I.

Observation 3:
Setting

I.

Grade: Pre-Kindergarten

II.

Students: 7 boys, 2 girls

III.

Setting:
Bright Beginnings Preschool
Pre-Kindergarten Classroom
9 Students, 2 teachers (1 main teacher, 1 assistant teacher)

IV.

Pre-Observation:
The purpose of this observation was to determine if the setting of the classroom is
beneficial to students. In order to complete the observation, I chose a prekindergarten classroom with children ages four through five, at Bright Beginnings
Preschool. I took just one day to complete this observation because prior to
specifically observing the setting I have been in the classroom over ten times.
During previous observations I have become familiar to the classroom and I felt
one day was appropriate to observe the classroom setting. Prior to observing the
classroom setting I became familiar with guidelines set by New Jersey Positive
Behavior Support in Schools (NJPBSIS). I used these guidelines to properly
observe whether or not the setting was beneficial to students development.

V.

Data:
The classroom setting in the pre-kindergarten classroom at Bright Beginnings
Preschool is active. The children are given time to explore throughout the
classroom and do various activities. The classroom is very open and has a lot of
space for children to run around. The first thing one sees when they walk in is the
main activity table. Next is the carpet area where children can play during free
time. It is also the area where the morning routine is conducted using the wall
which contains the calendar, the whether station, the job board as well as the
letters and number of the month. Parallel to the carpet is where the play stations
start. There are various toy boxes and tables the students can use Legos and other
objects to play. Next is the kitchen area where most students enjoy playing house
or create a meal using play food. On the other side of the classroom is a small area
where there is a television station, the bookshelf and the computer station. Along
with that are shelves that hold puzzles and art supplies. Also on this side of the
room is another activity table. The classroom setting is busy and has many things
that students can explore.

Easel

TV
Center

Compute
r Center

Book
Shelf

Other Classroom
Puzzle
Shelf
Art
Shelf
Childrens Cubbies and Storage
Table 2

Entrance

Morning
Routine
Wall

Table 1

Teachers
Desk

Carpet
Game
Shelf

Closet

Touch &
Feel Table

Toy
Box 2

Lego
Tabl
e

Kitchen
Center
Toy
Bo
x
Emergency
Exit

VI.

VII.

Analysis:
During my observation I saw that the setting did contribute towards the children
development. Through the various play stations the children are able to interact
with one another, learn how to share and solve problems. In the carpet area the
students have a free-space to bring over puzzles, games and other toys to share or
to independently use. The carpet is also used to conduct morning routines. This is
where the children sing the Pledge of Allegiance, Youre a Grand Old Flag and the
Good Morning Song. The carpet is the main area of use in the classroom. It is
used all throughout the day for play and also for teacher lead activities. One
problem I see is that the students can become restless on the carpet during the
morning routine. I believe that this is because students associate the carpet with
play and then they must clean up to use the carpet for instruction. Although the
morning routine does not take very long and the students move onto a new
activity when they are done, they are still in play mode. They did not move to a
new area to become ready to learn. I feel that this problem can inhibit the
childrens development. In the kitchen area the students are able to role-play, they
can pretend they are adults and need to take responsibility to feed others. In the
kitchen the students often take dolls from the toy boxes and imagine they need to
be cared for by feeding them. There are pots and pans, food, utensils and a sink in
the kitchen. When done with meals the students wash the dishes and also use
a vacuum cleaner to clean up the kitchen. Next to the kitchen is a shelf with math
games, board games, blocks and other games located on it. The children often
play with these games but I feel the students feel restricted to only play with other
toys because these games are somewhat hidden by being piled onto a small shelf.
I see the children using other toys over and over again more than I see them using
the board games. I feel that this shelf that is squeezed in between the teachers
desk and the kitchen area can give the students the message that they are off
limits. On the other side of the classroom is where the bookshelf, TV station and
the computer station are located. On this side of the room is also where the puzzle
shelf and art station are located. The children do not use these stations unless
instructed to do so. They are there only to use when there is a break in between
activities and the teachers do not want them to use the other stations. I see this as
a problem because the students do not feel inclined to use these stations during
free time. The teacher uses the computer station when she feels the students are
restless and need to get energy out. A sing-along is used to get the students
moving and release some energy. The classroom setting I feel is beneficial to the
students development but I do see some room for improvement.
Recommendations:

During this observation I saw room for improvement. I feel that the way the classroom is
set up does not encourage the students to use every station. I feel that the stations like the
bookshelf needs to be relocated so the students will use it freely and not just when they
are told to do so. According to the learning environment guidelines set by the state of
Oklahoma An enriched environment is one which awakens the entire nervous system,
one which is stimulating, curiosity feeding, capable of answering many questions, a
setting which is alive with resources, reflective of real life and bursting with energy. The
guidelines set by the state of Oklahoma for a beneficial classroom environment model
how the classroom setting can be beneficial to the students. According to these guidelines
the classroom setting in which I observed can be improved. Many stations are just a table
with supplies on it, they are not very inviting. If the stations were to be inviting to the
student by including real objects like a beanbag chair for reading or a separate carpet for
playing the setting may be more beneficial to the students development. The way the
bookshelf is pushed into the back of the classroom with no comfortable seating around it
inhibits the children from willingly picking up a book. I also feel that the way the games
are set up on a shelf and not out in the open can also deter the students from using them.

To have a positive learning environment for the students they should be able to access all
materials easy. Materials in the classroom are easily accessed by all students (PBSIS,
2007), this is a guideline set by the PBSIS to encourage a positive classroom
environment. By encouraging the students to actively use all materials in the classroom
they can benefit more from the setting. I recommend that the classroom be rearranged.

Morning
Routine Wall

Main Carpet

Easel

Play Carpet

Table 1

This
I would rearrange:

is

Table 2

Compute
r
Desk
how

Rearranging the room to designate an area of the room towards activity and one
area of the room towards academics, the children would have an easier transition.
Having designated stations for different subject areas will engage the students.
They will have all the materials they need in each station to use during free time. I
feel that having a designated reading area that is somewhat secluded away from
the rest of the classroom would make an inviting reading area for the students.
Although I feel that the pre-kindergarten classroom at Bright Beginnings Preschool is a positive setting, I feel that the room could be rearranged to encourage
the students to explore
Toy
Legos
Toy Box 2Touch/Feel
independently during their
Box1
Table
free
Other
time.
Readin
Classroom
g Area
Kitchen
Station
VIII.
PostObservation:
Math/puzzl
For this observation I observed at
e station
Bright Beginnings Preschool for two hours on Wednesday
October
Childrens Cubbies & Storage
Art
22nd. During my observation I
Statio
recorded the layout of the room
and how it contributed to the
students education. By following
n
guidelines set by NJPBSIS and The Oklahoma Department of Education, I was
able to observe how important the setting is to a students education. I saw ways
that the setting could be changed to encourage a more developmental setting.
IX.

Citations:
Classroom Environment Checklist. (2007, January 1). Retrieved October 27,
2014, from
http://www.njpbs.org/resources/documents/ClassroomEnvironmentCheckl
ist_000.pdf
Classroom Environment. (2008, January 1). Retrieved October 27, 2014, from
http://www.ok.gov/octp/documents/Classroom Environment 1.pdf