Danielson Framework Domain 2: The Classroom Environment

My Vision: When I picture my future classroom, I see a classroom that is warm, bright, and
inviting to students and other visitors. Two walls will be painted orchid purple, and on one wall
children’s artwork will be displayed for others to see. The students will sit at tables rather than
desks so they could have the opportunity to learn how to interact and work with others. In one
corner of the classroom, I will have stairs built in, and as a class we will gather in the “cave” to
do our morning meeting, read books, and discuss classroom business. On the whiteboard, I will
have a classroom schedule posted so the students would know the schedule for the day, and to
help them prepare for the various activities throughout the day.
When I think of the sounds coming from my future classroom, I hear giggles, laughter,
questions, comments, conversations between students and the teacher, “aha gasps,” and when
appropriate/necessary, silence. I believe that students should have the opportunity to explore
new ideas, and I want them to know that their questions and comments are valued and important.
As I listen to my students and the questions they have, and as I have the class listen to the
questions and comments, they will come to understand that their ideas are important, and they
will have the opportunity to learn about the importance of respecting the ideas of their
classmates. I envision my classroom as a “safe environment” for learning, and my student will
see that mistakes are part of learning. As a class, we will celebrate our successes, and offer
support to others when they need it.
When it comes to learning, I picture myself being very animated when I create and teach lessons.
I can honestly say that I love learning new things, reading, and discovering why things work. I
hope to foster these things in my students, and that as they see my passion for learning, they too
will want to learn throughout their life.
I picture a classroom that is organized. The students know what they need to do throughout the
day because I have taught them procedures and routines for transitions, instructional activities,
noninstructional activities, bathroom breaks, lining up, turning in assignments, passing out
materials, etc. These procedures will be taught from the first day of school and reviewed and
practiced multiple times during the first few weeks of school. If additional practice is needed, I
we will review and rehearse the procedures. Because of the procedures and routines, the students
will know what is expected of them, and they will know what they need to be doing during
different parts of the day.
In my future classroom, I have a classroom management plan in place and planned out well
before my students arrive the first day of school. I want my students to know that I care and
respect them, and that the classroom is a safe environment for each of them. We will create rules
as a class and students will understand that they are valued members of the classroom
community. When behavioral problems arise, I do not want to shame students in front of their
peers. I picture myself talking to the student and trying to understand why they acted the way
they did. I picture myself giving positive encouragements when students follow the classroom
rules, and this lets them know that I see the things they do right.
When I picture the feelings in my future classroom, I picture students helping others without
being asked by the teacher, friendships being made, and an environment of respect towards
others and towards the teacher. To help build an environment of respect and rapport, I picture
myself first being an example to the students about how to interact with others. As I give my
students opportunities to share information about their lives, my class will learn that everyone
has unique interests and experiences, but we have many things that unite us together, too.
Game Plan: The classroom I have just described is not going to happen “by chance,” and I will
need to put serious thought and be intentional with the activities I do in my classroom so my
vision can become a reality! The first strategy I will need to use in my classroom is to build a
strong “classroom culture.” I will teach the students about the procedures we will use in the
classroom and my expectations for them. I will have a few rules developed, but I would also like
my students to collaborate and write a few rules of their own. Students will have classroom jobs
so they see they are an important part of the classroom, and to help them learn responsibility.
Another strategy I will use in my classroom is to have activities planned that allow students to
get acquainted with one another. One activity I would like to do is to have each child create a
poster about them to share with the class. On the poster, they can share some of the things they
like, dislike, etc. These posters will help other students to learn about the different experiences
others have had. Along with the poster idea, I would like to have “getting to know you”
activities planned for the students to do. These activities would allow students to get into pairs
and learn more about their classmates. Each time we would do a “getting to know you activity,”
the students would talk with a different classmate. Eventually they would have the opportunity
to talk with each member of their class and learn new things about each other.
Classroom procedures are essential for learning to occur. Procedures and routines allow students
to know what is expected of them, and the children can expect consistency with what they will
be doing. I can make classroom procedures and routines a reality in my class as I teach the
procedures, rehearse the procedures, and reinforce the procedures throughout the school year.
One thing I would love to do in my classroom is to have morning meetings where we would all
meet on the stairs and discuss what we would be doing for the day. During the morning meeting,
I would invite a few students to tell the class about fun or exciting experiences they have had, or
plans they have for the upcoming days. This will allow students to hear about the experiences
their classmates have had, and they can learn more about each of their classmates.
I really want my students to know that my classroom is a “safe environment,” and that I care
about each of them. One way I can help them know that they are in a safe place, is for me to
share experiences I have had. I have always appreciated when teachers have shared experiences
and stories with me, and because they have opened up, I feel comfortable approaching them and
asking them for help. The experiences they have shared have helped me see that they are still
learning, and that they are willing to help me along my “learning journey.”
One way I can make my classroom a safe environment for all the students is to have a behavior
management plan in place. It is important for me to set my expectations for the class. I will do
this before I begin teaching, and when necessary I will have the students review the classroom
rules they created together. Monitoring classroom behavior is another important part of
classroom management. One way I can do this is by walking around the room while the students
are working to make sure they are on task. I will make sure to look around the classroom if I am
working with a group of students or an individual student to see what the students are doing at
their tables. By doing these things I will have a better idea of what my students are doing, and I
will be able to see if the students are off task or causing problems.
One idea I have to help students learn that mistakes are an essential part of learning is to have a
place where students can write down the mistake or misconception they had, and underneath it
write down what they learned from that experience. Too often we think that we must be perfect
at everything we do, and there is often a lot of pressure to get things right the first time. I have
learned (and am still learning) that when we make mistakes, we often learn more than if we were
to get everything right from the beginning. I will let my students that I have high expectations
for them, but also let them know that I will be there every step of the way to help them reach the
expectations.