Home+Lang+Survey

Type in the content of your pag =Creating an Effective Physical Classroom Environment Every teacher knows that a safe, clean, comfortable and attractive classroom can stimulate learning and help build a classroom community. But for many teachers, setting up the physical environment of their classrooms can be quite daunting, especially when faced with older buildings, crowded classrooms and insufficient storage space. You can make the most of your classroom environment by carefully considering your needs and the needs of your students. **Survey Your Classroom: Looking at the Basics** The first things to consider when organizing your classroom are cleanliness, light and temperature. Although you may not have complete control over some of these elements, try to make or suggest improvements as necessary. **The Floor Plan: Assessing Your Needs** Once you have checked the basic elements in your classroom, think about your floor plan. It should maximize classroom space and reflect your individual teaching style. Your floor plan will also depend on the grade you are teaching. For the lower grades, your classroom setup may include many different learning areas, such as a reading area, an art center and a technology center. The placement of these areas will depend upon the layout of your classroom. However, when setting up these areas, you will want to keep the following points in mind: = Many of these guidelines hold true for the middle and upper grades, too. However, older students often spend more time seated in one area. Take your teaching style and lesson plans into consideration as you consider the different [|types of seating arrangements] you might employ.
 * Room dividers should be low so that all areas are visible to you.
 * Areas that invite group work should not be next to quiet areas where students read or study independently.
 * Art or other messy areas are best located near a sink.
 * You should always be able to make eye contact with all students.

[]

Types of Seating Arrangments: =Seating Arrangements= When setting up a floor plan for students, consider your teaching style and lesson plans and make seating arrangements accordingly. Here are a few options: Desks or tables in a circle or half-circle promote community and encourage all students to participate. Everyone sits in the front row! Desks or tables in small groups work especially well for classes that include collaborative activities. This arrangement also allows the teacher to group together students with similar needs, which makes individualized instruction easier. With a small number of rows, this arrangement can be very effective for teachers who frequently use boards or overhead projectors. Once you have planned the students' seating arrangement, you should decide where to locate your own desk. Many teachers prefer to place their desks so that they are not the central focus of the classroom. Regardless of where you place your desk, consider personalizing it with photographs, mementos or other items. This will make you feel at home and will contribute to a warm, welcoming classroom atmosphere.
 * Half-circle or circle arrangement **
 * Group seating **
 * Traditional rows **

Home Language Surveys are given to students who are new to a school (within the first 2 weeks) They are assessments to determine whether or not the student is an E nglish Language Learner.
 * Home Language Surveys:**