First Year Teacher Advice on Classroom Design

Congrats on finishing your degree !
You’ve just been hired as a teacher,
so I thought I’d share with you some
things you need to know right away !!

Presented by:

Brent Daigle, Ph.D.

• This was a lecture I gave to
my students at Mercer
University. Notes provided in
smaller (bulleted) text on
each slide. Enjoy ! 

anticipating the trip ahead
1 st year issues to consider
Discipline and behavior
management (but a lot more than
this)
*** class size
*** availability of curricular
materials
*** feelings of isolation
*** lack of (district and
building level) support
>>>>>>> estimated that 50% will
leave profession within 1st five
years [recruiting new teachers,
2000] <<<<<<<
Presented by: Brent Daigle, Ph.D.

Why is 1st year difficult?
Theory to practice
• difficulty transferring the theory they have
learned to actual practice in the classroom.
• some teachers have deep knowledge of educational
theories or the social/philosophical foundations of
education
• some are knowledgeable about a variety of
curriculum materials and methods.


Theory to practice
• knowing too much of the wrong information and too
little of the relevant information often results in
some serious stumbling.
• teacher – preparation programs
• Many new teachers are often placed in the
toughest schools with the toughest kids
• In the tough schools there is often a serious
shortage of resources available to new teachers
(and in these schools, it often becomes
primarily about discipline and behavior
management – works for these schools, but does
it really prepare you to be a teacher?)


Theory to practice
• in schools like these – teachers learn to “make do”
• New teachers are reluctant to seek help or ask questions –
don’t want to be perceived incompetent
• Many decide to struggle alone rather than reveal themselves to
be in need or support and guidance.
• new teachers often experience a serious reduction in their
sense of efficacy – that is, the belief that what they are doing
makes a difference. At the beginning – they face hurdles they
think they can overcome – eventually , they see these hurdles
as insurmountable …


structure
• Structure : it is essential to successful teaching
• There is less agreement on what structure means
• For me: means predictable and consistent learning
environment
• Providing a structured learning environment is one of the most
difficult tasks a new teacher can work to master
• a structured classroom is a classroom where the need for
testing the limits is substantially reduced and where student
frustration and agitation about unclear expectations are greatly
decreased.

structure

It’s July – 6 weeks to teach
• You will have all kinds of
students
• Eager learners
• Reluctant learners
• Well-behaved and
compliant students
• Tough kids who are
noncompliant and
anything but well
behaved
• Students on grade level
• Students way below or
way above grade level


expected anxiety
Anxiety-don’t listen to people
• You will hear all kinds of negative “helpful”
advice (don’t listen to it)
• Way too much paperwork
• Complaints about administration
• Complaints about what teachers to stay
away from
• Everyone is positioning to get to know you
and see you align with
• Very click-y


be warned
Mrs. Geautreaux
• She worked with me – but she’ll work with you to …… you’ve been
warned
• Self-appointed expert and resident critic in your school
• Has an opinion on every aspect of school – including students,
families, teachers, administrators, and especially new teachers
• Judgmental statements more than willing to share with you
• Be cordial -- but don’t ever believe Mrs. Geautreaux
• Easy to recognize
• She wants to help u but she is a MORALE KILLER
• Seek out true mentor teachers who are organized, have great
classroom management skills, and love teaching as a career. It
is essential to find a good mentor Presented by: Brent Daigle, Ph.D.

importance of first days
• Sounds harsh but kinda true
• This is confirmed by the research – first few days have a
profound impact on both teachers and students alike (evertson,
1997,emmer, 1997;moran, 2000)

Make you
or break you


importance of first days
Well-planned 1 st days =
Improved student outcomes
• Reverse is true: chaotic and
poorly planned first few days
send the wrong message to
students about the importance
of learning and hard work.


Important questions
What is the main message you
want to send your students in the
first few weeks?
• Need to view you as confident, organized
teacher whose main job is to teach them as
much as you possibly can.
• How can you present this image?
• Dress
• Minute-by-minute organization
• All work is prepared and ready to go


Important questions
How do you want your classroom to
be viewed by your students?
• You want students to think of your classroom in
positive terms.
• You want them to view your class as an enjoyable
place where they can experience success and learn
a lot
• View your class as a place where they can be
comfortable and work hard at the same time.
• You want them to see it as a place where they can
achieve a great deal as a result of your careful
planning and systematic and purposeful teaching.


Important questions
What do you need to do so that
your students will answer these
questions the way you hope
they will answer them?


classroom design
Impacts learning –
NOT AN AFTERTHOUGHT !

• Room design impacts
learning and decreases
inappropriate behavior


classroom design
Guidelines
Is it your room alone ?
• Could be the beginning of
co-teacher problems
• Teachers are very
particular about their
space – it shows territory
– who is in charge
• How to get through this?


classroom design
Guidelines
Is it your room alone ? • place desk where you wont
be tempted to sit in it

Make your desk much
• very little effective
teaching occurs when a
hard to get to teacher is at their desk
• when you are sitting at
your desk – gives higher
probability of problem
behavior
• When kids are in the room
– work as if you have NO
desk in your room !!
Seriously !!!

classroom design
Guidelines
• allow space and routes
Is it your room alone ? for you to move about
without squeezing by
Make your desk hard to get to furniture or hurdling
over objects in the way
Easy paths (no • Good teachers move
around nonstop and

squeezing through) circulate almost nonstop
when they are monitoring
student performance.
• Movement is essential
for proximity control
• What is proximity
control ?


classroom design
Guidelines
Is it your room alone ?
Make your desk hard to get to
Easy paths (no squeezing through)

Good sight lines
• set up classroom space with good sight lines that will allow
you to observe all students from everywhere in the room.
• Good sight lines are essential for monitoring students behavior
and ensuring your students can see you at all times


classroom design
Guidelines
Is it your room alone ? Good sight lines
Make your desk hard to get to
Wall design - moderation
• Don’t want to underdo – but not overdo
either
• elaborate bulletin board displays may
serve to distract some of your students
• Plan adequate space on the walls for your
classroom rules , student work, and your
classroom schedule and assignments
• Specials change each day – velcro system

classroom design
Guidelines
Is it your room alone ? Good sight lines
Make your desk hard to get to Wall design
Assign seats
• Assign seats the first day of school.
• Put name tags on the desks before class starts so everyone will
know where to sit
• This is another way to show your students that you are prepared
to take your teaching and their learning seriously.
• you can always move students around and change accordingly as
you get to know them.

daily schedule
link
Time available (to learn)
Time spent (in learning activities)
Actual learning (that takes place)
• The more time students spend actively engaged
in learning activities, the less time they have
available to misbehave!


daily schedule
Consider these ideas:
Sketch out your day (to the minute)
• Schedule it to the minute – no
transition or very little
transition from subject to subject
• Understand that your ideal schedule
will be in no way close to how it
will actually look once you get to
know your kids.
• Make sure there is no downtime in
your schedule ! No periods in your
schedule when there is nothing
going on.

daily schedule
Minimize disruptions (note/sign on door)
• So easy to chat at your
door with another teacher
• Especially when you have
a paraprofessional
• Put up a sign
• Testing in progress
• Discourage unplanned
interruptions as much as
possible !


daily schedule
Get your S#*t ready (supplies, dittos…etc)
• Every day before class starts, organize what
the schedule requires in the way of lesson
materials and supplies, manipulatives, teaching
manuals, and so on.
• One of the biggest time-wasters in schools is
the time teachers spend shuffling through
papers, manuals, and piles on their desks to
find their lesson plans for that day or hour.
• If your don’t show your students that you are
serious about being organized and making the
most out of the time available, you will have
an extremely difficult time getting your
students organized and ready to learn.

daily
schedule
• Think through and develop a plan for
distributing things like learning materials,
graded assignments, and notes home to Procedures
parents.
• During the first days of school, have your
to distribute
class take the time to actually practice
these routines until they are performing them
information
in a timely and efficient manner.
• Failure to develop and practice these
procedures unnecessarily fritters away
valuable time and provides a fertile
environment for more behavior problems.
• Trust me when I say that the time spent in
practice now will pay off huge dividends
later with a routine that runs smoothly

daily
schedule
• Actively teach your students how you want them to move frOm one
activity to another or from one area of the classroom to another
• This means thinking through each move ahead of time.
• When I say return to your seat I want you to …..x
• When I say turn in your paper I want you to …. X
• When I ask you to line up at the door I want you to ….x
• I want you to do this in 90 seconds
• For each procedure in your entire schedule, you will give
specific directions, demonstrate the procedures, and have
your students practice following them.
• Encourage and give feedback, making certain to verbally
recognize good performance.

Procedures to change activities

daily
summary:
schedule
ESSENTIAL to use your time wisely
• If you don’t it can be the difference
between a terrible start or a very
successful year
• ALSO: REVISIT ALL OF THESE IDEAS WHEN
YOU RETURN FROM THE CHRISTMAS BREAK
• Its like starting over – your first
day back in january is like the
first day back after the summer for
your students!


final considerations
Make contact ahead of time
• If possible – make contact ahead of time
• Email
• Phone call
• Short note
• Special education – particularly EBD / Autism – not necessarily
their home school - a lot of anxiety about new place
• That s why it is essential to make early contact (in summer
or early August)
• They don’t trust the school district, school, or you
(particularly Autism / EBD parents – they’ve been through so
much)


1st moments of 1st day – planned
• Decide what you will do and say
the first minute and the first
hour of the first day.
• First impressions mean everything
!
• What kind of introductory
impression do you want to make?
• May consider planning an engaging
and novel learning activity as
your very first activity the first
DAY


Desks – Chairs - Space
• Name tags on desk and door
• MAKE SURE you have enough desk
(always have 2 extra – plus
overflow plan ~kidney table?) –
Special education is unpredictable
with numbers – you wont end with
the # you started with !


• This is covered the day teachers all go back and
have a day-long meeting
• It is very important to the administration –
and they will come seeking you out if you
forget something
• Soooooo much to do the first day – and even
week
• Get with an experienced teacher FROM
THAT SCHOOL to make certain you
understand what is required and by when

School
requirements

Know your school (tour)
• Go early – go in the
summer – or the first day
back when teachers go
• Get a teacher to give you
a tour (most don’t mind)
• Know your school BEFORE
STUDENTS ARRIVE – it will
make you seem incompetent
and unprofessional if you
have no idea where things
are (because your
returning students will
know)

• Everything should be ready to go when the kids come – no early
morning work on your part
• Be at the door – ready to greet them – with a positive
(personalized) comment to each student as they enter
• Contingency – problems
• You and the para need to be on the same page with behavior
and teaching and administrative (paperwork) roles
• What is your plan if you are EBD teacher and kids wont
enter room?
• What is your plan if you deal with problem
behavior/medical issue/autistic tantrum (does para
pick up with the teaching)

Greet at the door

A word about paraprofessionals
• This person should be viewed as your
assistant teacher
• they often know the kids and learning
styles and schedules and needs better
then you because they have been in this
room for years (in spite of teacher turn
over)
• they will only do what is required by
their contract OR they will go wayyyyy
above and beyond what is required –
depending on how you you show respect
and a sense of equity with them.


the end

First Year Teacher Advice on Classroom Design

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First Year Teacher Advice on Classroom Design