Ideal Classroom Reflection

My kindergarten classroom is something that I have been envisioning for the past 15 years. Beginning with the physical description, my classroom will be a large and spacious rectangular room located in a beautiful brown brick building. There will be an abundance of natural sun light illuminating my room. The walls are covered in neutral wall paper and host a variety of whiteboards and bulletin boards. Neutral industrial carpet covers 2/3rds of the floor and the rest of the floor is covered in neutral linoleum. There are plenty of shelves and cupboards to store all my puzzles, manipulatives, supplies, games, puppets and more. Neat little student cubbies line the wall between the reading corner and the glass door exit to our exploratorium outside. Near the glass outside door we have a drinking fountain and of course there is a child-sized restroom accessible right from our classroom. There is a large child-sized counter along one wall with a little sink for washing hands. In the middle of the classroom, on the carpeting, there are 4 large round tables each surrounded with 5 student-sized red chairs. There is a teacher’s desk, counter, and filing cabinets in one corner. There is a horseshoe desk with a teacher chair and five student chairs near the teacher’s corner.

Although the walls are neutral in color, I have decorated the many bulletin boards with colorful displays of the helper of the day, our word wall, birthday chart, calendar and weather watch, student all about me board, and student best work. Of course, I have large and colorful alphabet and numeral cards up on the walls, along with a colorful train which we add to daily counting up to our 100th day of school. I have a nice rocking chair which sits near the large colorful rug which the students sit on during story time and morning time. There is a small portable easel with a dry erase board on which I write the message of the day.

I have the following as centers in my classroom: computer, writing, block, math, puppet theater, housekeeping, science, listening, and reading. All of the centers are stocked with high quality supplies and located strategically throughout the room in order to create order and an appropriate learning environment. The science center and paint center are located near the sink and counters on the linoleum floor. In the science center there is a butterfly habitat where we are observing the formation of chrysalis. The paint center has five little easels all in a row with a coat rack designed for hanging our paint smocks while not in use. There is a very cleaver device that holds our paintings with clothes hangers on a line while they dry. Our reading corner had a variety of books to accommodate the interests, levels, and languages of all our students. Tiny colorful beanbag chairs are surrounded by child-sized book shelves which encircle the reading corner.

My classroom will have a smart board with all its great technology, five student computers with learning software, a teacher computer and printer, an overhead projector, a CD music player, and five student tape recorders. I will have my very own laminator and book binding machine for assembling class created books.

We have a wide variety of student personalities which brighten and enliven the day. Our students’ parents value education, love their children, and appreciate their students’ teachers. The colleagues that work at the elementary school are as varied as the students which they teach; yet they all have chosen to be teaching professionals, love their careers, love their students, take every opportunity to expand their personal abilities and work together like a smooth running machine.

I will employ the most up to date theories and practices to teach the state core curriculum to the students. I will use a variety of strategies and methods to give the students ample opportunity to find a learning style which works for them.

My goals include: creating a safe learning environment that accepts and embraces diversity; ensuring each student, guest, and parent feels welcome and appreciated in my classroom; filling every learning opportunity with wonder and enthusiasm; and instilling in each child a knowledge of their personal worth and ability to succeed.