The classroom and the furniture within it is considered the physical environment. How it is arranged, what it looks like and how it “lives” has an effect upon the teacher as well as the students. Research suggests that the physical environment can have an impact upon the actual academic performance of students, as well as their nonacademic performance (e.g., attitudes and social behavior).

Five principles have been suggested for consideration in the arrangement of the physical environment of a classroom (Lewis & Doorlag, l999):

1. Make sure the environment is safe and barrier-free. All students are entitled to a safe physical environment. This may seem to be a common-sense notion, but for some students, such as those with physical or sensory impairments, one must pay close attention to such details as “Is the floor free of all items which may hinder students with visual impairment?” or “Do I have visual cues for emergency procedures in place for students with hearing impairment?”  In addition to being safe, the environment must be barrier-free.  Students should be able to walk between and around the desks and tables easily without disturbing anyone or anything, and wheelchairs should also be able to travel around freely.

2. Make sure the environment is pleasant and comfortable. In order to make sure that the physical aspects of the room are pleasant and comfortable, the teacher must attend to such details as the room temperature, the noise level of the room, the lighting and the ventilation. Also, controlling the colors in the room help make the room more pleasing. Some researchers note that dark or bright wall colors interfere with the students’ abilities to concentrate. Be sure that colorful decorations are used to the degree that they make the room pleasant, yet do not serve as distractors.

3. Make sure that the furniture is appropriate. Most classrooms are furnished primarily with desks or tables and chairs. Whenever possible, the classroom furniture should be comfortable, able to withstand wear and tear, and attractive to the eye.  Also, furniture should be sized appropriately for all students in the room. Some students with disabilities will require specialized equipment, and this equipment should be chosen so that it fits in with the room while meeting the needs of the child.

4. Make sure the space is arranged in a functional manner. A classroom typically is arranged so that certain space is for instruction, certain space is for individual work, and certain space is reserved for the teacher.  Teachers use a variety of arrangements to accommodate these needs. It is important that the different areas are spaced apart so that they do not interfere with each other, yet arranged so that all are easily accessible to the teacher as she or he wanders the room. The spacing should be arranged so that it allows for maximum teacher mobility.  Remember that classroom space arrangements are not permanent. Rather, classroom space should be changed as needed to increase the effectiveness of the learning environment.

5. Make sure that educational goals are considered when making seating arrangements. Research has suggested that classroom achievement is related to seating position. It has been found, for example, that students sitting in front rows participate in classroom activities more, are more attentive, and spend more time on-task. It has also been reported that moving low-achievers from the back of the class to the front significantly improved their academic performance.  Being close to the teacher and to the stimuli presented by the teacher puts students at a definite advantage.

Physical Environment Checklist

Sensory aspects of the room

• The lighting is adequate for any type of visual task (reading, working on computers, etc.).
• The lighting is varied throughout the room to allow for a variety of visual tasks.
• The lighting is warm and home-like, not glaring.
• The temperature of the room is within a comfortable range (68-74 degrees).
• The is an adequate supply of fresh air.
• Windows can be opened when appropriate with no distractions from outside noises.
• The noise level is controlled so that the teacher rarely has to repeat what she or he says and different activities within the classroom do not disturb each other.
• The colors in the room are varied yet subdued.

Physical aspects of the room:

• Students can enter, exit and move around in the room without disturbing others.
• The room is clean and neat.
• A certain amount of storage space is easily accessible to students to allow for them get out and put back materials to which they have access to.
• The furniture in the room can be easily movable to allow for changing of groupings, of learning centers, etc.
• There is a special place that individual children can go for isolation, rest and quiet or to work independently.
• All physical barriers to children with disabilities have been removed.

 Lewis, R. & Doorlag, D. (l999).  Teaching special students in general education classrooms (5th ed.). Columbus, OH: Merrill.