Mrs. Pollard’s Room at Hartwood Elementary in Fox Chapel was a fantastic example of what a music classroom should look like. As you can see, it is a very large room, with enough space on the side to house cabinets full of books and other reference materials, an entire Orffestra, and an instrument collection and still have a very large, open space for children to sit on the floor and do movement based activities. This classroom setup is effective and efficient. The floor is open and there is nowhere for students to hide. The atmosphere is pleasant and welcoming. Students are greeted with colorful posters displaying classroom rules, helpful fingering charts, and morale boosters. A lot of the lighting is natural light from the windows at the back
Throughout this semester of college, I have observed three separate Elementary General Music teachers. Each of the teachers had their own personalities that each reflected upon their teaching. They all came from different areas of study, but all still manage to be successful, each with their own pros and cons.
The classroom that I observed in was arranged in a simple way. In the dramatic play center there was a long coat rack and each hook was labeled with an image and name of the outfit. This was done so the children know where do place the clothing when they are done with it or cleaning up. Also in this center was a cash register, puppets, an oven, refrigerator, ironing board, sing, dishwasher, a table set and a comfy chair. Their block center was small, and sectioned off by a shelf and an arch way in the corner of the room. In this center there was also a table. I felt that they children would not have enough room to build although I did not measure the area. The art center had stamps, children’s art work, an easel, magazines and other essential art supplies. In the same area as the art center was the writing center. In this center was maps, chalk and chalk board, stencils, a ruler, notepads, loose paper and pencils.
However, many administrators are blind to these positive effects, and neglect to support music education in schools. This is nothing new however, music education has been struggling to stay alive in school curriculums for many years. Since the mid 1900s, music education has be...
According to the “STAR SHEET – Effective Room Arrangement” teachers should follow 4 strategies that help them to set up the classroom rules, procedures and arrangements. Minimizing distractions, maximizing access, matching arrangement, and movement with ease make possible a better environment for students and teacher. These strategies will help the teacher to have control over the students and reduce misbehaving. In the case study, these four students will be located in the following order.
The way children learn even in today’s society has changed drastically over the years and will continue to change in the future. Music teachers in particular are not excluded from this statement. As a music educator myself, I have learned that all students learn at different paces and learn
The environment of the classroom is a very important component to how a child learns. It is important to have different learning centers within the room. Ms. Casillas ' room had a writing center and a reading corner. It is tough to have a learning center for each subject taught, when you are limited to one classroom because there is not enough room. Even though the space is small, the room is very organized. In the front of the room, there is a whiteboard where Ms.Casillas puts the date, the helper of the day, and any other important news she wants to share with the class. There is also a smart board in the classroom. The smart board was used for various circumstances ranging from writing sentences, to playing matching games to help with their words for that week. The class also has an iPad for every student. The students used the iPads for recording themselves when they read. Using technology for this is very useful because it allows the child to hear how they sound when they read and fix what needs fixing. The environment of Ms. Casillas ' classroom is great for successful learning.
Everything about the room was bright, colorful, and child-size. It was an ideal learning environment in my opinion. I have noticed that the higher the education, the more dull the interior of the classroom becomes. I think this is because at a very young age children are encouraged to learn and teachers want them to have a desire to explore and learn and this is often accomplished through entertainment. As a college student, it is clear that learning is a choice and professors are not there to entertain, but to teach. I think this shift in education style is good for creating independence, focus, and motivation in students, but I personally feel stifled by plain, uniform classrooms. This difference became even more noticeable to me after visiting a bright, colorful, and stimulating environment of a
I have chosen to build my classroom to accommodate children between the ages of 5 to 7 years of age. In my classroom I decided to have two half-moon tables put together to form a circle for the children to sit and study or do classwork at. I think that this gives the entire class a feeling of unity and will help them feel closer to each other and be able to communicate better. I have placed a large screen smart television to the right side of the classroom which is where I will show educational films and do any presentations that I may show. On the right side of the room in also a reading corner with bookshelves, storage shelves, and comfy floor pillows for the children to use. In the front right corner I have the technology area which includes
Abril, Carlos R., and Brent M. Gault. "The State of Music in the Elementary School: The
Walking through the door, students feel safe and welcome wandering to their seats in a big circle of tables. They can see their classmates as they face each other and glance from wall to wall looking at maps, art, famous people, different cultures and student work all depicted in colorful posters around the room. As I start the lesson from my desk, which is also included in the circle, the students get out their journals and colorful pens to record today’s lesson and their personal thoughts, questions or even art. I believe the set up of a classroom has a big effect on student learning and I hope that my classroom will be an environment that will engage my students in critical thinking, discussions and reflection.
The ultimate goal of an individual’s education is preparation for a career, but it is hard to determine what preparation is needed without defining the ideal career for the music educator. An effective classroom environment for the music educator would include the teacher developing a method to assess, evaluate, and communicate student achievement (Kay, 2000). Many elementary methods such as Kodaly, Orff Schulwerk, Dalcroze, and Gordon provide detailed approaches for general music instruction that can be adapted to teach many musical concepts across grade levels and disciplines. Kay (2000) continues to stress the importance of teachers improving the way music is taught and learned in the music classroom. This increase in music standards for students would mean an increase in standards f...
Secondary schools were originally designed very much like factories. Classrooms were designed as isolated work stations that could be used only by specific persons at specific times of day and students moved from room to room to receive instruction from the teacher assigned to that room, controlling the four critical facets of the school day: time, the use of space, the grouping of students, and the role of staff members in the use of space (Khazzaka & DeLeon, 1997). To better use these critical facets, educators have been...
Research has clearly shown the potential for students to excel when an emphasis is placed on the integration of music in to their education. Studies paint a promising picture for the relationship of mathematics and music, and teachers have found real life ways to implement this powerful unity in their classrooms. When examples such as the curriculum from Bear Creek Elementary are available, there is no excuse for denying children such a promising opportunity to expand their chance for success.
The classroom embodied the stereotypical music classroom with its various instruments scattered around the room. Every inch of the wall and door was covered with music notes while chairs encircled the room. Besides the teacher’s desk, there were no other desks in sight. The students had to sit on the ground in the center of the room away from the instruments. Even when playing instruments, the students sat on the ground. Although the setup was very different from a general classroom, it was appropriate for the kinds of lessons that the teacher taught the students. The teacher did not hand out any worksheets or assigned homework so the students did not need any desks for writing. Since the classroom was already small and cramped, having desks in the class would have impeded on the activities that the students performed.
During the first day of school, a variety of different students enter the classroom. These students are excited and nervous, they have their parents by their sides who are observing the classroom walls and arrangement. From the minute the students enter the classroom, students are observing the classroom environment and notice the everything. Everything in the classroom needs to have a purpose, but provide a pleasant environment. When preparing and organizing the classrooms, teachers need to consider the different variables that impact the classroom. Classrooms can be disorganized if the walls are cluttered and have no meaning The organizations of the desks, the wall decorations, and the seating arrangements significantly impact the physical environments. Students are like sponges, they soak up everything that surrounds them. In the article A comparison of actual and preferred classroom environments as perceived by middle school students in the Journal of School Health stated “studies have shown that classroom environments are closely related to a number of aspects of student