The Real and Important Truth
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If one thing in a teaching job is certain, it's this:
Students WILL goof off if given the chance!
This is important to consider because keeping children focused can be as easy as classroom layout. If a student feels that they are constantly in view of the teacher, or are walked by in a consistant manner, they will be less likely to start up or get away with distractive behavior.
This is because something called "The Zone of Proximity" (Jones, 2007).
According to Jones there are three levels of proximity that surround a person as they walk through their classroom and he illustrates them as one would vision a stop light.
The first proximity is the one closest to the teacher (you) and is considered the Red Zone. Students in this area feel uncomfortable trying to goof off or get distracted. That is because they are in plain view of the teacher. Red means STOP.
The next proximity is considered the Yellow Zone. Students in the yellow zone, a little bit further from the red zone, feel the pressure to behave so long as the teacher (you) is facing them. BUT TURN AWAY AND THE LIGHT GOES GREEN!
The Green Zone is the zone that is furthest away from the teacher at any given moment. This zone is where most disruptive behavior be found happening at any given time. This is why we limit opportunity for this to happen by limiting the amount of time a student is considered in the green zone.
Students WILL goof off if given the chance!
This is important to consider because keeping children focused can be as easy as classroom layout. If a student feels that they are constantly in view of the teacher, or are walked by in a consistant manner, they will be less likely to start up or get away with distractive behavior.
This is because something called "The Zone of Proximity" (Jones, 2007).
According to Jones there are three levels of proximity that surround a person as they walk through their classroom and he illustrates them as one would vision a stop light.
The first proximity is the one closest to the teacher (you) and is considered the Red Zone. Students in this area feel uncomfortable trying to goof off or get distracted. That is because they are in plain view of the teacher. Red means STOP.
The next proximity is considered the Yellow Zone. Students in the yellow zone, a little bit further from the red zone, feel the pressure to behave so long as the teacher (you) is facing them. BUT TURN AWAY AND THE LIGHT GOES GREEN!
The Green Zone is the zone that is furthest away from the teacher at any given moment. This zone is where most disruptive behavior be found happening at any given time. This is why we limit opportunity for this to happen by limiting the amount of time a student is considered in the green zone.
Mobility- The Effective Way to Eliminate Effects From the Green Zone
Throw away and BAN the idea of the "Traditional" classroom.
The truth is, it does not help a teacher, it only makes it more difficult to "work" the classroom and walk around to eliminate the Green. A good model of a classroom is one that makes it simple for a teacher to walk around a classroom and engage every student.
Walking is essential to keep this attention and eliminate the Green Zone
The desk or sitting in front of the classroom does not keep up the energy and environment required to keep students attention. In fact, it helps the students make a subconscious decision to pay less attention. Save the desk for after school or teacher prep time!
A good classroom setup allows the teacher to move freely around students.
Below are some effective classroom layouts for working the zones of proximity and movement around the classroom:
The truth is, it does not help a teacher, it only makes it more difficult to "work" the classroom and walk around to eliminate the Green. A good model of a classroom is one that makes it simple for a teacher to walk around a classroom and engage every student.
Walking is essential to keep this attention and eliminate the Green Zone
The desk or sitting in front of the classroom does not keep up the energy and environment required to keep students attention. In fact, it helps the students make a subconscious decision to pay less attention. Save the desk for after school or teacher prep time!
A good classroom setup allows the teacher to move freely around students.
Below are some effective classroom layouts for working the zones of proximity and movement around the classroom:
So no matter the chosen route or layout for your personal classroom, it is IMPORTANT to move around. Standing at the board or infront of the classroom 100% of the time is boring and tiring for both the teacher and students. Moving around keeps the classroom interesting (where will the teacher go next?) and the audience captive.