Classroom designs have become very significant whenever it comes to how students will learn best. Teachers have discovered there can be a direct link between learning by their students and the placement of desks, the lighting that is provided, and the location of the students to where information may be presented. Formal lectures are being replaced by activities which allow students to work in groups, actively participate in discussions, and complete tasks independently. In other words, the design of the classroom is linked, in various ways, to the success experienced by students.
Teachers need to plan what their classrooms will look like each year and, in some cases, each time they create activities that warrant a change in furniture placement and areas for students to work. There are some important steps that can be taken while planning a new design and matching the classroom to the teacher's style of teaching.
Create a Classroom Floor Plan
When beginning to create a classroom design, it helps to have some type of floor plan that is drawn prior to moving desks and furniture. Teachers must decide what areas do they want to have readily available to their students. Once they list what those areas will be, they then begin to look at the furniture that will be used to create the individual spots in the classroom. Teachers must include the fact that the classroom begins at the doorway where students will enter and exit each day.
Organizing a room that provides different areas for learning helps create a learning environment that is both inviting and inspiring. Students will enjoy using the different areas because each will match a particular scheduled activity or lesson daily. They will also see a classroom which allows them to anticipate group learning and independent working activities. In other words, the classroom sends messages that suggest the students will have positive experiences and opportunities.
Create Walls for Learning
Bulletin boards and wall space should be used as places for visuals that relate to the skills being studied. They are not areas for decorations nor student work but rather should be areas in a classroom that extend the students' learning. The walls become the places for information that will help the students to review and remember.
A new and innovative concept is the focus wall. The focus wall is a space in the classroom where information is displayed for the students. This information is related to what the students will be learning for the week. The focus wall becomes a resource which helps the students have an easy reference for completing the various activities that are being presented in lessons. Teachers who have used focus walls state that their students will actually read what is on the wall or bulletin board during free time.
Create Classrooms that Invite Participation
Whenever a teacher is designing his classroom, placement of the students' desks becomes a priority. Some teachers believe that desks should always be placed in rows and facing the front of the classroom. In many cases, this arrangement does not always meet the needs of students.
Teachers should consider arranging the desks so that they can easily move throughout the classroom and reach each student. One arrangement involves placing the desks into groups of four or five. This allows for the teacher to move easily from student to student. It also provides opportunities for cooperative learning activities and group monitoring.
Classroom designs can determine whether students will enjoy a lesson or will have opportunities to not be actively involved. Whenever teachers take the time to plan various ways to arrange their classrooms, they will discover that what they select can enhance what they teach.
Donna Hupe - I am a retired teacher with 31 years of experience including teaching in a private school for special needs children, directing and ...
