Classroom Management and Safety
- PART A
- Why is it important to have a safe and clean classroom environment?
Solution:
It is important to have a safe and clean classroom environment because physical environment of classroom affects morale, stimulate student learning and assist in building an effectual classroom community.
- What might you need to consider when planning the following:
- Floor space
Solution:
While planning the floor space, you need to consider the movement of students during the distinct instructional activities that are being performed in the classroom. Apart from this, it is also important to consider the layout of furniture and seating arrangement.
- Seating
Solution:
While planning the seating, you need to consider the pattern of your lesson execution. If you want pupils to sit in small groups, organize them around desks or tables facing the chalkboard or whiteboard. For regular whole-group discussions, consider U-shaped desk configuration or circle. It should be taken into consideration that distance between the farthest pupil and you must be minimized such that you can oversee each one of them and they are aware of that.
- Work & Activity areas
Solution:
While planning the work & activity area, it should be taken care that classroom is not congested with the student’s desks and chairs. Extra space in the classroom must be used to create a silent reading corner. Another important area in classroom is teacher’s table which must be cleaned always. Other things to be considered are shelves and attractive file cabinet for personal books and a small collection.
- Wall space
Solution
While planning the wall space, it is important that chalkboards/whiteboards are facing the pupils. Bulletin boards in the classrooms can be employed for decorations, display pupil’s work (to motivate them) and are rarely used for instructions.
PART B
- Review the classroom image and list at least five (5) tasks you could undertake to improve the cleanliness, tidiness, safety, and hygiene of the classroom. For each task, explain why these actions are important.
Solution:
Five tasks that can be undertaken to improve the cleanliness, tidiness, safety, and hygiene of the classroom are mentioned below:
- Floor space: Layout of furniture is not organised as there is no space for movement of pupils during the execution of instructional activities. Floor is messy so it should be properly cleaned.
- Seating: The desks and chairs must be organised properly according to the pattern of your lesson execution and distance between the farthest pupil and you must be minimized.
- Work and activity area: Classroom is congested with student’s desks and chairs. Teacher’s table is messy so it should be cleaned.
- Instructional space: textbooks and other special material must be properly placed on shelves and pupil’s supplies must be properly arranged in cupboards.
- Wall space: Bulletin boards in the classrooms should not be used for instructions but should be employed for decorations and display pupil’s work.
- PART C
- What might be the key issues in this article relating to:
- school policies and procedures
Solution:
The key issue in this regard might be not paying proper attention to the child health and hygiene.
- duty of care
Solution:
After going through the article, it reflects the irresponsibility of teachers and school staff for not addressing the proper care of the child health safety.
- safe working practices.
Solution:
According to the article, it is a matter of negligence of teachers and other school staff. Since this is the case of kindergarten child, there must be proper training of all school staff in context to child’s safety and resources must also be available in ample amount to eradicate such kind of instances.
- If this child was in your care, how might you address the following?
- Duty of care – explain your responsibility to this child and the other student.
Solution:
We will immediately change the clothes of child and other student. We will make sure the availability of spare clothes in advance.
- WHS – what safety steps would you follow to handle the soiled clothing.
Solution:
We will try to prevent such incident and if happened, immediately change the clothes of the child.
- Reporting – who would you advise and why?
Solution:
We would advise to report the matter to the school principal and management and if the issue does not get resolved, we would escalate the issue further to the media and education department.
