In addition to the classroom pictures, there are pictures and explanations of individual centers. The centers are from different classrooms, but give wonderful ideas of how to create an inviting place for the children. Also, it includes the materials that are available for the children to use.
These pictures are in conjunction with a website that also includes teaching tips and ideas for preschool teachers. The site features Learning Areas, Themes and Printables for teachers.
This website is a good example of how to create an inviting and exciting space for young learners. It has center areas for the children to enjoy and explore, open areas for class meetings, and tables and chairs for small group instruction. The author of this site is Karen Cox, who currently teaches in Georgia.
The second preschool site I will discuss is http://squishideasforpreschool.blogspot.com/2012/08/back-to-school-classroom-decoration-and.html. This website is different from the previous one in that the ideas are from a variety of places and have been compiled into this one site. Because the classroom designs are from many different teachers and areas of the country, there is probably a good fit for almost every teacher. This site has a picture with a link to where there is more information about that classroom layout. After scrolling down past the beginning of the year ideas, there is a plethora of classroom themes and layout ideas.
In addition to the photos of classroom designs, there are several other pages that include theme ideas for each month, crafts, parachute play ideas, recipes and even other websites for the reader to explore.
This site offers variety for all different styles of teachers. Each one offers something different to the children, and lets them feel they are part of the classroom. The lesson ideas are also great resources for teachers to allow children to interact with the learning and be part of the process rather than just receiving the information lecture style.
The first website I explored for K-3 was called Kinder Korner. This site has extremely comprehensive classroom ideas including pictures of the author setting up her classroom in 2000. (http://www.kinderkorner.com/pics.html ) This link takes a look at how this teacher set up her classroom using the space she had available. It also includes links to books and other resources that would come in handy. The area that she has created invites students into the classroom and into learning. The walls are decorated with bright colors and every space is well used, either for storage or centers. Children in this environment would be excited about learning because of the availability of materials and different themes.
The last website that I will discuss is a 2nd grade classroom featured on teacher.net. (http://teachers.net/gazette/OCT02/classroomphotos.html) This classroom has round desks for students to interact with one another as they are working on projects and homework. It also has an enclosed area that doubles as a library and class meeting place inside and storage for center materials on the outside. There are also areas for math, computers, and word working. The bright colors add a festive look to the classroom that is inviting to children. This classroom allows children to move from place to place and utilizes storage so that there is room for the many activities available. As the curriculum requires the use of textbooks, the teacher provides storage away from the student desks that allows them more room where they are sitting and an opportunity to move around to get materials. This classroom is featured on a website that includes many other ideas. This website is actually an online magazine that offers articles about many different areas of teaching and offers great resources for teachers.
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Website and address
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Attributes of classroom
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Justification of examples
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Karen Cox Prekinders website
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Pictures of classroom layout
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Pictures of different centers
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Variety of materials to appeal to all interests
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Open spaces for children to play
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Areas for quiet and noisy centers
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Group meeting areas
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Teaching resources
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Allows
children to explore and play enhancing their learning through DAP.
Materials
allow for a diversity of interests that will encourage all children to
participate and learn.
Separation
of centers allows the classroom to maintain a learning atmosphere.
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Squish website
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Links to classrooms that appeal to
various teaching styles
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All open inviting spaces
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Creative use of materials and storage
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Allows students to choose activities
and materials
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Provides access to different teacher resources
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Different
layouts appeal to different teacher styles which create a positive
environment.
Storage
is organized and allows children to take charge of their learning in the
classroom.
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Kinder Korner
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Enables students to access all areas
of the room
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Utilizes space for centers and walls
for display and learning
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Creates bright environment that
encourages learning
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Large amounts of materials for centers
and group activities
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Open
spaces invite students to create large items without interrupting the flow of
the classroom.
Lighting
and color add to the overall feel of the environment, inviting parents and
children to the classroom.
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Teacher.net Gazette
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Round tables allow children to engage
in cooperative learning
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Space is well designed to allow for
traffic and centers
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Invites students with bright colors
and fun wall decorations
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Storage of whole class materials
enables students to move when getting them
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Ability
to talk with peers allows children to learn social skills and increase
understanding of the topics.
Allows
for children to move around the classroom and interact with the different
materials.
Learning
in encouraged through centers and hands-on activity.
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