The color of the walls, the position of the chalkboard, the spacing of the desks – all of these elements impact the setting known as a classroom. The response a student gives to any teacher's curriculum has a great deal to do with the area in which he/she receives that curriculum. If the students feel comfortable and safe within the classroom, their grades will ultimately reflect those feelings. Although it is not often considered one of the most significant parts of teaching, the geography of an instructor's classroom certainly influences what goes on inside the walls of any learning environment.
             Mrs. Dawn Smith, eleventh and twelfth grade English teacher at Central High School, knows the importance of a proper classroom setup. Mrs. Smith has provided her students with a spacious, relaxing room, ideal for writing, note taking, reading, and communicating. The students' tables are appropriately spaced around the room and each student is given ample space in which to work. Mrs. Smith's desk is not far from the students' tables, making it easy for her to supervise her students yet distant enough for her to have her own privacy. A clearly visible podium at the front of the room is where Mrs. Smith does all of her lecturing. Bookshelves line most of the wall space and various plants give the room a pleasurable appearance. The furniture of the room definitely allows the class to interact nicely with one another with little distraction.
             Mrs. Smith does not decorate her classroom with elaborate posters and pictures as many teachers often do. However, because the students in this classroom are much older than most students (eleventh and twelfth graders), it is rather appropriate that Mrs. Smith keeps the decorating to a minimum. The pale blue walls have two large windows – one looking out upon a parking lot, the other revealing a hallway. Along one wall, students have hung various projects next to Mrs. ...