For my second week of the field, I was assigned to be in a grade 6 classroom. I really enjoyed working with and observing the grade 6’s. The classroom was a traditional style classroom. Two desks were put together and were facing the front whiteboard. There were about 4 rows from the front of the classroom to the back. At the very back of the classroom there was a long table and a U-shaped table in the back left corner of the classroom by the coat hangers and cubbies. At the front left corner of the classroom is where the teacher’s desk was located. Having the desks paired with a partner I noticed students were able to engage and work through problems together. I also found the cubbies and coat hangers efficient for the class because when switching subjects students could walk over to their cubbies and grab their textbooks.
The space provided opportunities for students to engage in learning. The teacher was very engaging and included class discussions. This ensured students had a chance to speak and take part in the lesson. For example, the class was learning about UFOs. The teacher read part of the book regarding UFOs and often would stop and discuss how this relates and what the class already knew. This further allowed students to stay engaged because they had the chance to further discuss.
The classroom overall made me feel very welcomed. The posters put around the classroom were inviting and allowed me to get a better perspective of what the teacher enjoys and is passionate about. The school’s values were also stapled to the bulletin board at the back of the classroom and the to-do list for the day was written on the front whiteboard. Observing the classroom I could notice the class seemed well organized and was an inclusive environment.