My Jounal of Practice by Eleanor Long

classroom floor plans

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:18:06 UTC

There are many different ways to set up a classroom for any age group that can help students learn. In preschool and kindergarten classrooms the different areas are spread out and allow for a fluidity of movement that allows students to move from one activity to the other.

Active areas

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:20:03 UTC

Active areas are very fun design they can have tons of different sensory toys inside them such as mats different carpets. Squeeze machines slides and even ball pits. These areas are great for children to run around and get access energy out and great to use on days when you have to have inside recess.

quiet/ reading areas

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:21:35 UTC

Quiet time areas are like reading Nooks or corners are great for independent work when students need to practice reading or learning vocabulary. There is an area where students can sit and do work without the risk of other students distracting them.

Sensory rooms

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:23:22 UTC

Sensory rooms can have multiple setups they can be on the darker side with lights low with waterbeds and switchboards, or they can be like active rooms or areas where there are lots of physical sensory toys.

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:23:53 UTC

desk's, tables, seats.

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:25:20 UTC

When designing a classroom with many areas you might not have as much room for a lot of desks and tables to work just as well but remember that not all chairs will fit. Having chairs that can be moved around the room can be useful to change seating plans and create new social experiences for kids.

creative station

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:27:09 UTC

Creative stations vary in design they can include a small kitchenette that children can play with or they can be attached to the active area. These stations allow students to create situations that improve their social and emotional development.

types of chairs

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:29:32 UTC

There are many different types of chairs in the world and in a classroom, most students sit in uncomfortable plastic or wooden chairs that do not help with the conductiveness of their learning. Some students have more energy and twist and turn and wobble in their seats and can sometimes fall out of them which may lead to injury. Some students can't get comfortable with this distracts some from their learning. The best way to remedy this that teachers have found is to include a variety of different types of chairs. There are wobble chairs that are specifically designed to wobble but not fall over and there are accessories that can be added to normal school chairs. There are bean bag chairs and kneeling chairs and even cherish specifically designed to help improve posture.

the wobble chairs

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:30:57 UTC

As seen in the image above a student can sit on this type of chair and rock back and forth without falling over this allows for some physical movement to be felt and kinetic energy to be spent.

Bean bag chairs

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:32:27 UTC

Bean back chairs are nice for classrooms because they come in so many different sizes and textures some bean bag chairs can be used during nap time, and some are small enough that they can be individual and be used as decoration in an area. They can also be used as crash pads in active areas.

Different textured bean bag chair

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:33:00 UTC

flooring

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:35:01 UTC

Letting students sit on the floor is also okay and there are different textures of floors we all know the difference between carpet tile and hardwood. Each of these types of floors has their own benefits and downsides. Carpets create of specific type of texture depending on the materials used while tile is normally cool it's the touch and can be cleaned easily.

foam flooring

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:36:39 UTC

Phone flooring is also something that is recently been popping up in schools as it can be used to buffer between the hard wall and the ground. Teachers have learned that foam is a very good texture to introduce students to and it is a lot cheaper than recarpeting an entire room.

adaptable teaching tools

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:40:29 UTC

As the technological age comes for education many classrooms now have smart boards or some form of interactive technology embedded in the classroom.

smart boards

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:42:00 UTC

Ages ago we had chalkboards followed by whiteboards followed by the now immersive Smart Boards. These boards are interactive and allow students and teachers to create Hands-on experiences with technology. Smartboards allow teachers to have a specific area for the lesson and have areas on the other side of the Whiteboard for classroom management.

books

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:45:16 UTC

books are a very adaptive teaching tool as there is a book for nearly everything. Every subject every topic everything. Books are good for students to improve their phonetic awareness vocabulary and imagination. They can be changed out depending on the season and used as motivation for specific students.

online tools

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:47:31 UTC

There are many different online teaching sites that are used for assessments some such sites such as Kahoot, nearpod, Google classroom, and Quizlet.

Toys

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:50:25 UTC

There are many types of children's toys that can be placed in a classroom of any age. they can be used as examples to let children create scenarios and can also act as incentives to be good. Toys can be used in maths and Science for reference they can be used to help describe things in literature.

videos

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:52:13 UTC

Video content is also very important in a classroom. You can use it in so many different ways. You can pre-record books that the students will be reading and have them follow along. You can use pre-recorded videos of lessons to introduce new Concepts. You can also use videos to improve students' level and surface-level knowledge. They are a great way to get information to a student quickly.

Sensory

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:55:09 UTC

Sensory help is very different in every classroom some students might not have any sensory issues and pay no mind to these areas. Some students need specific types of sensory stimulation and need the area more than others. There are also different types of sensory toys, benz, and even the environment of a classroom.

Fidget toys

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:57:02 UTC

Students who have access to energy or some form of ADHD or ADD or any type of disorder that gives us student access to energy can benefit from fidget toys. These toys range from cubes to Spinners to pop to thinking or putty or slime.

There are also students who need to be surrounded by a specific type of sensory that gives some kind of pressure that helps calm them down.

Even outside exercise can help.

pop its

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:57:45 UTC

In my CT's classroom, we use them to help the focus child focus during the lesson. We have used them for some of the neurotypical students as well.

Fidget spinner

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 22:58:33 UTC

fidget Cube

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 23:03:01 UTC

slime

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 23:03:52 UTC

In many classrooms, slime can be used in sensory bins, stress balls, or just as is. You do not have to have slime in your classroom. Some teachers have playdough or kinetic sand as they do the same thing. All of these have some level of fluidity that has sensory benefits. slimes can have things added to them, and kinetic sand can be molded into many shapes and used to help students with sensory motor skills.

Many students in my CT's classroom love to use the playdough as a claiming activity at the end of the day. My focus child loves to hold and mold it into shapes, and it helps calm him down.

swings

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 23:08:18 UTC

Sensory swings are something many classrooms have begun using. Sensory swings are often used in therapy settings, but they can also be used at home or in the classroom. They are designed for people of all ages and abilities and come in a variety of designs. Some sensory swings have adjustable straps or harnesses for added safety and support.

Sensory bins

elong5_17 — 2024-11-07 23:22:19 UTC

Sensory bins have many uses. They can be used in lessons to help immerse students in learning. They can be used to help regulate emotions and sensory output. These bins can be adjusted for every season, and even used in easy science experiments.