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Observe Room, Organization, & Arrangements

My mentor teacher is Mrs. Shelby Borst. She is the ONLY sociology teacher for the whole high school of William Penn. 

Mrs. Borst teaches four sociology courses and two AP psychology courses. Both classes are electives, and the students range from 9th- 12th grade. On average she teaches 32-34 students per class.

Mrs. Borst implements and mainly utilizes the SMARTboard as an essential teaching tool within her classroom. In an effort to reach all learner types and those with visual or hearing disabilities she often reads and plays videos from the SMARTboard. The classroom also contains multiple bins, each with a purpose, that she places in various locations throughout her classroom for the multiple sheets she hands out and collects from students for homework and participation grades.

Artifacts

Front of the Classroom

  • Contains a bulletin board by the entrance (to the left) with maps of continents and countries throughout the world. At the top right are codes for emergency, Red being the worst. Below is a bin for emergency pens and pencils. As well as a blue plastic brain, which students use as a "bathroom pass."
  • To the left of the SMARTboard is the daily schedule for students, regardless of whether it is A or B day.
  • The desk closest to the entrance (the left desk) contains current assignments or homework that is due or was collected, as well as extra worksheets that were handed out during classes.
  • At the center of the board is a functioning SMARTboard.
  • To the right of the SMARTboard is a white board, where my mentor teacher updates daily the AP Psychology homework that is due, as well as important dates for tests or projects.
  • The desk closest to my mentor teacher's desk (the right desk) contains magazines for students to read if they have spare time or to borrow, and additional blank and lined paper. 
  • The furthest right bulletin contains a layout of the humongous school, as it is easy to confuse the sections/departments due to its size. It also contains names and numbers of every staff member within the school. The board has a printed school calendar with important dates and holidays as well.
  • In front of my mentor teacher's desks is a podium, although she rarely stays still while teaching so she rarely uses this. 
  • All along the wall at the top are students' past work.

 

View of the Classroom from Entrance

  • Including teacher's desks & student seating.
  • First teacher desk (the left desk) contains the teacher's laptop, keypad, and large calendar with important dates, meetings, and reminders.
  • Second teacher desk (the right desk) contains two bins, which are full of students homework/past assignments that have been collected and are currently being graded. The blue bin contains rulers, scissors, staplers, and paperclips. Additionally there is always a box of tissues on the desk. Students are permitted to sit at this desk with the teacher's approval.
  • Lockers include AP Psychology books, and other texts for classes.
  • Overhead storage along the whole wall with teacher's supplies and past projects. 
  • At the center of the classroom above is the projector for the SMARTboard. 
  • At the end of every unit students place their journals at the window for the daily warm up writing exercises to be graded. Piles are organized by class.

 

View of the Classroom from the Front of the Class

  • Along the back wall features students' work. Students work is also placed in both of the right bookshelves.
  • The cream colored bin contains additional classroom supplies i.e. colored pencils and paper.
  • There are also outlets along the wall for students to charge phones, laptops, iPads, or other technological devices. 
  • Classroom desks are currently arranged two-by-two so students can easily work individually or partner up with the person beside them. However, the teacher does frequently change the layout of desks; sometimes to an arena layout or multiple desks in a larger group such as four desks facing together.

 

Classroom Wall by Entrance

  • To the right are files with students' work and records, there are additional past projects atop the filing cabinet with a pencil sharpener as well.
  • The black bin is full of laptops for students, which are always plugged in charging when not being used.
  • The bulletin board (as previously noted was later revised), at this point simply contains lunch passes.
  • In between the bulletin board and chalkboard is a hand sanitizer dispenser. 
  • The green chalkboard contains information for students' homework and important assignments. It is divided by the two subjects the teacher instructs: AP Psychology (on the left) and Sociology (on the right).
  • The left bulletin and all above the wall contains student work.

 

 

Author: Rachel Zane
Last modified: 5/3/2022 8:50 PM (EDT)