Emily Gordillo

Physical Observation

10.2.2017

Environment Observation

91 Points

1. School: Southern Highlands Preparatory School

Telephone: (702)617-1184

2. Teacher: Mrs. Amanda Leiva

Age/ grade level: Intermediates, three-year olds

3. Number of Children: 14 total children enrolled in the class.

4. Centers: Art/ Writing (4 children), Manipulatives (4 children), Dramatic

Play (3 children), Science/ Sensory (4 children), Library (2 children), and

Construction (4 children).

5. On separate paper

6. Organized Checklist-

Arrangement of Physical Space:

Teacher supervision: The centers are arranged in a manner that she can

see each center. Although the teacher can supervise the children for most
 of the time, while standing and moving around, the teachers desk is

placed where if she were to be sitting, her back would be towards the

children.

Centers requiring more space: Many of the centers have ample space for

the children to play at and this either increases or decreases with the level

of interest the children show. The only center that was unable to be

adjusted, due to space, was the dramatic play.

Quiet and Noisy areas: Each center is well placed in the classroom where

the noisier centers are farther apart from the quiet centers. Ex: The library

is in a corner next to the teachers desk, along with the writing and art

area. The louder centers include Dramatic Play, Manipulatives, and

Construction which are all close to each other and the farthest away from

the quiet centers.

Centers are clearly defined: Each center was well defined by both a sign

and a shelf. Each center had a designated area to which the children

would go, either a table, or a rug/ carpet.

Dead Space: Not present

Learning Materials, Equipment and Furniture:

Child sized chairs and tables: Every chair is height appropriate. There are

some children that are shorter than others and therefore their feet do not
 touch the floor but they are able to reach the table. The table is also

adjustable to the needs of the children.

Designated Furniture: There is designated furniture for almost every

center. It is either a shelf, a table, a rug, etc.

Safe Furniture: There are some high shelves in the classroom that often

get bumped into, but other than that most of the furniture is safe and

sturdy.

Durable Surfaces: Each table can sustain a wet surface and can be dried

to sanitize the area. It is easy to clean and maintain.

Materials: There are an ample amount of materials accessible for the

students throughout the day. The center that I noticed that had minimal

items was art area. There were only two aprons (no paint), writing

utensils, paper, and an etch-a-sketch. Also, there were only two dress up

costumes to choose from in the dramatic play with three children

permitted in the center at a time.

Shelves: there are two shelves that are high and not all of them are open

through and through for the children to access the toys. The dramatic

play area has a very small shelf that is enclosed on both sides. The

children need to open the cupboard to access the toys.

Sand/ Water Table: Not present.

 Gross motor equipment: There are certain teacher placed activities that

are placed throughout center time. Each child wants to have a turn with

them, however there is always a long wait for a turn. I would suggest

putting multiple activities out so that they children have a choice as to

which activity they would like to be a part of.

Unsafe Materials: Not present

Soft Materials: Not present

Extra Materials: All of the extra materials that may be needed for the rest

of the week/ the following week are stored in a separate room down the

hall.

Storage of Materials and Equipment:

Childrens possessions stored: The items that the children bring to school

include: a jacket when needed, a lunch box, a fitted sheet and blanket, as

well as any thing other that pertains to the school day. There are two

places where they can store them. They have two cubbies right on top of

each other. One is a green square container and the other is a long

wooden slot with a coat hook on the inside. The children have ample

space to place all their belongings without any of the items touching and

cross contaminating.
 Teacher materials stored: The teacher has a total of three cabinets where

their belongings will be stored. There are two cupboards, as well as a

filing cabinet.

Number of children in centers labeled: Not present. There is no form of

labeling to show how many children are permitted in each center rather it

is only verbalized from the teacher.

Other Elements of Physical Environment:

Natural Lighting and Ventilation can be controlled: In the classroom

there are two windows. Although they are not able to open, the teacher

does have access to the air conditioner control unit where she may either

increase or decrease the temperature. The windows also have adjustable

blinds on them to either increase or decrease the amount of natural light

in the classroom.

Space accessible to children with disabilities: Not Present

Childs work displayed: Childrens work is displayed throughout the

classroom related to the topic being discussed. There is no three-

dimensional work displayed.

Family Photos displayed: Each family was asked to bring a family

photo. The photos are displayed in the library where the children can go

and look at them when needed.

 Clear pathways: Each center has ample amount of room to either exit or

enter. Because the classroom is so small there is minimal space for

everything so occasionally children would bump into the trashcan in

between Manipulatives table and Manipulatives shelf.

Gross Motor space - Outside access: Not present. There is no door in the

classroom that leads directly outside. The class walks through another

classroom to access the outdoor playground.

Bathrooms: Not Present in the classroom.

Electrical Outlets: There are four electrical outlets in the classroom and

when they are not in use they are properly covered and out of harms way.

Space for Privacy: There are certain activities that only allow one child as

well as centers such as the Library to go and read a book individually.

Cozy corner: The library serves the purpose of the cozy corner. There are

pillows and a comfy rug available to the children. There are also stuffed

animals and puppets for the children to engage/ interact with.

Nap mats: The nap mats are not stored in the classroom; therefore, the

teacher needs to leave the room to access the nap mats for nap time.

7. Diversity: Mrs. Leiva represents the issue of diversity by physically

displaying a chosen student every other week on the star student bulletin

board. The student is to bring in pictures of when he/she was younger, a

 favorite book, etc. This is all displayed physically throughout the year, for

each child, and is perfect for allowing the children to see all the different

cultures, families, traditions that are displayed and discussed by the star

student.

8.

A) Classroom in action:

During center time, there are two children in art/ writing, four children

in Manipulatives, two children in Dramatic Play, one child in Science

area, and four in Construction area. (There is no one utilizing the library

area.) The children in Dramatic play are playing doctor/ house. They

begin by making dinner and end up leaving for the doctor because of a

tummy ache. The doctors office happens to be at the manipulatives

table. The children approach the other children at the manipulatives table,

who are playing with puzzles, and say help my baby needs help. Her

tummy hurt. The children playing with the puzzles look puzzled at first

but then they stop what they are doing, grab the stacking cups from the

manipulatives shelf, and give the baby some medicine. The mommy

says, shes better now. The children from dramatic play then go back to

the kitchen and begin to eat again. One of the children from
 Manipulatives then joins the play in dramatic play by dressing in a police

uniform and beginning to play.

The four children in the block area have multiple toys out on the

carpet. The cars, Legos, animals, and blocks are all out. Two of the

children are playing ghost hunter with a block in their hand, and

exploring the classroom looking for ghosts. There is one child using the

blocks to create a zoo for all of the animals with a bed and a bathroom.

The other child is using the Legos to create a garage house for the super-

fast cars. They each play individually for about 15 minutes but then

begin to use each others toys. Eventually they begin helping on another

construct the zoo and garage to where both cars and animals can fit. The

children that were playing ghost hunter are now taking a nap in the

library. They have all their equipment next to them but are now reading

books. When it is time to clean up, each child begins to put everything

away in the correct bin and places it on the right shelf.

B) Evaluation:

The children are very social with each other especially for this age.

Even though they begin playing individually, most of them eventually

being to play together. I liked how the children could bring different

materials from other centers into the center that they wanted. The
 centers are arranged in a way that allows the children to mix toys if

they want to. For example, the art area has an easel with a white board

on one side and the chalk board side faces the library. This allows the

use of the easel to be universal between both the art/ writing area and

the library. The children are, in my opinion, better equipped to interact

with children of another center verses that on only being confined to

the center that they are in now.

9.

A) Rating: 4

B) Strengths and Weaknesses: I love how the classroom is arranged and how

it allows the children to interact with one another; however, I do not like

how the teachers desk is facing the wall where her back would be towards

the children. This does not allow her to watch the children when she is

sitting. I also did not like how small the dramatic play was. It was a very

popular center and only three children were allowed in there, which was a

stretch because of the size. I think that the dramatic center should be bigger

to allow more children to utilize it as well as more space to play. I did love,

however, how big her block area was. Because it was on the carpet it

allowed the children to be mobile and allowed for multiple toys to be out at

once without it getting to hectic. Another thing that I noticed is that she did a
good job of keeping the quiet and loud centers separated to the best of her

ability.

C) Improvements: If I were the administrator, I would expect to see the

expansion of dramatic play, along with more books that the children are

interested in. This will draw more children over to the library/ cozy corner. I

would also like to see the teachers desk moved to a different place where

regardless if you are sitting or not they can supervise the children always.