Monday, 7 March 2016

Equipment and materials defines me as a teacher

How does positioning equipment and materials define me as a teacher?

From my pastpresent experiences throughout my schooling journey, I never really noticed how the teacher might have set up equipment in order to frame the best learning experiences for the classroom. From engaging in MacNaughton and Williams book ‘Techniques for Teaching Young Children’: Chapter 1 Positioning equipment and materials I have been alerted about the importance of creating a classroom that is effective and efficient for everyone among us. As an upcoming teacher I feel as my duty I will be obliged to keep my classroom engaging in order to spark children’s curiosity and stimulate interests by including materials that the children have interest in.

This chapter has made me wonder how the environment of the classroom needs to evolve over time, through reflecting on past accomplishments, however, introducing new changes over time that will develop through changes in the children. This has made me question why is it so important for children to be transitioned into change? I feel that as I am growing and learning as a pre service teacher I am really starting to develop ideas about the importance of the classroom environment and how the classroom layout and structure in many ways can help in children’s learning development. I am now wondering what I can do as a teacher to promote a nurturing, inviting, engaging and interesting environment for my classroom that also captures the children’s interests in order to make the children feel comfortable and important.


This chapter also allows me to reflect upon my past experiences in schooling and how many of the classrooms I have been in have not always been engaging; however, many of them consisted of displaying our artwork around the room. Now knowing what I know, I have been able to understand why the teacher always used to want us to display our artwork in the classroom as this would be one of the aspects that relates to positioning materials in a way that can stimulate appeal and comfort.

3 comments:

  1. Its great that you are looking more through the children's perspective and finding ideas through your past experiences to engage the children's curiosity and interests.

    I think one of the main reasons why teachers dislay their students artwork is because kids feel happy that their hard work is being shown to everyone and they feel like they've achieved well in their task. This engages them to their learning surroundings because it encourages them to put more effort into their next work piece in order for it to be displayed again.

    Positioning materials can help children's development in many ways that promote a sense of comfort and interests.

    One of the things you can do is place materials that children may not be familiar with in an area so it can stimulate their curiosity and encourage them to explore and experiment new things. This can expand their learning development and help them to be more comfortable as they open their mind to new discoveries.

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  2. I really enjoy seeing how this chapter sparks a lot of memories for everyone. To be honest when I read the chapter I never really thought about my past experiences in early childhood but I can see how doing so could be very helpful.

    Now that I look back on it though I used to love it when my artwork was put around the classroom, I felt proud of myself and happier to be there.

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  3. I like the way you have linked the text to your response, It's obvious you have covered a wide range of reading and understood it.

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