Jessica Quezada TTE 301 December 10, 2013 Floor Plan Narration

Classroom Map

Classroom Map Description

As you enter to the classroom immediately to the left is the parent sign in station, there is a carpet on the floor that defines this area. There is a long rectangular table where the sign in binder is. I have chosen for this table to be a dark brown color in order to achieve to achieve the

home-like feeling. Right next to this table there is a floor lamp, this is meant to create a home like environment, as well as adding light that gives of a warm glow. Since parent teacher communication is so important this area will also include a mail box for each parent so they will be able to drop off any information regarding their child in the box without the fear of other reading it, this will also be a place for me to send any information that needs to get home. To the left of the table there is a couch; this is a relaxing place for both parents and students to gather before going their separate ways. There is a bookshelf on the wall next to the couch that can be used by parents and students in the morning time. The books will be relevant to the current theme in the classroom, as well as including books that center around the theme of family such as The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. Right next to the sigh in table are the students cubbies which are all labeled with their name. Above the cubbies there is a bulletin board, this will include parent information such as updated lesson plans, as well as any news.

Directly to the right if the parent area there is a set of cabinets. These are all used for storage of materials. This is also where the mats and the nap mats are kept as well as where the childrens sleeping materials are kept. The sleeping supplies are kept in individual bags, and they are labeled with the students names. This is also where I have placed my desk. I choose this area to place the desk since it would be difficult to use this area for any of the students centers.

The area next to the cabinets is the carpet/meeting area. This is the area in which any group meetings, discussions, or read-aloud sessions are held. On the right side of this area there is are two book shelves that hold a wide range of books, they also separate this area from the computer/ literature area. On the left side there is a small couch for students to use when they are in this area. A rug defines this area; while the rug in the image is one with large flowers on it this is not the rug that I would actually like in this area. The rug below it the one that I prefer for this area, it has natural colors that go well with the neutral color scheme of the classroom, it also has a specific area for students to sit at.

To the right of the carpet/meeting area is the computer/ literature area. There is room for two people at this station. I have put this area next to the dramatic area for a specific reason. Even though the computer area is an area where students are quiet, as well in which students need their quiet I choose to put it next to the dramatic play area because students will be using headphones while they are in this area. The computers will have specific software downloaded on them that students can use as well as informational videos that students can watch. Next to the computers there is a small space that is used to the quiet area, which will look like the quiet area pictured below. Over the computer and quiet area on a loft is the literacy center. I choose the loft because it is completely separate from the other areas and it is high up away from the noise. In the image of the classroom the loft is represented by the bunk bed. This area will have beanbags and pillows in order to make as comforting as possible. On the wall up by the loft there is a small bookshelf that has books on display. These books will be chosen based on the current theme of the classroom, as well as based on the students interest. There will also be a basket full of storytelling props that are relevant to those current books. These props might include stuffed animal, puppets, and clothing items. There will also be additional containers with other books that might interest students, even if they have nothing to do with the current theme of the class. Lastly in order to make this area more cozy there will be a canopy over this area that will serve to soften up the lighting. The literacy area is also the place where student who do not nap can go to during other students nap times. It is high up so it does not take up any napping area. This also helps keep the sound away from the napping students. I thought this would be the best area since the materials in this area in general dont provoke students to be loud.

The dramatic play area is in the back of the room directly next to the computer/ literacy area, and the block area. These areas in general are the loudest areas so they have been purposely placed together. The dramatic play area has several child sized home items, which include a kitchen table with two chairs, cupboard, sink, refrigerator, stove, closet, dresser and full length mirror. The table has a tablecloth on it, and the refrigerator has a grocery list on it. This area is stocked with dishes that could be actually be found in a home as well a foods that children would see at home such as dried beans, pasta, rice, and empty boxes of food such as cereal, milk, and juice. Some other realistic props will include a calendars, magazines, cookbooks, clocks, and cellphones. The closet will include actual pieces of clothing for both boys and girls as well as pieces of cloth and clothing pins so that students are able to make their own clothing. There is also a child sized broom and mop. In order to represent all of the students through the dramatic play area I will also be including items that are traditional to their culture. This is done through dolls that represent different cultures, as well as items that are traditional for each culture such as the molcajete is common in Mexico

The block area in the back of the room has been purposely put next to the dramatic play area because both of these centers tend to be louder. This area has been blocked off from with two shelves, and it also has a rug that is used to define the area. The color of the rug was purposefully chosen because of its natural colors yet simple pattern. In order to make clean up easy for students there will be an outline of the block on the shelves. It will also be important to discuss

the block clean up routine with student so they know exactly what is expected of them. The blocks in this area will be of different shapes and sizes in order to further students creativity. On the wall side of the area there is a bulletin board that will be used to display images of architecture around the world. In order to keep students interested, these images will be changed every two weeks. This will also be a great place to keep documentation of the buildings that students have made in the past. This area is likely to have block laying around most of the time since students are not require to put away any project, as long as they are currently working on them.

The music area is to the right of the block area. I choose to put it in this area because the block area and music area are both loud areas. In this area there is a shelf that holds different kinds of musical instruments that are easy to use by children. As well as having instruments there will also be voice recorders that are easy for students to operate as well as headphones to use them with. Students can record their musical creations, and then listen to them again. This area will also include a variety of cd as well as a cd player that students can use to explore different kinds of music. There will be a cd player that all students in the area can choose, as well as a personal cd player that one student can choose to use by themselves. Lastly I will also be providing childrens literature that has written music in it, as well as music books that students can also explore in this area.

The science area is on the right side of the block area. This area has a shelf filled with science materials that are for the students to use. On top of that is a small fish tank with their fish the class pet. There is also a sensory table; the materials in this sensory table are changed based on the season. For example during wintertime students will be able to use explore a version of indoor snow.

The art area consists of a table with two chairs, as well as a four-sided easel. This area is blocked off by two shelves and both of them shelves have their front facing the art area. The shelf that is for this area will wide range of material that are all at the students level so that they can reach them at all times. All of the materials on this shelf will be materials that students are actually allowed to use, any other materials will be stored in the cabinets. The table in this area faces a wall, and on that wall there is another bulletin board. This board will be a place to display some famous pieces of artwork to inspire students, as well as art that has been made by the students themselves. Although it is not displayed there is a drying rack on the right side of the table where students are expected to put any artwork to dry. Another thing to add is that because the art area can be so messy I have decided to place it next to the sink area. This will allow students to have easy access to sink for washing hands or paintbrushes whenever needed.

The sink area in the classroom will be where all of the students hand washing will take place, because there is no way of students to reach the sink there will be a stepstool available at all times. On the wall directly in front of the sink there is a set of had washing directions that will be displayed with pictures of the students participating in the actions as well as in written form. This is also the place where the fire extinguisher will be kept, as well as a closed trashcan. Next to the sink hanging on the wall there is a hanging mesh bag that will be used to collect any toys that need cleaning.

In the middle of the class is where the tables are. This area is used for eating meals, and doing whole group activities. The tables in this area are light brown color to compliment the home-like theme going on in the rest of the class. There are several shelves surrounding this area, which hold materials for additional centers. These shelves also serve another purpose; they create separation in the classroom so it does not allow for student to have large passageways for them to run through. These shelves hold math materials, as well as manipulative. Each one of the shelves faces as set of tables, and whatever tables they face are the tables that students are

allowed to use with these materials. The shelf with manipulates will have a space for puzzles as well as containers with building materials such as the magnetic blocks, and activities for fine motor development. The shelf with the math materials will have a variety of materials and activities that self-correcting. The materials will cover topics such as one-to-one correspondence, writing numbers, addition and subtraction, recognizing numbers, and sorting.

In this classroom I am trying to create a home like environment. This means that I am using neutral tones on the walls, floor, and furniture to imitate a home. All of the items that I have mentioned being in any sort of container are all in clear containers. Even though baskets would give the room a more home-like feel the clear containers are more helpful with organization. They also help students see what exactly is in each container. All of the shelves are low to the ground in order to allow students easy access to materials; chairs and tables are also small in order to cater to the child. The only items in this room that are adult sized are my desk, and chair, as well as the couch that is in the parent sign in area. Any piece of furniture that can be attached to the wall is attached, this is done to for the childrens safety. This particular classroom is has mostly carpet flooring. Even though this is not ideal for all areas it helps with the absorption of noise. This particular classroom has no windows means I have to rely completely on artificial lighting. This is not ideal because of the harshness of theses lights. I decided that in my classroom we would only turn on half of the overhead lights, to compensate for the lack of lighting, small lamps like the ones used at home will be placed around the class. This will give the classroom more light, but the light will be a more gentle.

Class Routines
The class schedule is as follows: 8:30 9:00: Students Arrival/ Invitations During this half hour period, students are arriving with their parents. Parents and students have the opportunity to read a book in the parent sigh in area. On the tables in the middle of the class

there will be invitations for the students. Some of them will be connected to the current theme of the class and others will be open-ended materials such as magnetic building blocks. Five minutes before this free time is over student will be informed that they will soon be transitioning over into the circle time. When it is time for the students to transition I will use a sound bowl. This will be the sign for the students to clean up and go to the carpet. 9:00-9:30: Circle Time This circle time activity will start with a good morning/welcome song. This will be a time to introduce the events for the day as well as a time to start a discussion related to the activities for the day. When town halls are scheduled this will be the time it takes place. When this time is over students will transition one by one to the sink are to wash their hands. While the students are washing their hands the students at the carpet they will be will be engaged in some other sort of activity such as singing a song or chanting a rhyme. 9:30-10:30: Snack Time As soon as students are done washing their hands they will transition immediately into their snack time. The snacks will already be laid out for them. Once they are done with their snack they will be invited to read a book while all of the students finish. This is a process they will be introduced to since the beginning of the year, so students will be familiar with it. Once everyone is done with their snack, all books will be put away and it will be time to transition into the indoor free time. 10:30 11:30: Indoor Free Time During this time students will be allowed to explore any center they choose. To begin indoor free time students will be handed their name card. One by one they will be called to choose their center. Their name card is a tool they will use to keep track of the center they are in. It is also a way of signing into a center. For example 5 students are allowed in the dramatic play area, right outside the area on one of the shelves there are 5 hooks. When a student chooses their area they must take their name card and put it on the hook. Once all of the hooks area filled no more students are allowed in the area. About 5 minutes before their indoor free time is up students

will be given a 5-minute warning. When those 5 minutes are up the sound bowl will be rang. This is the students sign that they need to clean up their area. Once all of the cleaning has been done I will give students the signal to line up. 11:00 11:15: Bathroom Break This particular classroom does not have a classroom, which meant that I had to incorporate a bathroom time into my schedule. Since we will be on our way to the bathroom anyway this is the best time to take the break. The students that need to use the restroom will have the opportunity to do so, and the rest of them will wait outside the bathroom in line. During the time that students are waiting outside of the restroom they will be engaged in small activities such as singing songs, or chanting rhymes. 11:15 12:00: Outside Time During this outside time students are free to explore whatever they want on the playground area. This will also be a time for me to introduce student to outdoor activities that relate to the current topic of the class. Five minutes before it is time to go back inside a whistle will be blown and a reminder will be given to the students. Once it is time to go inside the whistle will be blown again and the instruction to line up will be given. 12:00-12:30: Lunch Time As soon as students come into the classroom they will transition into washing their hands. This is something that will be enforced from day one so this will become a natural transition for them. Their food will already be laid out on their table for them so they will go directly to their spot. Their eating spot will be identified by a place mat that was made by them during the beginning of the school year. When students are done eating their lunch they will clean up their area then once again transition into the carpet area. Once all students are done with their lunches, and all of the areas are cleaned up students will be instructed to put their books away. I will then begin an introduction to the activity to come. 12:30 1:30: Structured Work Time

This is the time in which students will be participating in a activity that relates to the current theme of the class. This time will be used in different ways depending on the activity that is being done. 1:30 1:45: Bathroom Break This bathroom break will once again take place as students are transitioning outside. The same procedures that took place during the first bathroom break will occur during he second bathroom break. 1:45-2:15: Outside Time The same procedures that apply or the first outside time apply to the second outside time. 2:15 2:30: Indoor Free Time/Pick Up Once students come inside they will wash their hands. This is a procedure that will be implemented from day one, so students are familiar with it. Once students are done they are free to explore any area between that time, and the time their parent our guardian come pick them up.

Classroom Climate
In order to create a positive classroom climate, it is important that every member of the classroom feels as thought they are a part of the community. This includes not only the students but their parents, siblings, and any other relatives as well. First and foremost it is important to get to know every student even before the school year starts. I will be doing home visits prior to the beginning of the school year. This will make students feel more at ease on the first day of school, as well as starting to build that relationship between the parents. These home visits will go on throughout the semester, not only during the beginning of the year. Another important part of having a positive classroom climate is having a classroom that students feel comfortable in. These home visits will also serve as a way to identify the funds of knowledge of the student. This information can help create lessons, that will capture students attention. This information will also help me pick out materials such as books that represent everyone in the classroom. When students see the materials that represent them, they will gain a sense of belonging. Part of

having a positive classroom community also comes from the home like feel of the classroom, but students should also feel that the classroom is theirs. This will be done by putting picture of all the families around the classroom in picture frames, just as they would be displayed at home. Another feature that will be included in my classroom are the town halls. These will take place on a bi-weekly basis and everyone will be invited to stay for this event. These events will also serve as a community building experience. Lastly it is important to remember that language plays a big role in building a community. Using positive language will create a safe and encouraging environment in which students will be motivated to work and do their best.