensuring their work is submitted in a timely manner with their names on their work products. Transitioning to a two-class schedule in their fifth-grade classes where they were allowed several makeup opportunities and 'mulligans,' to a new school that is much stricter with regards to its procedures often requires a gradual transition over having a rug pulled from under them. The No-Name Graveyard is a way to meet students' needs before the more rigorous grades of seventh and eighth grades begin to pull back on any room for error. This also ensures students are using less of their time redoing assignments they may have turned in without a name and providing another chance for submission.

INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES: WHEEL OF ENGAGEMENT

Affectionally and humorously entitled the Wheel of Doom, this method of engaging students is one that ensures they are paying attention and working to the best of their ability to answer questions in the case that fate chooses them to answer! The wheel randomly selects students and spinning it provides students with a gamified method for answering

discussion questions and assignment questions. This is also used for assigning students roles within reader's theaters, roles within collaborative groups, and more. This has eliminated a lack of engagement and also provides an element of equity within the classroom for students who are quieter and less likely to volunteer their insights over others. The website allows for the elimination of names that have already contributed to the current discussions or allows names to remain, depending on the circumstances.