Classroom design has become a huge part of my work day. As teachers catch wind of flexible seating, I am getting booked left and right to consult on classroom set up. From layout suggestions to grant writing, teachers are excited to free up space in their room which allows for a better flow of learning. With or without devices in hand, we need to consider the needs of students. Should they sit at a desk? table? on a chair? stool? stand? What do the students need in their learning environment in order to learn best. Teachers want me to tell them, but it's best to put it back on the students and let the space dictate, to some degree, where they sit. An article came our recently about classrooms being like a Starbucks. I laughed a bit when I read it because 4 years ago I set up my own classroom to have the students sit against a window to achieve the coffee house feel of looking out at life while contemplating. 35 years ago, my own brother was a kindergartener who was put in the "timeout box" for day dreaming. How absurd. Day dreaming? How about brainstorming and letting ideas wind around in his head until they were ready to be released publicly. Create zones for students to feel like day dreaming is welcoming, or to work on a project with any size collaborative group, and to come together and listen to one person tell a story or sharing a new idea. This is what makes up the classrooms of today. In the flexible learning classroom not everyone needs a desk.. everyone simply needs a place to work. Take a look here for more ideas.
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Kate White
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