 |
| Classroom Appearance & Student Involvement: Making It the Norm |
| Classrooms should reflect the ideals that you want your students to learn. Thus, in order to show to your students that neatness and organization is important, the classroom should be neat and organized for the students. If a teacher is to expect students to acquire these ideals, it is necessary that the teacher display the importance that he or she places on them. We recommend to organize the classroom in a way that will be beneficial to all students. One way to provide a sense of organization and structure is to have a “pick up” and “turn-in” basket for each class. The labeled baskets will help the teacher and the students to be organized. To create a neat and orderly classroom, it is important to require everyone, including the teacher, to put things where they belong when an activity is completed. This includes a teachers own desk. If we require students to put things away and be neat and organized, then we as teachers must display these characteristics. A classroom should also reflect the subject area of mathematics and the students’ own interests. Bare wall space only creates a monotone, boring environment. Thus, One way to accomplish both is by displaying how mathematics may be used in the real world. For example, the idea of tiling or tesselations is often used in interior design, so devote a section of the wall space to display different tilings and show where they are used. To expand on the students’ interests, a teacher could have the students create displays of mathematical ideas, like tesselations, and then display the students actual work with how the ideas are used in real life. Another way to expand on students’ interests is to have a bulletin board designed by students. Resources Coxford, Arthur F., et al. Contemporary Mathematics in Context. Chicago: Everyday Learning, 1998. Kohn, Alfie. Beyond Discipline From Compliance to Cummunity. Virginia: ASCD, 1996. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). Principles and Standards For School Mathematics. Virginia: NCTM, 2000. |
| * Classroom should be neat & organized * Classrrom should reflect mathematics * Classroom should reflect student interests |
|