Dreaming about the ideal classroom

If I could set up my ideal classroom, and money was no object, what would it look like?  This question has kept me occupied for the past several days.  The more I think about it, the longer my wish list becomes. What kind of an environment do I want to create?  I want to accommodate all children, with their varying interests.  Some children love to read, some like to perform, some like science, and some like problem solving.  I want children to be excited about learning and that starts with the right environment.  Here is what I came up with for my ideal Kindergarten classroom.

I would like to have three teachers in the classroom.  One 'main' teacher, and two supporting teachers.  I think well qualified and motivated people are so important in supporting children in their education. More adults in the classroom means more help for children who need the extra help.  Extra adults can also help in setting up for certain activities, problem solve with computers or run a small group activity.

 My library will be quite extensive.  I will have different level books, as well as different genres.  And my book corner will consist of a small, child sized couch, two child sized comfy chairs and several bean bag chairs.  It will have a rug in the middle and some cozy lighting.  The book corner will be so inviting! It will encourage children to pick up a book and settle down to read.  I hope this will be the foundation for them to start to love reading!  The children can also opt to sit and listen to a story in the book corner. They can do this by using one of the five available iPads and the headphones. This book corner will also serve as the "quiet area".  Everyone needs to be "away from it all" for a little while, to recharge their batteries, and this will serve that purpose as well.

I will have a space available where children can play dress up and perform.  It will include different kind of costumes, from police officer uniforms, to fairy dresses.  A full length mirror will be hung up, so the children can identify with the character they are trying to portray.  I have been in several classrooms, and these mirrors are always missing. This is so sad.  Wouldn't you want to know what you looked like after you dressed up?  I hope this dress up/performance area will serve as the setting for many plays.  Plays the children think up themselves and plays of books we read.

Children love to play 'house', so I will have a miniature house set up.  The house will have a kitchen, a living room and a bed room, all with the appropriate size furniture and accessories.  Next to the miniature house will be the 'grocery store', complete with cash register, money, plastic groceries, and a little shopping cart.

The art center will take up another area of the room.  It will have easels, as well as tables.  I will have paints available for the children, in all the colors of the rainbow, not just red, yellow, blue, brown and black! The children can also sit at art tables and glue, cut, stamp and clay to their hearts' content.  This is a classroom for exploration!




This exploration will take us outside the classroom as well. You see, the classroom has large windows

and a door that leads to the courtyard.  This courtyard is where we will learn about nature: we will plant flowers and vegetables. We will do research on insects and birds, observe them and report on them.  The courtyard will be our own "science laboratory"!

The reports we write will be done on our computers.  There will be five computers in my classroom and a color printer.  The children will learn keyboard skills, write, learn and play on the computers.  Reports and written pieces can be printed on the color printers and hung up in the classroom. By the end of the school year they will all have their own portfolio, which documents their growth in Kindergarten.  We can also stay in touch with each family through a monthly blog, in which we will tell moms and dads what has been going on in the classroom that month.  We will post pictures,  do interviews, tell about our favorite books and report on what is going on in our science laboratory.

From observing a third grade class for a previous class, I noticed how versatile the Smart Board is and I would definitely want to have one in my classroom.  The smart board engages children and keeps their interest.  The lessons become much more interesting because the teacher is able to use all sorts of graphics.  It is interactive, fun, user friendly and can be used to teach everything.

For math, my students will have access to many different manipulatives.  They can measure, sort, count, and make patterns.  I will have beads available for counting, cups for measuring, dice for counting, and blocks for patterns.  There will be puzzles available for those who like to problem solve, and geo boards for making shapes and measuring. Math games will be available on the computer as well.

I know that technology is a big part of our society today and our children need to be comfortable using them.  However, I do not think that technology alone is enough for children.  They need to learn things "hands on", they need to be able to play to learn, to explore new things, to use their imagination. It is this variety that I would like to bring to my classroom.  In the words of Miss Fribble: I want my children "to get messy, make mistakes" in order to have fun and learn.