Good classroom organisation should give the teacher more time to diagnose children's learning difficulties; to design appropriate learning objectives; and to teach rather than having to spend time on ‘housekeeping’ aspects of routine classroom life. However, classrooms should not be seen simply in terms of resources, timetables and rules, because they are arenas for learning. We use the term ‘spaces’ in this chapter to denote the variety of settings in which learning takes place in the contemporary world. Within these settings, the social relationships which develop create conditions for learning – as Watkins describes:
Watkins, C. (2004) Classrooms as Learning Communities: What’s in it for Schools? London: RoutledgeFalmer
In a book focusing on the exchange between research and practice across numerous areas of pedagogy, Muijs & Reynolds provide interesting perspectives on classroom management.
Muijs, D. and Reynolds, D. (20011) Effective Teaching: Evidence and Practice. London: Sage.
Bransford et al. provide a powerful analysis of the design of learning environments.
Bransford, J., Brown, A.L. and Cocking, R. (eds) (1999) How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience and School. Washington DC:National Academy Press (Reading 8.2).
