The New Classroom

After documenting Taryn’s classroom makeover, I thought I better start to document changes to my new classroom.

The Move

There were cuts in our district this year which meant my innovation job evaporated, and due to really tight staffing, I had to leave the school I’ve been at for the last 8 years (2 years as a Literacy Support Teacher and then 6 years as a classroom teacher).  I loved that school and we built an awesome framework that really works for all kinds of kids.

Most of all, I will miss the staff immensely.  Just to give you an idea of what kind of people they are, they saw how much stuff I had to move and organized my move to the next school.  If you’ve seen the pictures of my classroom, you know how much stuff I have.  I boxed everything that needed to be boxed (50+ boxes), and my (former) staff got a team and a posse of vehicles, and moved everything over to my new school in FORTY-SIX MINUTES.  I am so grateful to them.

The Neglect 

We put the boxes into designated zones I set up in my classroom (e.g. classroom library, art cupboard, etc.), and then I went and had a great summer (Europe, Sunshine Coast, horseback riding, small day trips and visits).  I ignored the slightly organized materials I left in my new classroom.  Until the week before school started.

The New School

My new school is an old school in a rapidly expanding neighbourhood.  It is about double the size of my former school.  The school looks like it is about sixty years old with one wing that was renovated in the last ten years.  My classroom is in the older wing. 

Last June, when I learned where my new classroom was going to be, I took a few snaps to help me figure out where everything was going to go.

The Positives

There are so many positives about this classroom.

• There is a cloakroom.  I like having a real cloakroom.  No, I don’t use it for cloaks, but for having coats, boots, umbrellas, and backpacks out of sight but still accessible, you can’t beat it.  There is also plenty of shelving up top for my materials and resources (remember 50+ boxes?).  The cloakroom is also a built in cave space for students who want to work in isolation, but still be in the classroom. 
• It is a good size.  Even with the cloakroom, it is a little bigger than my last classroom which was a bigger than a lot of classrooms I’ve seen.
• There are good high ceilings.  The ceiling is a nice paneled natural wood.
• There is a wall of windows.  The windows look out to a close greenbelt.  The windows are north facing, so this does give some natural light that is reflected off the greenbelt.  Under the windows is a bank of shelves for my classroom library and games. 
• The bulletin boards are painted a gentle sky blue, while the shelves and cupboards are a slightly darker blue.  A calm, cool colour. 
• There is a sink. This means painting, hand washing, and espresso!

The Challenges

• Outlets.  There are only two electrical outlets in the whole room on opposite sides; none in the middle or by the front whiteboard.  I’d gotten a little spoiled by having a Smartboard and projector, but I think I can live without them.  I don’t know if I can live without zone lighting, some kind of voice amplification, and said espresso machine.  The lack of outlets also dictates where things like my teacher’s desk (yes, Lori, I have one) go.  
• The Grate.  In order to protect the windows from vandals, there is a heavy duty 2 cm grid on all of those beautiful windows.  The grid gives a prison feel to the windows.  It also gives me a constricting feeling because of the predominance of squares and right angles to the room.  I can’t take down the grate, but I’ll need to do something to soften up the room.  
• Lack of Organic.  Apart from the ceiling, the wood teacher’s desk, and the paneled ceiling, there is nothing else that is natural feeling in the room.  It feels a bit cold and lifeless.  

 

Considerations

My first instinct was to do nothing, and for two months during the summer, I totally acted on that instinct.  My loose plan for the week before school was just to arrange my students’ desks so they’d have some place to sit the first day.  My daughter came in and organized my classroom library.  While she did that, I unpacked a few boxes, and just kind of stared at the room. 

I started to think that what I did in my last classroom was not going to work in this one.  The lack of outlets and therefore the lack of AV was going to change the focus.  I couldn’t put my light draperies up on the windows to soften the space because I wasn’t sure what to do with the old ones.

And that’s the difference.  In my last school, I did make radical changes to my classroom (i.e. getting rid of almost all of the students’ desks, replacing overhead lighting with spot lamps, eschewing borders and store bought posters, turfing my teacher’s desk and filing cabinet, bringing in the risers I built, etc.), but only after I’d been at that school a few years.  By that time, I had built up a relationship with students, parents, fellow teachers, my administrator, and most of all the custodial staff. 

I can’t tell you how important it is to forge a strong relationship with your custodians if you are going to make changes, especially unorthodox ones, to your classroom.  They are the ones who are going to have to clean different or more surfaces.  If you bring a carpet into a tiled school, they are going to make an extra trip to drag a vacuum down to only your room.  Custodians will need the same access to electrical outlets.  If you set up your room in different zones, they are going to have to navigate their way around to sweep.  The custodians have been tremendous in cleaning my room and in their patience in the changes I made and the frequency of the changes I made. 

But at my new school, it is a bit early to make really radical changes.  If I get rid of my drapes, desks, and filing cabinet, is there a place I can store them?  If I leave can the next teacher get them back?  I can’t do things like get rid of student desks until I know it is going to work for them, and that I’ll have their support, staff support and parent support.

The Plan (for now)

But I can make small cosmetic changes.

As I said, I wasn’t going to do anything at first, but it turns out that part of the bonding process with my new school is putting my mark on my new classroom.  It did not reflect me as a teacher.  I needed it to be warmer, and more friendly feeling.

Here are some of the things I did to make the room more me:

• put down a couple of cozy carpeted areas for kids to meet, work, or play.
• put up some really big clocks to break up all of the right angles in the room.
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• hung my window draperies, not by the windows, but around the room, like the entrance ways, to make the entrance more welcoming.
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• put in a few area lamps to create some inviting spaces to limit the use of the life-sucking overhead fluorescents. 
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• hung some fabric under the big front whiteboard to hide some unpainted areas.
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• arranged a couple of display areas. 
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• suspended just a couple of sheers to soften the space.  I made sure to keep them out of the sprinkler’s spray area.
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• hung the empty frames, waiting for students’ creations.  I still may take them down as they add to the boxy nature of the room.
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• set up the espresso station.  This is purely for my own gratification.
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Science Log test

Before and After: A Classroom Transformation (not mine!)

 

It’s funny.  I heard about Taryn when I was doing the Bright Ideas Gallery and I was looking for teachers for the who were using technology in classrooms.  I contacted Taryn, and somehow we got around to talking about classroom design instead. 

She told me about her frustrations with her classroom: it was difficult to move around, it seemed too busy, and it was impossible for project work.  Her biggest problem I heard was the classroom just didn’t FEEL right; it did not fit with her personal style of teaching.

Taryn came to my classroom and we talked some more.  I told her about the Third Teacher, and then I visited her class in action.  I took a few photos and sent her some suggestions, (e.g reduce the visual noise, use more of the natural lighting from the window, etc.). 

Months later, Taryn invited me back to her classroom, and I was astounded by the transformation.  It was like one of those design shows on TV! 

Below are some before and after shots.  I grouped them into different areas of the classroom starting in one corner and proceeding to the right. 

 

Corner 1

Before

 

After

Taryn got rid of the Word Wall and colourful borders to reduce the amount of visual stimulation.  She did keep up displays, like the CAFÉ chart, that she uses on a regular basis.  She brought down the overhead lighting and replaced it with soft lights that accent cozy spots.  Notice the coffee table for group or project work. 

 

Front of the Classroom

Before

  

After

Again, Taryn eschewed bright borders and backing paper in favour of no borders, neutral backgrounds, and muted earth tones for a soothing, cohesive feel.

 

For sitting in the whole class area (campfire), she has low tables, a faux leather ottoman, and had her husband build multi-level risers after seeing mine.  (His are better built). 

 

Corner 2

This was an useable spot for work originally.  I think it was used for storage (behind that rolling trolley). 

 

After

Taryn turned it into this beautiful oasis, that is sectioned off visually with the sheer curtain, which still affords visual contact and supervision.

She brought in a nice bookshelf, a carpet, and some throw pillows.  ON the shelf are the students’ photos of their families to keep that great homey feel.  A great stress reliever.

 

Window Area

Before

Taryn had her storage trolleys, two filing cabinets, and some book displays made of PVC gutters blocking access to her beautiful windows.

After

She got rid of all of it.  The windows provide great natural light especially to the reading nook above in the corner, and high stool area.  Again, she got her handy hubby to create a high riser so students could work while sitting on the stools.

 

Cloakroom

Before

Oddly, when the school was built, to save money, no doors were installed on the cloakroom. 

After

Taryn covered  the top layer with a removable curtain to hide the seldom used items up top.  Student materials on the next layer down are stored out of sight in storage bins.  Taryn left the hook area open for easy access.

 

Sink

Before

After

Taryn again covered unsightly storage items behind a small, neutral curtain.  She also added some greenery to add to the natural elements of the classroom.

 

Taryn accomplished all of her goals for her learning space.  She created inviting common areas and got rid of some of her students’ desks to create more flow.   There are a variety of breakout spaces for individual and group project work. The chaotic décor is replaced with soothing tones and low lit or naturally lit spaces.  And most of all, the environment fits Taryn warm personality and the connections she makes with her students at a personal level.  Now her classroom feels right. Taryn’s students are thrilled with their classroom and were excited to be in on the process. 

 

For Taryn’s full story in the Bright Ideas Gallery, click here.

iPods as sedation

I've been thinking more about how listening to an iPod helps me to cope with overwhelming situations. It is almost like I'm given a mild sedative in the same way Gravol helps people with motion sickness.

I read about how Buddhists will "lean into" an irritating or overwhelming situation to understand it better and learn why the situation causes them so much anxiety. Maybe I'm just weak but it's like I need the exact opposite. I need to lean away from mild irritation so that it does not become a bigger problem. I need to distance myself from myself and the iPod helps me do that.

Music helps during waking hours. And it has to be chosen music through headphones. I was listening to familiar music today playing in a book store through their sound system. It didn't help much but once I stuck one of my headphones in, I experienced instant release. I know. Odd.

And during sleeping times, I must listen to fiction through my iPod to help me sleep. Again, it's like I need to distance myself from the thoughts swirling around in my head. Music in this case provides a soundtrack to swirling so a story seems to help me get away from myself.

I just heard on the CBC that people seem to experience less anxiety about answering questions when speaking in character (like Romeo) than when they answer personally. And FMRI show that different less anxiety related, less identity related parts of the brain are activated when responding in character. Thus I think losing myself in
Music or story helps me to regulate myself.

Hmmm. Can I buy a nicer iPod and get reimbursed from my medical plan?

And is this an acceptable way for kids to regulate themselves in schools?

Aural Spaces: How the iPod Saved My Vacation

I have a love/hate relationship when it comes to traveling.  I love seeing other places, experiencing different cultures, and meeting new people.  But there are a number of things that make traveling (and life) difficult for me: crowds, heat, and noise. 

So a couple of weeks ago, when I'm walking around the streets of Paris and there seem to be about 4 million people with me, and it is crazy hot (at least for me who likes it around 22 degrees C), and it is busy and noisy, I don't handle it very well.  I get grumpy.  With the time difference, my intestines think it is about 9 hours earlier or later (they can't decide).  I try to get my system in synch and bring my energy level up to meet the hustle of Paris by drinking lots of coffee.  It works for about an hour and then my wife tells me that I turn into an even moodier zombie as I come down from my caffeine buzz. 

With no solution to my travel woes in sight, we go on this boat cruise down the Seine.  The actual cruise was really nice (you know except for the crowd, heat and noise), but the part that affects me the most is on the way back in over the boat's PA they play "La Vie en Rose" by Edith Piaf.  I know, I know, it is probably the height of cheese because it is so obvious, so cliched (like playing "It's a Small World" at Disneyland).  As it is playing, and we pass Notre Dame, this weird tightness spreads across the lower part of my face, and I realize that I am smiling.  This is the Paris experience I came for.  My mom used to play "La Vie en Rose" around the house when I was a kid, so I guess I conjured a fantasy of Paris and cafes and bittersweet feelings and the French mystique by listening to this song.  The song is like a soundtrack to that memory, to my Parisienne experience.

The next day, it is even hotter, even more crowded.  I am still grumpy but I feel better.  This time I took my iPod with me.  When I feel overwhelmed, I can plug it in and my in-ear headphones cancel out 90% of the noise.  When I am walking with my family, I only have one ear phone plugged in, but it's enough.  The music that plays gives me just enough of a buffer that the crowds, heat, and noise, don't seem to have as much of an effect on me.  It is like I am walking through a music video.

And what am I listening to?  Luckily, I had "La Vie en Rose" on my iPod already.  I also had some gypsy jazz that fit really well.  The country music from the 40s that I downloaded for my dad seems hilariously incongruous walking down the Champs Elysee.  There are a bunch of rock tunes that keep me occupied. 

The tunes that really make me smile are the songs I recorded with my band.  We have this little band that gets together at school every Thursday.  We have a fun time and it is a nice release after teaching.  We'd play for our school once in a while, but we are really playing for our own enjoyment.  We also get together and play at each other's houses every so often.  That's when I record us.  So when I was walking through Paris or Prague, it was a treat to see these amazing places and listen to our band playing in the background.  It was like taking them along with me, blending the old fond memories of us playing with the new interesting memories being created. 


What Does This Have to Do with Classroom Environments?

As I walked around Europe, I thought to myself about how much the iPod helped me settle myself down to lessen my tension and enjoy the experience around me.  I then wondered if creating aural learning spaces would help students as well.

In previous posts, I've talked a lot about creating different kinds of spaces for different kinds of learners and different kinds of learning.  One thing I always had a problem with was the Cave.  It is easy to create large and small group learning spaces (Campfire and Watering Hole) because in a classroom, you can make spaces where we can all get together or section off for small group work.  And yes, you can designate Cave areas in your classroom for individuals, but do they really work?

Students can use a corner of the room, go under a table, use a study carrel, or work at their own desks, but is that really a private space?  Physically it is, but they still get all the noise and hubbub from the rest of the room.   You can let students go out in the hall, but then you don't have that level of contact and supervision you might want. 

As an introvert myself, I understand the need to have an isolated place for me and my own thoughts.  Music through headphones helps me create such a space, even in the midst of a chaotic foreign city.  Such an aural space would help a person like me create a personal, private space much more than a gauze curtain or room divider would. 
 
So how about letting students use earbuds to create their own Caves?