Want to identify where the different groups are? Where are the ‘hotspots’? Which
area generates L1/L2 BiRs? How does achievement correlate with PP students? Where
do most of the questions get answered from? Where are questions directed to?
This brilliantly easy
idea can really open your eyes and
show you things that you never even
realised. The steps are quite simple, the first
one (as with most new things) is the most
difficult.
Step 1:
Using whichever method suits you best, draw a
map of your classroom and it’s layout. Label
the basics if you wish (teacher’s desk, door,
whiteboard etc), but DO NOT put student
names on at this stage. This diagram will be
kept as your original.
Step 2:
Make a copy (the big Konica Minolta printers
can photocopy, log in as normal, then choose
the home button from the panel of 5, select
copy).
Step 3:
Decide on the focus of your map. Are you
wanting to find out where you direct questions
to? Do you want to find out which
students are out of their seats more
often? This is entirely up to you.
Step 4:
Teach your lesson. However, when
something occurs that is the focus of
your map, mark on the map where it
occurred, e.g. You ask a question,
mark down the areas that that was
directed to (use a tally system for
ease).
Step 5:
After the lesson, compare the map
with your seating plan. This then
allows you to assign names if
needed. The map will show where
‘events’ happened. It is likely that it
will show specific areas as hotspots
of activity for the focus of the map.
How you
use this is up to you. We, as a
team, think this method of looking at where
our attention as staff is focused could reveal
some otherwise unknown things that if
addressed could help develop teaching and
learning across the academy to that next step.
It might help to have someone come into your
lesson and do the mapping whilst you teach.
A great resource for creating classroom maps
can be found here:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/tools/class_set
up/ This allows you to drag and drop items
with ease, then print the map (I’d recommend
choosing PDF to do this, you’ll always have a
copy then!)
If anyone would like advice or guidance on how
to use different software to draw the maps,
send us an email [email protected]