Scenario B: Michael Yin’s Fourth-Grade Class
- Michael Yin had been in the same fourth-grade classroom for five years. He had arranged the 30 desks into small clusters scattered throughout the room. Small tables placed along the walls served as interest centers; they were laden with books, displays, and other objects related to the curriculum. The walls were covered with visual displays, including maps, student artwork, and posters. Open shelves hung over a low supply cabinet dominated the back wall; they overflowed with books, construction paper, sports equipment, games, and boxes containing various other materials. Magazines cluttered the floor of the literacy center. An overhead projector, a small table, Michael’s desk were positioned in front of the white board, and large floor cushions lay next to a hamster cage in one corner.
- One morning Michael was searching through the storage cabinet for art materials when the first bell rang. He quickly asked two student helpers to find a box of colored markers. “I know it’s there somewhere; just look in boxes until you find the markers,” he called over his shoulder as he rushed up to the front of the room to start class.
- Michael zigzagged his way around clusters of desks, stepping over several boxes filled with National Geographic magazines. He carefully skirted the science table that was crowded with 30 soil-filled paper cups sprawled under a grow light. Finally he squeezed through the space between students’ desks and his own to get to the board.
- Standing at the board, Michael began explaining a social studies project. After a few minutes, he was interrupted by noise from the back of the room.
"What’s going on back there?” Michael asked. “Jenna, look at the board,
not at Maria.”“I can’t see the board,” Jenna complained.
“I can’t see the board, either,” Jose chimed in. “Scott’s in my way.”
With a sly grin, Scott dropped to the floor, saying, “Is that better?”
Michael barked, “No!” and told Scott to sit in his chair.
- Meanwhile, Becky had gotten up to go to the pencil sharpener. She tripped over the extension cord that ran from the wall socket to the grow light and knocked over several of the seedling cups, scattering soil across the floor. Michael sighed and wondered, “Where is that broom?”
