C67: The importance of learning space design

​Welcome to our new series on the importance of the learning environment and play to support inquiry.  This has been a labor of love over the past few months as I’ve experienced my own a-ha moments about the importance of learning space design.  It sounds so intuitive, yet, it’s one of the hardest things for educators to give up.  

When I think of learning space design, I relate it to my bedroom.  About a year ago, I had the grand idea of stacking miscellaneous items in my room that had no other place to reside.  At first, it didn’t bother me, until it continued to grow like The Blob.  For any of those who haven’t seen this classic B movie, this blob comes from outer space and consumes everything in its path. At first it was very small, but it soon got out of control.  The Blob took over my living space and I had to take back control.  

About a month ago, I pulled up my shirt sleeves and decided to re-design the layout completely.  As a result, I have a library full of educator resources, children’s books, poetry books, and so much more.  My furniture is configured into a cohesive layout and everything fits.  I have designated spaces for everything, so I can find what I need at any given time.  Is it perfect by any means?  No.  I use an ironing board as my table for workshops and creating content.  The upside, I can breathe again and I actually want to work in it again.  

How is The Blob connected to classroom design?  Just like my bedroom, your control of the learning space design is like The Blob.  Your need for control is taking over to the point that it’s suffocating the agency of your learners.  Think about that one. 

How can we take control before The Blob takes over?  Give some agency to your learners over how the room is designed.  Even if we are halfway through the school year, you can make some minor changes that will make a huge impact on student ownership.  

Layout

​How is your classroom currently laid out?  Due to the pandemic, this may look differently based on the number of constraints within your school.  Some will be quite free to have learners grouped together, while others are still physically distanced.  Regardless of your working conditions, have you considered asking your learners how they want the classroom layout to look and feel? What you may feel is appropriate may actually stop or slow learning down for your learners. 

Design

​When you walk into your classroom, what does it say?  Does it reflect cute ideas off of Pinterest?  Many educators have joined the movement of adding decor that comes from Hobby Lobby and other home decor shops to make it homey.  Who is it homey for?  I recognize that we have to live in this space for most of our day, but where do learners have a say in the design?  Does it reflect their thinking, interests, and personalities?

Language

​What type of language are we using when designing the learning space?  Is it MY classroom or OUR classroom? This is a huge difference.  If you think about it, whoever designs the classroom is the one who feels ownership of the space.  If our learners are just guests in the process, the wild never truly feel “AT HOME” in our classrooms.  

Interaction

​How are learners engaging with the learning space?  Are the materials curated, so the learners can self direct their learning by using a wide variety of materials OR are they for your use only when you deem it appropriate.  We are always striving for learner independence, but they won’t be able to reach this goal if they can’t make daily decisions about their learning.  

Another consideration is size and height.  Are all the materials accessible to your learners?  Are most of the materials out of reach, because it’s too high?  If so, what does this say to your learners?  

Assessment

​The room design should reflect evidence of learning and growth.  How do your bulletin boards reflect learner growth over time?  Can they walk the pathway of their thinking without your assistance?  If not, they do not understand the bigger connections of the unit, this denotes that you are controlling too much of the learning and teaching.  

The learning space design is more than flexible seating and different stations around the room.  It’s about learners deciding how they learn best and how they can showcase this to the greater community.  It takes vulnerability and release of control on your part to allow this to happen.  The upside is that the learning environment becomes a shared creation space where deeper connections are made for all.  What are you going to change right now, so this can happen?