Class 1

Class 1: I observed affective factors, external factors (seating arrangement, the acoustics, etc) and how both contribute to the general ambience of the classroom and the students’ concentration and learning.

The classroom is not very large and there is little space between one desk and the one behind it. Space is a little bit greater between rows so it allows the teacher to walk between rows comfortably. Since the classroom is not large, the teacher does not have to raise her voice volume much to be heard by the students at the back.

Desks are double and arranged in three rows and five lines, except in the middle row in which there are only two lines of desks at the very front and big space at the back. There are always empty desks, mainly at the very front of the classroom. Both the space and the type of double desks do not allow for much re-arranging of the seating arrangement.

There are two tall windows that cover most of the wall with a view of the street and the school’s parking lot. This at times becomes a distraction for students since there are always cars coming and going, and students passing by the sidewalk. In the pos-hora, another distraction is the preceptor coming into the classroom and walking behind the teacher to take the assistance sheet and the blackboard eraser even if the class has not finished yet.

There are several posters in Spanish about different topics belonging to the afternoon class, hanging on the wall at the back of the classroom. There is no much space for hanging any more posters since there is a large wood closet occupying one entire wall and the large windows in the opposite one.

The teacher is constantly walking around the classroom and answering questions and checking students’ answers. She stands at the front of the class at the very beginning so as to greet the students and explain the activity, and at the very end in order to remind the class what they have to bring or do for the next class.