Hello everyone, hope ur doing great We all know that most of us started school maybe already and the rest are starting soon like me and most of us started to think of new ideas for this year.. One of my problems that I wish to overcome this year with ur help is related to the size of my classroom and how I can turn it to a very interesting place... My classroom is so small and it hardly fits 14 stuedents with their chairs and desks put in two rows facing each other's. So basically it's kind of square, two rows for the desks and the other walls for smart board and white board. I notice a lot that the students hate the idea of chairs and desks in general and they love to feel free to sit wherever they want, I guess it's kind of way to break the routine in classrooms' world, so I thought of changing that to have couches , carbit ...etc to take them out from what they feel but the school couldn't help neither I was able to buy of course ... So I need very interesting ideas since they are high school girls and I want them to really feel the difference in my classroom I will appreciate your ideas Thanks a lot
Where are you planning to get this furniture from and how will it get cleaned? Bed bugs, lice, etc. not to mention your custodians might also have input.
First you should check with your admin and other teachers regarding school culture and furniture guidelines... If you get the go ahead, scour free sites for giveaway bistro tables, stools, coffee tables, etc...Anything upholstered needs to be super clean and carpet should be steam cleaned....the freedom and choice of seating will need to be prefaced by some guidelines and rules. You don't want your new arrangement to lead to lax attitudes and behaviors.
I had some pretty crappy classrooms at a school (they were dirty and ugly, not small, but...). I simply started going outside to teach a lot of the time. Nearby woods allowed talks about plant life and how early civilization lived (for biology and social studies, respectively), and all kinds of science experiments can be done with things outdoors. Then again, this was middle school (7th grade), your mileage may vary.
Classroom arrangement can certainly boost your students' educational experience. I've also found that little touches to the environment add to the atmosphere, and recent research indicates they enhance learning. One such idea might be the Smartboard. During off times, such as entering the classroom, perhaps a webcam site, such as what a zoo might provide or other safe resource, would add some charm to the décor.
I know flexible seating is all the rage now. I would take to a teacher who does it or is thinking about doing it. I know there are all different kinds of chairs and desks available. If you decide to go ahead with it, maybe you can look into an educational grant or donations. I would think this would cost at least $300-500. Or maybe try something simple like crates with cushions on top that you could make? Personally, I feel that my students need their desks for most of the work we do. However, when they are reading silently or doing group work, we shift to the hallway, floor, and little clusters around the room. The rule is that they get moved if they can't handle the freedom. Some students really can't seem to handle it, but I try not to let that ruin it for the rest of the class. I could not stand this arrangement though permanently especially during direction type of instruction.
