Each classroom setting has its own set of rules and expectations of behaviours which define and regulate appropriate participation, varying for each segment of a lesson; class discussion, group work, presentations etc. (Carter and Doyle, 2006). By assessing the student’s needs as a group such as who they are, what they need and how they learn, educators are able to create and sustain an order throughout classroom activities which allows for maximum participation and achievement (Carter and Doyle, 2006). Management within classroom activities also encompasses the use of effective communication strategies for processes such as explanation and providing direction, positioning of students to maximise engagement and use of attention gaining practices during transitions to capture children’s focus.

When I first entered my placement site, I noticed that the way in which the tables were set up meant that students were able to clearly see the board and their teacher, although floor space was limited to just enough for each child to sit down at group times. When speaking to my supervising teacher, I was told the room was set up this way as it meant that all children were equally exposed to the board and the teacher, with no points in the room having obstructed vision or acoustics. After a few days of observing the students individual working styles, I noticed that some students were choosing to work in the small area on the floor although due to the restricted space, students seemed to become easily distracted by others around them with no room for their own working space. I spoke to my teacher about changing the set up slightly so that students could still see and hear but were also provided with more floor space for working. Providing this floor space for children and promoting the free choice of where learning takes place aligns with Reggio Emilia’s ideas on the environment as a third teacher and how removing children from the traditional ‘busyness’ of a desk cluttered with papers and stationary can have an impact on their concentration and in turn, their performance in class time (Strong-Wilson & Ellis, 2007). This decision proved to be a success, as many children during traditional 'desk work' times, requested to sit on the floor where they were found to remain focused for the duration of their lesson. 

Carter, K & Doyle, W 2006, ‘Classroom management in early childhood and elementary classrooms’ in Handbook of Classroom Management, pp. 373-406, Routledge.

Strong-Wilson, T & Ellis, J 2007, ‘Children and place: Reggio Emilia’s environment as third teacher’ in Theory Into Practice, pp.20–47.