The two pictures included here are representations of what my classroom currently looks like and how I would reconstruct it if I was given the resources to do so. The biggest thing that I changed in this case is switching the types of furniture that I have included for students to use in my space.
I always keep around 30 desks in my room to make sure that there is enough space for all of my students. I follow that same model here, but I switch up the style of furniture. Currently, I use mostly pods of four desks to encourage collaborative learning between my students. In the back of my room I have some space for rows of single desks as well for students who do not want to be sitting in the pods. I used to have only pods but at the end of last school year I made a section dedicated to rows because not every student wants to sit in the pods.
In my redesigned classroom, I maintain about the same number of spots for students but I have changed how it will be arranged. I specifically added more options for seating to expand on the idea of helping students feel like they have options in their learning environment. I added not only a couch, but also standing desks to go with the pods and rows of desks. I believe this will allow students to be more successful because they will be better able to choose their seating based on how they are feeling that day. If a student is tired, I can suggest them to try a standing desk so that they can stay awake easier. My hope would be that this would also help with student engagement.
As stated before, I want to give my students the option to choose whether they want their space to be individualistic or collaborative. Of course there are times where I will need them to do one or the other, but I want them to regularly have a choice in how their learning environment is set up. By allowing multiple options for seating, I believe that this forces the student to think about what experience is best for them and it also get them to think more about their own learning. I think that this is very important, especially with my student demographic because many of them just think of school as a prison that they have very little say in.
Some things in the room that I would not be changing are not included in the picture. One of those is my preferred lighting for the classroom. I try not to use the overhead lights in my classroom because I feel like the lighting is a bit harsh. I always light my room by using the natural light from the windows and clear Christmas lights that I have hanging around the room for the entire year. I feel like these lights are softer and the students prefer this type of lighting. I also have my entire ceiling decorated with flags from different countries because one of the subjects that I teach is World History. I also have some assorted posters and instructional materials that I would keep up.
My top priority in my space is that my students feel welcomed because so many other classrooms at my school are incredibly depressing. One thing I did to help further build that classroom community this year was that I brought in a Christmas tree and I had my students decorate it with ornaments that they wanted to bring from home. I was blown away by the amount of ornaments that the kids brought. It truly made me feel like I am achieving my goals of making my students feel welcomed.
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