Teaching practice (4) - Classroom environment

source: https://blog.schoolspecialty.com/four-key-features-of-early-learning-environments/

The next topic I would like to write about is classroom environment. I observed the class on 12.01.2022 (during the first two lessons). First, I will write the most important information about the class (as it’s the same class as before) and the lessons observed. Then, I will answer the most important questions from the observation sheet. At the end, I will share my reflections about the classroom environment I observed and some possible difficulties students and teacher may come across. 

Information about the class

I observed the 2nd grade (students are 7-8 years old). There are 26 students in the class. Students have English lessons 2 hours each day of the week. 

The topics of observed lessons were:

1. Sea life - introducing new vocabulary, practising description of objects
2. Clothes - revision of the vocabulary and using the words in sentences

The aims of the lessons were:

1. introducing new vocabulary (sea life), revision of the vocabulary (colours, clothes), revision of prepositions of place
2. practising vocabulary (clothes), revision of Roman numbers, working in groups

Observed classroom’s environment

The seating arrangement in this classroom is presented in the picture below:

 

This seating allows students to work in pairs and possibly in groups of 3-4 people. For each of them to be seated comfortably, some desks would have to be relocated. There is a possibility of rearranging the seats, though it should be discussed with the other teacher (this classroom is shared with 1st graders).

There is a colourful carpet behind the desks (in the back of the classroom). They usually play there during the break or work together in group tasks. I haven’t noticed any posters or pictures around the classroom. The flashcards are kept in the teacher's locker.

Students keep their books, drawings and other materials in binders. Each of them is signed by the student's number in the register on the side. They are placed on the bookshelf on the back of the classroom (next to the carpet). There is a classroom contract, signed by the teacher and all of the students. It’s hanging on the cork board at the back of the classroom, and visible from the carpet and possibly the last row of desks.

Materials used during the lesson include:

• Oxford Discover (2nd edition) by Oxford University Press (Student Book, Workbook and Grammar Book
• flashcards (provided by the coursebook’s publisher
• the blackboard, chalk
• interactive whiteboard
• the computer (for audio and video recordings)

My reflection

This classroom is adapted to young learners - there is a carpet, a bookshelf with toys, games and books in both Polish and English, a small board for students to draw and write. Though there are no signs of posters or other language learning tools visible in the classroom, it looks like a well-prepared learning environment. One thing I am not a fan of is the seating arrangement.

This seating arrangement (traditional, almost like in a theatre) helps communicate in pairs, though it makes group work difficult. Teacher is in a central place and there is a focus on what’s happening in the front of the classroom. It obviously has many advantages, but there are also some disadvantages I observed during my practice. Students in the back of the class are often lost and without teacher’s control, which makes them less attentive and focused on talking with each other. In the case of students with lower levels of English proficiency, the teacher is unable to observe their struggles and help them right away.

Group work is often done on the carpet, where at least half of the students can work freely. They usually spend time there talking to each other or playing different games during the break. I haven’t seen any students using books or games available there. I think it’s a good sign that the teacher doesn’t interfere in their activities during the break and gives them the freedom to choose what they want to do.