Classroom Setup (Part Two)

Shortly before the families started to arrive to meet with me, I've finished arranging my classroom. I've done a fair bit of reading and talking with colleagues about the Reggio Emilia approach and its foundational principles. In Reggio Emilia, the physical environment is referred to as the "third teacher" (after the parents and school teachers, I believe).

Here's our meeting area from a couple of angles:

If you notice the calendar is in French, it's because we do the calendar and weather as part of our Basic French each morning. The colourful files by the chair and the wire basket in the nightstand are basically my "teacher desk" - papers I want access to with the kids, clipboards ready to record observations, committee notes, etc. A few other files are on one other shelf, and I have a file cabinet with resource books,etc.

As you look around the room, you'll see shared supplies in a central area, books displayed and easy to access, math supplies labelled and easy to access. Children do much of their work at tables, and sometimes on the carpet of in other quiet corners if the work suits it.

Here's a shelf with science items - building items, magnets, magnifying glasses, measuring equipment, some natural items. The non-fiction books are on a shelf next to it. The basket on top contains books on our current class investigation - rocks.

This is an art corner, though it's used all day long in a variety of ways. Art supplies are stored in an organized and accessible way. We get fantastic sunshine from the south all year long through this window, so our plants are also in this corner. Plant supplies such as the watering can, gloves, trowels, and soil are stored below. The low table is a great meeting place. The higher shelf by the window is a quieter place to work alone or with a friend.

How we set up our spaces communicates our belief about what learning is and should be. It invites children to behave and value certain things, and to disregard others. My classroom is a reflection of my beliefs about teaching and learning. It shows that learning is strengthened by collaboration. It has a basic organization that helps children find the things they need, and to care for them with minimal support. It respects a variety of learning styles and preferences. I think, before the students set foot in the room, that it will support the work we do as a community this year. The test will be whether it does indeed work for children. If it does not, we will change it together. 

Why teachers "disappear" in September

Just a link to another blog that describes so well what it's like to be a teacher - and why it's not like any other job. It's a reflection on how teachers tend to "disappear" from so many parts of the lives they've lived over the summer as they become engaged in and sometimes overwhelmed by the realities of the job of being a teacher.

http://transformed.teachingquality.org/blogs/shoulders-giants/09-2012/will-i-disappear

Well said.

Classroom Setup - Day 1

Today it was time to face it - furniture moving day. Let me first stipulate that the custodial staff at my school are fabulous - I've never worked with better. However, somehow I always end up moving furniture on my own when I first come in after summer break.  This is the typical scene when I first walk in- ingeniously piled tables, boxes, and various items.

When I begin to set up my classroom, I think function first. I teach grades 3 and 4 in a multiage setting, meaning the grade 3's will remain with me for their grade 4 year as well. I'll need a whole other post to talk about the differences between that and split classrooms.

First, we need a meeting area. This is first, not only because it takes a large amount of space, but because it is the most important thing we do at school. We meet and we talk, and we listen. This is where the most important learning usually takes place - not sitting alone with our books. This is where we check in with each other to begin the day, where we share our explorations and questions, where we encourage each other and challenge each others' ideas. This is where we read together, discuss problems and big ideas, and make decisions. It is the heart of our classroom.

Second, we need spaces to work. Our work spaces are multi-functional - they must afford places to meet with small groups when we work together on a project, but must also afford quiet places for us to focus on our own thoughts. They may be used to experiment with magnets, plant seeds, play number games, paint a still life, write a story, or create an array of items to multiply or divide. In my classroom, we use tables that can accommodate many configurations, and I try to build in nooks and crannies for those who like to have quiet time.

At the end of day one, this is how it looks. There are still boxes and miscellaneous items everywhere. But the main function of each of the spaces is becoming evident, as are the traffic flow patterns.

(Apologies for the photos - I'll show the meeeting and working areas more clearly in upcoming posts.)

First Steps

Okay - it's summer of 2012, and the whole blog "fad" has likely already passed me by. But, like any learner, I'm only really able to take on something new and do it well when it has a purpose in my life, and when I am in a place where I see it's value.

Normally, I'm a crazy busy single mom of a very sporty son. This means most of my outside of school hours are dominated by practices, games, workout sessions, meetings, - not mine, but his. My role is to keep the calendar up to date, drive him where he needs to be, make sure he is fed and clothed appropriately. I know that there are many of you who know the drill. Fortunately, this makes for a happy and well-rounded boy, and a network of friends for both of us who share important values. Unfortunately, it also makes for a lack of down time for me, and the opportunity to let myself think deeply about the big things in my life and teaching career.

This summer, my son took a week's vacation with his dad, and I've found myself with an overabundance of down time. Coincidentally, I'd just started using Twitter, out of curiosity for the most part, but found it to be an invaluable tool for communication. I've become the semi-official "tweeter" for my son's Junior Elite triathlons. The families of his teammates and the provincial association have enjoyed the real-time reports from races out of province. At the same time, the Olympics has sent my Twitter account into a tailspin - giving me all sorts of perspectives and links that have completely changed and enriched the experience for me. I've found a blog by a colleague milestomes.com that has sparked some ideas. And so all these pieces have woven around and brought me back to the digital world, just as I begin to plan and imagine the upcoming school year. I hope this blog will be a venue for reflection and a place to put down and revisit the themes that echo in my head as I go back to my busy school-year life.