my thoughts on my current space My current classroom has a lot of open space, which is much more than a lot of the other teachers in our cohort are blessed with. I have ample storage and walking room, as well as access to natural light because my classroom has a view to our school's courtyard. The main issues that I would like to see addressed by this remodel is comfort, flexibility, and decrease in transition time within the classroom. I teach two very different types of classes. In the intervention class, over 90% of what we do utilizes small groups. However, in the upper-level Algebra 2 class, students express the desire to flex in and out of groups depending on the activity at hand. If I am modeling a new concept on the board, students want an easy way to face forward and decrease distraction. I would like to improve sight lines and help encourage students to group together organically for activities and projects.
|
|
Some notes about my room from an outside perspective
(Notes taken by jim leishman during a classroom visit)
- No traffic issues with transition of students. Plenty of room for students coming and going.
- Largest structures in room are the 6 1/2' tall cabinetry. Possible to remove and replace with smaller, multi-purpose storage?
- Heating unit runs 1/4 the length of wall that looks out on court.
- Large room with enough room for 34 desks and still has walking room
- Chairs are set up in pods, so students can only enter desks from left or have to climb over
- Teacher station is L shaped and only accessible to students from side. Forms barrier between teacher and students
- Computer screen is oriented so that teacher's back is to students when typing
- 2 filing cabinets - needed? Go digital?
- All students using white boards (students missing white boards and had to find) need centralized storage?
- 6 windows open on court. Blinds down on one more set of windows by teacher station
- Document camera is on a rolling cart with supplies needed.
- 3 sets of track lighting run length of room. Middle set of lights are turned off for projector viewing.
- 2 plexiglass covered insets 2'x3' in ceiling. Can they be covered or integrated?
- Students backpacks are scattered on floor near their desks. Can backpack storage be incorporated, like table stands?
- Wifi access point cabling hanging down in corner
- "Push to Call" does not work except to mute announcements. Does not fit with 21st century classroom environment
what do students want?
I have done several types of data collection to gather input from my students. The results are featured in a sub-page titled "Inspiration Student Data" in the task bar above.