As I was not on placement in the last two weeks, I am reflecting on what I think is good content and what I think is bad content with regards to display in the classroom.
Often the first thing I notice when I walk into a classroom is firstly the students but I also look around the walls in the classroom. Often we may see colourful posters, students work, maths timetables, daily schedules, etc. I think that displaying students work assists in making the environment more inclusive and makes them take ownership for the room. As a pre-service teacher I believe that it is important that the teacher takes the time to acknowledge all the different posters and signs in their classroom so that students know where they can look if they are having trouble editing their work, looking for adjectives or have forgotten some of the class rules.
Furthermore, the colours that are selected within the classroom need to ensure that they aren't too colourful as this can distract students from their learning and make it difficult to concentrate. To be inclusive of all students, a teacher must take this into consideration when designing and setting up the classroom. The Australian Teaching standard 1 "Know students and how they learn" is reflected within the set up of the classroom as a teacher must understand how their students learn and create a learning environment that supports them (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) 2016). Another aspect that I consider as bad content is only displaying students work who are the 'top students'. As educators we need to be inclusive of all learners and as it is their learning space, make them feel as comfortable and supported as possible.
I found the image above on the internet and I think it is a really important message for children. Through experience in different schools I often see children lacking the motivation or are scared to be wrong and as a result they do not attempt their work. Educators need to be reminded not to 'tell students off' if they get something wrong, but congratulate and acknowledge them for having a go, yet also correcting any misconceptions that the students have. I feel that displaying something like this may provide some students with some motivation to give their school work a go.
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) 2016, Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, Australian Government, retrieved 12 August 2016, <http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers/standards/list>.
GlamtasticInvites 2016, Classroom Decor, Teacher Decor, It's ok to now know, It's not okay to not TRY, Teacher Gift, Educational Decor, Classroom Decoration, School, photograph, retrieved 12 August 2016, < https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/261511500/classroom-decor-teacher-decor-its-ok-to?ref=market>.
