The risers make their appearance at my new school.

Over the winter break, I brought in the risers. 

I followed previous students' advice and introduced them very slowly.  (Actually,  the first time I introduced the risers, I did it slowly because it took me so long to build them! )  Now, I brought them in slowly because I wasn't sure how my wacky ideas would be received in my new school.

With my students this year,  I'd built up a lot about the use and expectations on the risers before bringing them in. 

The kids love them.  They get the idea of using them for self regulation,  moving on them when their bodies feel wiggly, standing by them when they need to stretch while working, and gathering on them like bleachers when we need to meet together as a group. 

The parents have been supportive too.  We had our student led conferences last week, and they were interested and curious. Some of them stretched out on the risers or kneeled beside them on the floor as they looked at their child's learning.  One dad was saying how he tells his coworkers about the different things we are trying, but his coworkers don't really believe or understand what he tells them.

My staff's reaction has been very varied.  My principal has been very supportive. He understands about trying things in different ways, and we've been attending a seminar series on self regulated learning.   The other teachers are interested ("Hey, what are those things?") or oblivious (because I've kept the arrival of the risers very quiet).

The custodial staff has been really terrific.  I tweak and rearrange everything every couple of weeks.  Desks are moved out and stored in the hallway as we transition onto the risers.  I have carpets for floor work and to hide extension cords which means sweeping and vacuuming can be a puzzle.  Not once have the custodians complained, and we communicate with each other to see what works for them and for students' learning.   In fact one replacement caretaker said the riser set up was the most innovative thing he'd seen in a classroom.  He totally understood the intent, and wished he'd had them when he was a squirmy young boy. 

Deleted comment.

Sorry Stephie,

I inadvertentally deleted your comment on my pesky tablet.

Stephie has left a new comment on your post "You Want to Get Rid of Your Desks?": 
I wonder if you have come across the Moveable Classroom concept? In case not: http://www.pinehill.org/movableclassroom

Woodworking plans for the benches are available online. 

I will check this out.  I find Waldorf intriguing.  I will also look at your own site too.

http://florincecily.blogspot.com

Thanks for sharing,
Greg

Classroom Designers Unite!

Okay, I admit it.  Once in a while, I google my own name.  I am always curious about what comes up and what rises to the top. Apparently, I am highly rated at a school at which I have never taught.  There is an apartment in Seattle which I never bought but I am on record as doing so.

One hit that really surprised me though was when my name came up in a site in Ireland. Going to the site, curiosity gave way to interest as it turned out to be a scholarly site about Classroom Design!  Then I got really excited as I read Caoimhe McMahon's post.  Caoimhe is a grad student who is investigating about how classroom environments impact posture and learning.

I was so happy to hear that someone is studying the effects of classroom design.  If you've been reading this blog, you know how I've been poking at classroom design for the past Couple of years but in an ad hoc way.  I feel really validated that serious study is being done on a subject that I am stumbling around in the dark about but still a subject that I feel has untapped value.

If you are like me, a homegrown classroom designer, check out Caoimhe's and other posts.


www.movingeducation.net/news/5-examples-learning-spaces/

Sound Lesson

I did this lesson for my older buddy class next door.  It was an apology for making so much noise the week before.  I was teaching my grade 2 class about how stringed instruments had evolved from lutes and mandolins to really loud electric guitars and basses.  I made too much noise and totally disrupted the class next door.  When I heard they were learning about sound in science anyway, I thought I could teach them a similar lesson, but from a science point of view instead of a historical one.

Later on, I found out that the lesson had impacted one of the students.  It was the first time she really started to get the idea of sound as vibrations and waves. I told the students that sound comes from vibrations. They held their throats while they hummed different sounds. I showed them that sound travels out in waves by shaking and oscillating a long skipping rope but it really became clear when I showed them sound waves of my voice as I spoke, using an Oscilloscope app on my tablet.

This really got the attention of that student, who happens to be deaf. She could see that high pitched sounds had short fast waves and low loud sounds had long, large waves.  And when I played my bass really loud she could feel the vibration go right through her body.

I am glad that the lesson was so successful for her. It is a great feather in my cap that I was able to help a deaf person understand some concepts about sound.  BUT it is bittersweet because it was accidental, it wasn't my own class, and with the changes in curriculum, I don't know if I'll ever do that lesson again.

Still worth it.

Responses from my new school

A few people have asked what kind of reaction I am getting to my classroom at my new school.  I am happy to say it has been really, really positive.

When I was setting up my classroom, my new colleagues would stop by for a gander. The custodians have been so great and accommodating (the custodian from my last school put in a good word for me).  Then we were rotating different groups of students through our classrooms the first couple of weeks, I would get some "oooohs" when they'd first walk in. 

Two weeks ago, we had the Meet the Teacher night, and I received some great feedback from parents.  They were really curious about the look of the classroom.  I explained I wanted to create a calm
inviting atmosphere that promotes curiosity and creativity, a place that responded to the needs of my learners.  The parents all seemed to understand this without thinking I was too odd.  One had even perused this blog before meeting me. (Hi KY).

The funny part was over the course of the two hours, I kept seeing these families walking around the classroom and I couldn't figure out whose parents they were.  It turns out they actually didn't have a child in my class, but were curious and came in for a look.   I liked that.

It is interesting seeing how my design investigation is playing out in a different setting.  In this case, though my classroom does look different from a lot of others, I haven't done anything too too radical.  No risers. No lap desks. I still have a desk. Students still have desks.

Will I make the big changes? Probably not right away. It will depend on what my students and I need.