Rand (2011) states that “I just finished teaching a graduate course in which students each visited six different early childhood classrooms. When they told the class what was interesting and what they learned from each class, the physical environment was mentioned most frequently, both positively and negatively. The physical environment is a real challenge because there is only so much a teacher can change, but it has a huge effect on children's behavior. In my observations of the classrooms, I noticed that one of the biggest problems is the group meeting area. Here are some of my suggestions for preventing behavioral problems during group time and helping children stay engaged: Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Enough space. Don't let a small rug dictate the size of your meeting space! I've seen third graders sitting so close together that they couldn't help but touch each other. I saw preschoolers constantly squirming and bumping into each other because the carpet was too small. Determine how big a circle you need so that all your kids can sit without touching each other and still see you. So get a rug, or a square rug, or two rugs, or get creative in mapping out the space you need. I much prefer children sitting at the edges of the space rather than in rows. Personal space. Make sure each child can determine where their personal space is. Use carpet squares, use patterns built into the carpet, draw lines with tape, or systematically teach children how to sit so they have personal space. This should be done repeatedly with frequent modeling and reinforcement.Teacher Materials. Have a place to store or put the materials you will need for the activities: whiteboard, audio player, books, graphs, etc. Make it clear what your space is and remind children of your personal boundaries. Consistent procedures. If you let a couple of kids sit on chairs one day, the next day other kids will want to do it! There may be good reasons for allowing a child to sit in a chair rather than on the carpet, but think about it in advance, explain it to children and be consistent. You may want to have all the children sit on the carpet no matter what. Once again, the important issue is to avoid group time being ruined by children moving around, asking for chairs, standing up, etc...”