Classroom Environment

     When I think of my future classroom I get goosebumps (no joke!). I know I want my classroom to be engaging, comfortable, and organized. I want my students to walk into the class and know that it's their space. Their space to take chances, to explore, to question, and to learn. But what is the best way to organize a classroom so this can happen and how can I organize it in a way that supports my teaching beliefs?
     Creating a classroom community with student led discussions and establishing an engaging literacy environment are two of my teaching beliefs that I think will influence how I set up my classroom. Debbie Miller mentions how a large meeting space, small group station, and grouped desks (I think I would prefer groups of 4), all allow students to converse and collaborate with each other, which is perfect for what I want to have happen in the classroom. Allowing students to talk with peers and discuss the topics at hand, not only help foster independence and discussion skills, it creates connections between students. They learn to bounce ideas off each other, or pose a question and get help from their peers. All these formations throughout the room helps develop these skills and connections.
     Having a classroom library is important when deciding how I want to set up the classroom. I want my students to realize how important books are, so having them as a staple to the classroom is important to me. I want organized bins of books that are labeled with either the genre of book or the topic of books, so that students can get a varity of books based on their interests (I feel like it would also save time for the students searching for a book to read). I also want this area to be comfortable, so I would love to have bean bag chairs and/or a comfy love seat. I think it's important to allow students the opportunity to decide where they want to sit and read because not every student is going to be engaged in a book while sitting at their desks. I'm sure some would prefer to find a secluded area in the room to stretch out and read. I'm definitely one who prefers to sprawl out on the floor than sit at a desk or table while doing homework.

 http://2ndgradestuff.blogspot.com/2013/08/classroom-tour-2013-2014.html

     Granted, during my first year of teaching I probably won't be able to get (aka afford) everything I want to have in my classroom, but it's good to have these ideas in mind, especially since the environment of the classroom has such an great impact on student learning. I hope I'm given the opportunity to make my ideal classroom a reality.