The classroom environment is purposefully planned from the moment students walk through the front door to support student learning empowerment and ownership. Personalized learning is organized through large group, purposeful learning centers, and space for individualized instructional learning activities. In this video, Valeska Bass will introduce you to the “why, what, and how” she organizes the classroom for her first graders and how she designs it to be student-centered to maximize student emotional safety and purposeful learning. The classroom’s centers facilitate the learning application through adult-supported/individualized learning as well as peer-to-peer investigation and support.
Pay special attention to how the classroom’s environment and learning activities are organized to 1) support student ownership of classroom routines, 2) individual student learning choice, 3) visually enhance independent and student-to-student ownership of learning through clipboards for mobile learning, eye-level anchor charts and word walls, center pocket charts, and flexible seating (2e-Organizing Physical Environment: There is total alignment between the learning activities and the physical environment; Distinguished).