Blog Post 6

 This week in FNED we learned about what Kohn says to look for in a classroom. There are multiple different areas he talks about like the furniture and if the tables are set up just all facing forward or if they're in groups. He says how certain things are better or “good signs” and other things aren’t as good or “possible reasons to worry”. For example, a classroom with nothing on the walls is not as beneficial as a classroom covered with students' work or other information on the wall. I agree with this, I feel as though being in a classroom environment that physically makes me feel more comfortable helps me learn better. Like in high school, a few of my teachers had lamps in their rooms. This helped me feel more relaxed and less stressed, which helped me. Kohn also talked about things like the sounds in the classroom and the students' faces. He says how it's good to have a classroom that has a hum of activity where students can share their ideas with one another. It's also good to be aware of how they look and to make sure they are eager and engaged. I know in my future classroom I want to be aware of how my students are feeling and make sure they have the support to talk to one another to grow their knowledge. Another thing I agree with is with class discussion having an emphasis on thoughtful exploration instead of just looking for what's the “right” answer. I hope in my future that I am in a school that meets what Kohn thinks is a good school by having an appealing atmosphere, hallways filled with students' work, a well-stocked library and other good things. Another thing we focused on in FNED this week was about how students are individuals who have their own needs and how schools need to adapt to the needs of their students. I think that is very important and something we all should be aware of. In the classroom that I am working in right now I can see when certain students need extra help and thats why its so helpful that there is the head teacher and the assistant teacher. This way there is more of an opportunity to help different students.