Welcome to the Classroom!

Amy Bohman
EDMT 380-002 Critique Commentary 5
Fall 2005

When I think about how school must have been like for my grandparents, I can hardly believe the differences that have taken place since they graduated high school! My grandparents are not, by any means, really old, and none of them could claim to have been in a one-room school house. However, they will never hesitate to tell me how good I had it.

Thinking back to when I was in elementary school, I remember a lot of what was found on the walls. My fourth grade teacher had the class pictures of every class he had taught since beginning. I hated it when my classmates would point to my sister’s picture and ask me if I had been held back. Something else I remember about the walls in fourth grade, was the “Star of the Week” bulletin board. Here, students were given the opportunity to share themselves with the rest of the class (one student at a time). As frustrating as it was for me to look at all my classmate’s information as I waited for my turn, I can remember exactly how I felt when my name was pulled out of the bucket! It was the shortest week of my life. My favorite walls growing up were full of information about the students, for the students, or showing off the students. I didn’t realize anything important with this until I read this chapter.

Chapter 5 in Visual Literacy by Lynell Burmark was very important to me. It made me realize how important the set up of my classroom is going to be. I have heard about the hospital patients that were released sooner when their room had an up beat picture or painting. I never made the connection to my future classroom until now. The kinds of walls I appreciated as I was growing up, now have a name: student centered. It all begins with the door. The most common spots for someone’s name when I was a young student were on the desk and above the locker. Observing different classrooms now, I see that this has changed. More bulletin boards are going up with student names and achievements, and the doors are also being adorned with the names of each person in the class. Putting the names on the door allows all students to feel as if they have ownership in the class (and year) ahead of them.

I have noticed this trend with professors as well. Ironically, the professors that I ultimately have more respect for are the ones that have comics outside their door, or a sense of humor apparent in the class, with a genuine respect for the students he or she oversees. Student-centered classrooms indicate to the students that their interests are being held in high regard. I really enjoyed reading the quilt and bulletin board ideas. I think it was very important that the Jerome Burg revisited the original dreams of the students at the end of the unit. Being able to know this gives the teacher a true understanding of the students’ comprehension of the theme that a traditional assessment would not have necessarily shown.

It is very important for students to have important information available to them in a clear and readable fashion. In order to do this, the teacher must have all the students in consideration so that different students can all benefit from the information available.

Murals are something that students can really take pride in. The murals that the talented and gifted art class created are still on the walls of my old school today. The teachers around them have changed, the classes have changed, and the rooms have even changed, but the students who were in that class will always be able to go back and see it. I unfortunately did not have the opportunity to be in that art class. My pride for my classmates was still very important to me whenever I walk past the murals when I volunteer back home. Even though everything around them has changed, I go back to a time when I was carefree. If the murals have that effect on me, imagine the effect the thought of the murals have on the students who painted them. Imagine their horror if the murals ever go away.

This summer, I worked at a summer camp as one of the assistant directors. During the 7 week-long sessions there were two groups that painted murals as part of their program. The children were jumping up to meet their parents at the end of the week, and dragging them to the art room to see the part of them that will stay at camp forever; even if they don’t return. Three other groups of students had the opportunity to revamp a central room of the camp. After each project, the campers left a reminder of the group that put all that work in. At the end of my first summer working at camp, I dipped the palm of my hand in paint, and left my handprint on the staff wall at camp. The handprints on that wall cover almost 10 years of staff, and each handprint leaves a different and unique mark on the camp. This wall means a lot to the group of people I was privileged enough to work with. We all knew that the simple hand prints we put on the wall had the possibility of lasting longer than all of us.

People, and especially students, need the opportunity to leave their mark and show their creativity every day. This can be accomplished through murals, as we have already discussed, or projects explaining the data they have collected and what it means for them. Students can build on their creativity by looking at visuals made by others. They learn a lot about their own values and motivations when they examine someone else’s.

The initial look of a classroom can set the tone for the entire school year. A room’s set-up can promote or demonstrate creativity and exploration. As a teacher it is my responsibility to take my students and their needs into consideration as I create the learning environment. It is also important for me to continually add to the appearance of the room and to allow the students to drive the process with their own ideas, niches and handprints.

Last updated on December 13, 2005
Any Questions? Email bohmanac@uwec.edu