change is good: first steps

with the arrival of spring, i felt it was time to make some big changes to our classroom. after a long winter i found that the children, as well as myself, had become a bit stuck in our routines. i had a lot of changes in mind but was somewhat daunted by my growing list of ideas. what would be the first step?

it turns out the answer was simple, and presented itself organically. on a gray, rainy-ish, april morning we decided to take the kids out for a walk around the neighborhood. our first stop was our community farm, where we may soon be able to plant some seedlings in a shared "ed bed" for schools in the neighborhood:

it was locked! but we still got to take a peek inside. we also noticed the plants and flowers that were growing just outside of the farm's gates...

next stop, the IKEA park:
we passed by this crane, which provided excellent fodder for the imaginative minds of my three, four, and five year olds. what could it be? if only they could climb it...

the tracks were particularly intriguing...

on our way back to school we took some time to admire the spring colors in the neighborhood:

this tree is a block from our school. we admired it's white blossoms and bright green leaves.

we were also enchanted by the way the bus stop sign was shrouded by the branches, blossoms, and leaves of the tree:

and we loved the way the green and white blossoms mixed with the purple and pink blossoms on these trees. just a few blocks down from this corner is the waterfront. i can't imagine a more well-situated school, to be located within close walking distance of a community farm, a waterfront, and urban green spaces:


our walk gave me the burst of energy and inspiration i needed to embark on my series of spring changes. it was wonderful to take a fresh look at the neighborhood i've come to know so well, and be reminded of all it has to offer.

classroom design: shared rooms

my little one-room schoolhouse that could will, eventually, be growing into a two-room schoolhouse. in thinking about how to design this new space, i have been very excited (and overwhelmed) by all the creative possibilities. i am also acutely aware of the constraints of time, budget, and space. viewed in one light, these constraints could be seen as burdensome and limiting. viewed in a more optimistic light, however, these constraints can be seen as lending some structure and boundary (two things i am quite fond of as a preschool teacher!) to an otherwise limitless set of possibilities.

the expansion of my school will involve moving from having one mixed-age classroom to having two classrooms. the classrooms might be two equally mixed-age classrooms, or may be divided by age. though these two classrooms will be separated...

(perhaps like this)

... i am really interested in the idea of creating common spaces for children from both classes to work together. i especially like the idea of common work spaces where children at different ages can come together to exchange ideas. the common work space suits my educational philosophy and approach and, i expect, will fit nicely within my school's space and budget constraints.

here are the common work spaces i have in mind:

an art area, inspired by the reggio atelier:


a dramatic play area:


and a block area (picture a much bigger space, filled with many such buildings!):

classroom design: secrets, small spaces, and special places

this post over at Global Mama got me thinking about how little nooks and crannies are often what make the biggest impression on those who inhabit a space. i've always loved small spaces - i feel cozy in them, i feel safe in them, and i feel like i know every inch of the space. there's something about a small space to me and, i've observed, to children, that feels extra special and almost wondrous. i know a child who has spent many hours creating beautiful drawings and mixed-media collages, only to then fold them into one tiny piece, shroud them in layers of paper and tape, and give them away as presents. she calls these presents "a secret." and that's just how a small space feels to me. like a secret. something that i can call my own, and only i know all the ins and outs of it, the special nooks and crannies, the beauty that lies in the corners and the shadows.

for children, i think part of the magic of a nook, a cranny, a small, enclosed space is that it provides a stage for their dramatic play, a place where their imagination can unfold, and their ideas can develop. in thinking about designing a new classroom, i find myself wanting to create these little spaces for children - spaces that will fit the children's desire to act our their fantasies and will also inspire them and arouse their senses.

whenever i visit new places, i find myself taking photographs of windows, doors, gates, and paths. these are the things that pop out to me in a new place: the special spaces, the nooks and crannies. they inspire me, they activate my imagination, and they provide a backdrop for my fantasies. i love a good window, both how it looks and what it looks upon:

windows in homes:



old church windows:



and nature's windows:



i also love doors, gates, fences, and archways. they can be inviting, welcoming, charming, partly hidden, and well-situated:





they can stand alone:


they can tell a story:


and they can lead you down a path:

Classroom Design: What's on Your Mind?

As a teacher or parent, what is important to you about the design of your classroom? Does it need to be a particular size? Is natural light important? Do you prefer one big open space, or a space that is divided into areas?

How do you imagine the children, or your child in particular, moving throughout the space? Do you want them to be able to run around the classroom? Do you want their movement to be constricted in any way, by the arrangement of furniture in the room? Do you want their movement to be directed by the structural design of the space, such as the location of walls, built-in nooks, doors?

How would you like the space to feel? Cozy? Clinical? Warm? Homey? Modern? Minimalist? Cluttered?

What kind of space do you imagine your child, or the children in your class, liking? Is what you imagine a child to like the same as what you like? Is it different?

If you could start from scratch, what would you do?

Meeting of the Minds

I think there's a need for more forums for teachers and parents to come together to communicate openly, honestly, and respectfully about their thoughts on education. I'd like this blog to serve as such a forum. I'll share my ideas and I encourage other teachers, parents, and any interested parties to do the same. I generally try to avoid using cliches, but in this case I think the cliche is true: teachers and parents need to be partners in their children's education. In order to find success as partners, and ultimately succeed in providing quality education for children, teachers and parents must find ways to communicate openly, honestly, and respectfully. Similarly, teachers need to come together with each other to share ideas and collaborate. I invite you to tell me what's on your mind!