A few articles to help you find your way!
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/creating-wow-worthy-learning-spaces-todd-finley
See Below
The Basics
To rethink your student seating arrangement, select seating configurations with names like lasso, the robot, and the big x, or use Kaplan's floorplanner. Then think about classroom space fundamentals:
• Flexibility: Students and the instructor should be able to easily transition to functional spaces, such as a class library, literacy center, computer area, stage, reading nook, etc.
• Belonging: Learners should feel like the space is theirs. Put up pictures of kids and exemplary work. Put up posters that feature diverse faces.
• Interaction: By turning their seats, students should be able to quickly work with a small group.
• Attention: Show off valued materials. (Elementary school teacher Chris Weaver displays books by inserting them into cheap vinyl rain gutters attached to her walls.)
• Neat: Supplies, tools, furniture, and books should be stored instead of left out (see Scholastic's Survival Guide and list of clutter busters, and Pinterest's DIY Classroom).
• Concentration: Sound-absorbing materials and a mix of real and artificial light will help students focus. (Ask your administrator to buy Roxul Rockboard 80, Mineral Wool Board, or other cheap acoustic insulation. If a parent or administrator asks why, explain that noise can release excess cortisol, which impairs the prefrontal cortex's ability to store short-term memories.)
Also, your classroom walls are important learning real estate, spaces to fill with content-related murals, posters, banners, whiteboards, and bulletin boards.
Breakout Spaces
More than just corridor space, breakout areas are located adjacent to classrooms. They provide individual students or small groups with alternative areas conducive to learning, encouraging students to engage in collaborative group work or individual learning moments outside of the classroom. Breakout areas also reinforce the flexibility and adaptability of an educational space. Providing students with nontraditional spaces outside of the classroom lead them to view learning as a continual, ongoing process versus one that is solely reserved for the classroom.
Variety is Necessary
Today’s generation of students is more diverse than ever before. Elementary students need a variety of places to learn, and one type of space no longer accommodates all children. The traditional lecture style classroom, with rows of desks facing a blackboard, is no longer the only effective teaching (and learning) format. Providing spaces for all learners at the elementary school level involves adding flexible furniture, moveable walls and partitions and niche learning spaces (i.e. breakout areas) to a building’s design.
https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/article/classroom-spaces-work
See Below
CLASSROOM SPACES THAT WORK
Imagine spending every day in a physical space designed for people much bigger than you. To wash your hands or get a drink of water, you’d have to drag a chair over to the sink or ask a friend for a boost. Your feet would dangle in mid-air when you sat down and you’d have to crane your neck and stand on tiptoe to read the bulletin board. After the novelty wore off, it’s likely that you’d end up feeling uncomfortable, insignificant, and out of place.
Unfortunately, this is how many children feel every day in their classrooms. Whether it’s because the chairs are too big or too small, the aisles too narrow, the tables too low, or the displays too high, the message is clear: "This room was not made for you."
The sad fact is that most classroom spaces are far from ideal. Perhaps they were originally designed and built with little or no consultation with the teachers who would be working in them. Or maybe they were designed for another purpose, or with tight budgetary restrictions. And while teachers probably won’t be able to transform an inadequate classroom space into an ideal one, they can make dramatic improvements.
So, where to begin? The most obvious place is by thinking about the students. Before moving a single piece of furniture or clearing a wall for a display, learn as much as you can about the particular needs of the children you’ll be teaching by talking with families and former teachers.
Below are some general guidelines to help you create a physical environment that makes children feel comfortable and significant and that best serves their needs.
Make the Classroom Fit the Children’s Bodies
Too many times I have watched students struggle with attention and behavior problems that were clearly the result of being in spaces that were too small, too crowded, or otherwise unsuited to their physical size.
So, before you even meet the students, estimate the range of sizes based on what’s typical for that age. Use this estimate to:
• Choose desks, tables, and chairs that fit the children. Check out school furniture catalogues that offer standard height and width calculations based on grade ranges. Also, consider making modifications to the furniture you currently have.
• Select and arrange bookcases and shelves. In general, children should be able to see and be seen over any shelves. Taller shelves should be placed along the perimeter.
• Determine where to locate display areas. Displays meant for children should be at their eye level whenever possible.
• Plan the amount of space needed for class meetings. When children are sitting in a circle, there should be approximately three inches between children.
• Plan enough space for table work. Keep in mind that when children sit at a table to work, they need "elbow room" and space to spread out materials.
• Plan enough space for the children to line up at the exit door. For comfort and safety, it’s best to allow about nine inches between children.
• Plan passageways—the aisles children use to move about the room. In general, a passageway should allow two children to walk past each other comfortably.
After students arrive, observe how they use the room. Make necessary adjustments and invite the students to be part of the design process whenever possible. This gives children a sense of ownership and increases their investment in making the design work.
Plan for Children’s Special Needs
It is essential that teachers consider how the classroom design will accommodate children with special needs and help them to feel a sense of belonging in the community. To learn about a child’s needs from many perspectives, begin by having a conversation with the child, the child’s family, and the team that is developing the child’s education plan.
Depending on the child, adjustments may range from minor changes to major adaptations. A student in a wheelchair, for instance, might require additional space when sitting in a group or maneuvering around the classroom. A student who exhibits impulsivity might need two distinct work environments—one among classmates (at a table or desk group) and one by him/herself.
Having one or more one-on-one teachers aiding children with special needs will also impact the room design. Often, these teachers will need desk space of their own with access to adaptive computers and materials.
There are excellent resources available on teaching children with special needs and making accommodations for them when arranging classroom spaces. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Technical Assistance Program offers many excellent resources on their website: www.adata.org.
Consider Children’s General Developmental Needs
Although every child is unique, there are clearly predictable stages of development, which most children go through. Take, for instance, the newly discovered independence of the two-year-old, the expansiveness of the six-year-old, the inward-looking tendency at seven, or the social awkwardness at eleven.
Understanding developmental patterns will help you to create classroom spaces that work for the students. Ask yourself, "What are the general developmental traits that I can expect from the group of children I’ll be teaching?" (A list of developmental traits for children ages 4–12 and their classroom implications can be found in chapter one of Classroom Spaces That Work.
Of course, there will always be a range of chronological ages and developmental ages in any classroom. While teachers must meet the needs of every student, knowing the dominant age of the class lets you make rough predictions about the children’s developmental needs. Do you have a particularly young group of children this year? A particularly old group? Or a group with half of the children clustering in the young range and half in the older range?
This information will allow you to be more effective in creating a space that works for most of the children. As the year progresses and you come to know the students individually, you can make adjustments to best meet their changing needs.
Less is More
From Chapter two of Classroom Spaces That Work
In my twenty years of working with teachers on classroom setup, one of the biggest and most frequent problems I see is too much furniture and too many materials crowding the classroom. Not only does this create safety hazards, it creates an environment that is overstimulating, conducive to behavior problems, and difficult to keep clean. Children need uncluttered spaces to do their work and clear, safe pathways for moving about. There’s an old adage that I always try to keep in mind when organizing a classroom: Less is more.
Deciding What’s Essential
Deciding which materials and furniture to keep and which to discard, recycle, or place in long-term storage can be difficult. While there isn’t a specific formula that can be applied to every classroom, here are some general criteria that can help.
Furniture
• All furniture should have at least one clear purpose—and preferably more than one—that is relevant to children’s development and the curriculum.
• All furniture should be actively used for some part of each day—and preferably for most of each day.
• Children should be able to move safely and easily around any furniture in the room.
• All furniture should be easy to clean and allow for easy cleaning of the room.
• All furniture should be in good condition and be safe for children to use.
Materials
• All materials should have a clear purpose that is relevant to children’s development and the curriculum. It’s best if the same material can be used for more than one topic or activity.
• All materials should be used at least every two years.
• All materials should be in good condition and be safe for children to use.
Storage Space
• The criteria listed above for furniture can be applied to storage space as well.
• Every child should have at least one individual storage space, and preferably two spaces—one for learning materials and one for personal belongings such as backpacks and coats.
• Storage that is accessible only to the teacher should consume no more than a quarter of all available storage. If it consumes more, consider storing some teacher materials at home or create a teacher resource shelf in the teachers’ room or in the school library.
Two Simple Rules for Reducing Clutter
Two-Year Rule: If you haven’t used a teaching material, looked at the periodical sitting in the corner, or referenced that article pinned to your bulletin board for two years, then chances are you never will. It’s probably safe to get rid of them.
Two-Inch Rule: No pile of papers should get higher than two inches. If that pile on your desk grows two inches high, it’s time for you to sort, file, and throw away.
http://www.teachthought.com/teaching/20-things-educators-need-to-know-about-learning-spaces/
See Below
Physical spaces are central to creating a new paradigm for learning.
What might these physical spaces include or what might they look like?
1. Learning spaces should be comfortable. A new, yet simple, idea is that classrooms can be comfortable spaces where students feel at home. They might crawl up and read a book. Heppell proposes that we see few people reading in chairs outside of school, so it may be best to make cozy spaces in the classroom too.
2. A changing space with mood lighting. Lights with different colors might, according to some research, create a fresh perspective. Just like in any environment, change allows for a mental break and lighting can do a great deal to alter a space depending on the activity. As an adaptation, I have seen some classroom teachers bring in lamps from home to create softer lighting during reading times.
3. Allow different seating patterns and configurations. A variety of different furniture would allow students to work in different areas, depending on the project or time of day. Heppell’s daughter teaches at Stepping Stones, which adapts learning space for children with disabilities.
4. Create Playful spaces. Bring the fun back into learning! Play helps teams work together effectively and creates meaningful learning engagement. Heppell mentions how Google gives employees space to be playful and play acts as a “powerful motivator” for learning.
5. Notions of Time – Different ways of structuring time might be beneficial, instead of traditional scenarios with rigid schedules. Teachers might look at immersion in one subject at a time. Time lost moving students around the school might be minimized by using technology.
6. Encourage community involvement. Learning is a community effort. The philosophy that “it takes a village” to teach a child, resonates in that online communities can be used to support learning. Social media can be used to foster a sense of collaboration. The physical space of the school should also allow for other adults to participate in classrooms.
7. Shoeless learning. Yes, shoeless learning spaces. Accordingto Heppell, in Scandinavia and other countries children often learn with shoes off, perhaps because it reminds them of home and creates a relaxed learning environment.
8. Bring the outdoors in. Some model classrooms have allowed an indoor/outdoor space that becomes an extension of classroom learning. Spaces might include a door that rolls back or time to learn outside. Some studies have even found that teaching outdoors might improve grades.
9. Multipurpose spaces. Spaces that lend themselves to a variety of learning styles and activities are best. For instance, there might be an area for presentations, performances, or cooperative groups.
10. Bright spaces with plenty of light and air. For Ingenium, students preferred spaces that were colorful and special vents controlled air flow. For instance, if it started to rain, ceiling vents would close automatically. Teachers might inexpensively replicate this by bringing in a fan or being aware of the temperature of the room.
11. Technology accessibility. Classrooms that have a variety of media allow for different learning activities and might include a projector, a white board, digital cameras, laptops, satellite TV, video production, and iPad accessibility.
12. Toilet accessibility. Believe it or not, according to Heppell some research suggests children try to avoid using the toilet during the school day. Having a bathroom attached to the classroom might be a way to increase concentration and help health as well.
13. Designing for a space where students bring portable technology.
14. Spaces that foster creativity, rather than productivity. Traditional spaces designed in the industrial revolution were designed to maximize efficiency. For the 21st century, employers tend to look for teams that work organically in collaborative groups to solve problems. It would make sense to structure classrooms to reflect the needs of our global economy.
15. Tiered seating areas. Tiered areas allow for groups to convene to discuss ideas and communicate procedures. These areas are especially helpful in classrooms that employ groups regularly. They allow for a space for group instruction or presentations. The speaker can maintain eye contact and a steady volume, rather than projecting their voice. Tiered seating creates an intimate, small group discussion format. Similarly, “cozy” carpet would work well for younger children.
16. Storage areas such as cubbies and shelves. Organization is a key component of successful learning environments. A de-cluttered learning environment is free from distractions and allows the focus to be on learning. Students can move quickly through the space and easily access resources needed for various learning purposes.
17. Design for different learning needs. Rather than rows of computers facing a wall, schools can use cheap piping to conceal wires and face computers in different configurations. Layouts should adapt to the learning, rather than limiting the learner. Classrooms should be designed to allow accommodation for varied learning styles and learning disabilities. I remember taking a student with Autism to recess and being afraid of him hurting himself outside. Special foam recess areas using recycled tires, for example, might allow his time outside to be free while adapting to his safety needs.
18. Signage and displays. Small details, such as wall displays are important. For example, signage in the classroom should try to stay away from the negative. Lists of rules with DO NOT drink, eat or talk, can send a bad message. Instead, signs might include positive reinforcement. In addition, student displays can include a description of the thought process behind the work.
19. Virtual spaces. Online mediums such as skype and virtual portfolios, can be included as part of learing. Heppell argues that the future of education will turn to virtual formats.
20. Cloud Technologies.
http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/article/whose-classroom-it
Whose Classroom Is It? (ARTICLE)
by Suzy Ghosh
Responsive Classroom Newsletter: Fall 2014
One way the Responsive Classroom approach has changed my teaching is that I have learned to think of the classroom as a space that belongs to all of us, rather than as “my” space. In practice, what that means is that while I am still in charge (I am, after all, the teacher!), I do quite a few things differently now than when I started teaching.
For instance, rather than telling students what my classroom rules are at the beginning of the year, I now lead them through a process of creating rules for our community together. I used to set up the classroom so it would look “ready” when students arrived on their first day, but now I start out with mostly blank walls and bulletin boards and let students' work make the room come alive.
https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/blog/whose-classroom-it
Whose Classroom Is It? (BLOG)
by Suzy Ghosh on October 8, 2013
• Categories: First Weeks of School Classroom Organization
One way the Responsive Classroom approach has changed my teaching is that I have learned to think of the classroom as a space that belongs to all of us, rather than as "my" space. In practice, what that means is that while I am still in charge (I am, after all, the teacher!), I do quite a few things differently now than when I started teaching.
For instance, rather than telling students what my classroom rules are at the beginning of the year, I now lead them through a process of creating rules for our community together. I used to set up the classroom so it would look "ready" when students arrived on their first day, but now I start out with mostly blank walls and bulletin boards and let students' work make the room come alive. I've also shifted to opening up areas of the classroom one-by-one and introducing materials gradually instead of having everything available at the beginning.
Although a sparsely decorated room with limited supplies is different from what many people expect to see at the beginning of the year (and I do get questions from students and parents!), I'm convinced by the benefits of this student-centered approach. Building our classroom community together in concrete and meaningful ways is deeply engaging for children, and the deliberate, step-by-step teaching I do at the beginning of the year enables them to quickly become independent and take proper care of our shared space and materials.
However, until this year, there was one classroom space that I always set up myself before school started: the class library. My rationale went like this: "It's too much, there are so many books . . . it's taken me years to find ways to categorize all the books . . . I want all the books to be available right away," etc. The bottom line: I felt like that piece was too big to let go.
The turning point came when I read an article Caltha Crowe wrote a few years ago for the Responsive Classroom Newsletter, "Opening the Classroom Library." In it, she describes her students reorganizing the library into categories that made sense to them, and what she and her students gained from doing it that way. I was intrigued, and I decided to try having my third grade students sort books and build our class library.
The results were amazing! You can read more about the process and the benefits I saw in these two blog posts: “Building Our Classroom Library” and “Our Classroom Library: Reflections.”