Preparing, Organizing and Decorating a Science Classroom to Improve Student Achievement Dianne J. E. Kraus Wilkes University
ABSTRACT The classroom in this study is an AVID Biology room at Dundee-Crown High School. The classroom serves a diverse group of male and female students who are in grade nine through grade twelve. The room is shared by three teachers who teach different levels of Biology, AVID Elective and Forensics. Two of the teachers are finishing their first year in the building and the other teacher is a senior teacher with a background in AVID, Quantum Learning and Marzano strategies. The room is bordered by counters, sinks and cupboard space but has little storage for forensics crime scene props. Supplies are not shared between teachers and the main focus of the lead teacher is to support the AVID program.
Preparing, Organizing and Decorating a Science Classroom Students are provided with an unspoken message of the values that their teacher holds when they walk into the classroom. Everything speaks to the student from the way that the classroom is decorated to the organization and preparedness of the classroom for rigorous academic study. If the room is messy with disorganized materials then this subtle but powerful message is also conveyed into the eyes of the students. They will judge your character, your expectations and your ability to support the content based on how they perceive their learning environment. It is important to align the decorations and organization of the classroom to the current learning goals so the students embrace the importance of what they are learning and why they are learning it. Based on the Marzano Observation and Feedback Protocol the room has been neglected in organization and decorating this year due to time constraints and burn-out due to the teacher taking on additional responsibilities. The posters are still on the walls from the first semester and from last year. They are tattered and torn and have no alignment to the current curriculum. There is no student work displayed in the room as time to grade assignments is limited with 240 students in Biology and AVID passing through the classroom doors. Decorating has not been a priority in this classroom. The room is shared with two first year teachers who are struggling to develop curriculum and lesson plans, and they offer no assistance in maintaining the classroom. The forensics class uses dummies for the crime scene set-ups and these are usually left lying around the room in the middle of traffic areas once the students have completed their work.
Although the classroom has some accessibility to supplies for the AVID students in the filing cabinet most of the forms, school supplies, books and binders were just thrown to the side and are hard to find. Other AVID supplies are in drawers at the front lab bench and the teacher suffers from constant disruptions from students who are looking for something. There is also a loss of resources when other classes take supplies as their own. AVID students have no budget for supplies so as a result fundraising activities buy what is available. It is frustrating to leave bins out and then have other teachers take what students have worked so hard to purchase for their use in AVID. On the Marzano Protocol scale I would have to rate the room as not using the strategy because the strategy is called for but the teachers in the room either lack the experience or the time to implement or exhibit a physical layout that supports and enhances student learning. In the classroom redesign assignment, decorating, preparation and organization were the focus and this focus also resulted in clear traffic patterns for everyone who uses the room. The papers and forms have been allocated space in organizers at the side of the room. Student binders and resources for tutorials are stacked at the side and all supplies have been sorted into bins and are easily accessed by students. Confidential files are put into the file cabinet but file crates are being created for student portfolios. The students have prepared a word wall that aligns to the current biology curriculum and a student work wall has been labeled and allocated for future use. All crime scene dummies have been stored above the cupboards to get them off the floor space. Desk supplies have been organized with a special carousel for scissors, and containers for sharpened pencils, pens, three hole punch, staplers and other school supplies. On the large cupboards the posters for WICOR Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization and Reading have been posted. These are the foundation of the AVID program and are used
throughout our AVID curriculum and content areas. The strategies are taught and reinforced in every AVID classroom so the posters are timeless and reinforce AVID values. The other posters in the classroom have been replaced with blood typing, ecology and genetics posters that align with the curriculum. The bulletin board is still a work in progress and needs to be redone to highlight current learning goals and timelines. Current programs and
announcements have also been placed near the door so that students will see them as they are entering and leaving the room. Charger pride posters, affirmative belief posters have also been posted around the room to increase motivation and behavioral expectations. These also align
with overall school expectations by using the Quantum keys and PBIS team charger pride statements. Upon entering the room all people are now greeted with a large WELCOME sign. The initial impact of the redesign was that the room seemed brighter and more organized and there are fewer interruptions and distractions. The preparation and organization is worth the time commitment because it reinforces student learning and cuts down on off-task behaviors. The tone of the classroom changes when the environment is clean and organized. The students interact differently which is similar to when children walk into a very clean organized home versus a locker room. They lower their voices, respect their surroundings and are more polite. By preparing, organizing and decorating to support the curriculum teachers communicate shared values towards learning and interpersonal relationships within our classroom community and school. The organization allows students to move easily about the classroom, use materials and to focus on instruction. At the end of this semester, I will prepare the room for next year by finishing the re-design of the room, making copies for the organizer and putting up decorations on the bulletin board to support the upcoming new school year to establish my values from the start of the new semester and to set the tone for an environment that supports student learning.
References Brown, J.L. & Marzano, R.J. (2009). A handbook for the art & science of teaching. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Marzano, R.J. (2007). The art and science of teaching. Alexandria, VA: ASCD