1. Brie Ducamp
November 29, 2006
Supervised Practicum
Classroom Changes
My goals for my classroom layout are to create an environment suited to facilitate student
learning and to balance flexibility with predictability. These are goals which can never truly be
met, but for which I always strive. Flexibility involves the continuous evolution of the layout
and contents of the classroom. As students grow and the curriculum changes, so the room must
adapt to meet the students’ different needs. Predictability necessitates that materials and
activities to be easily accessible and consistent over time. This helps students independently
predict where materials are located, and be familiar with routines and activities that they can
employ in their quest to construct meaning.
The permanent fixtures in the room remain much the same as they were in the beginning
of the school year. Large cabinets hold materials not currently being used by students or myself.
Closets are filled with student backpacks and coats as the weather gets cooler. The wall-
mounted bookshelf serves as the math center, where manipulatives are housed. The materials
cart near the front board continues to be where most construction paper and lined paper are
stored, though I am encouraging students to get these materials from the writing center at the
other end of the room, giving me some workspace away from the computer. The job chart
reminds students of their jobs, which are applied for and undertaken for a month.
Some resources that were in the room at the beginning of the year are being used more
regularly and efficiently. Clipboards have been gathered, and each holds assessment forms for a
different literacy activity: literature circles, writing status of the class, guided reading, etc. The
stereo is used more often to provide background music, which helps settle distracted students and

2. keep talking down a bit. Students use the repaired hanging chart to make lists of words or ideas
when several children are writing about similar topics. Boxes of books have been moved from
atop of cabinets and integrated into the class library. Tables have been relocated (one to the front
and one to the back of the room) to allow less distraction when groups meet simultaneously. The
maps on the back wall now label locations of some texts we are reading and people with whom
we are writing.
New materials have been brought in to the classroom environment for student use. A
variety of posters have been made to create a more stimulating environment and display a variety
of information. One set of posters describes the steps in the writing process, displaying them in a
circular pattern to reinforce the continuous movement from prewriting to reflection. Velcro has
made signs that show literature circle and guided reading group members adaptable as members
and texts change. Class created charts (such as expectations for literature circles) are being
laminated for more permanent presentation, and quotations about reading and writing are meant
to inspire students. Two lamps (a pencil and thumb tack) have been introduced to give students
visual reminders for behavior during certain activities (no talking and workshop). A notebook at
the writing center now compiles the postcards we have received from various people for quick
reference. Forty cassettes of classical and children’s music have been purchased for background
sounds. A variety of books and videos have also been acquired for our unit on folktales.
The most drastic and significant change in the classroom has been in the library, which
has become a focal point. One large bookshelf remains on the left wall, while the other has been
moved parallel to it in order to more clearly define the library area. Books not currently in
circulation are stored behind displayed books on the left shelf. Teacher materials and texts are
stored on the outside of the shelf on the right, facing the window. This allows the entire area

3. facing the library and the area on top of the shelves to exhibit children’s literature. Plastic
baskets have been purchased to organize the books by genre or topic. Many books are being
labeled with their genre, so students will learn where to return them. A colorful carpet lines the
floor of the library for seating during independent reading and read-alouds. Ambient lighting
and plants set a welcoming tone in the library area. Inspiring quotations about reading and
writing line the back wall.
As the room evolves, there are changes I will continue to make to the classroom
environment. I hope to build or purchase a better location to display big books. I would like to
move the listening center away from the computers to lessen traffic in that area. The writing
center needs to be stocked with more materials (highlighters, colored pens, post-its, etc.). A
larger carpet and more varied seating might make read-alouds and independent reading more
comfortable. As students respond positively to changes in the room, I am enthusiastic to
continuously adapt the classroom environment to the needs of my students.