C71: Designing Other School Spaces

This week, I’m excited to report to you from New London, CT.  It’s a beautiful seaside town with a lot of history in its six square miles.  I’m here working with a PYP school to restructure their library according to the six transdisciplinary themes, as well as generifying their novels, creating a lower primary section, and a place for the learner profile and key concepts to come to life.  This has been such a fun project, because I’m creating a space where learners will become readers.  Isn’t this the best part of teaching?  

This process has sparked an internal debate that led to a singular question.  When thinking about learning space design, do we consider other spaces besides the homeroom class?  I would venture to say, most of us don’t, which is something I want to examine in this podcast episode. 

​Instead of examining each of the main learning spaces, let’s examine the considerations for each space through the various learners.  Think of these considerations when designing: 
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• School library
• Computer lab
• Music room
• Gymnasium and outdoor play area
• Science lab
• Art room
• Counseling Center

Other spaces to consider that students engage with on a regular basis

• Front office
• Nurses office

As I consider all of these spaces around the school, I have examined the needs of the different types of learners with exceptional learning needs.  Although the ideas were inspired by them, I think all the learning space designs can be used with all learners. ​

Learners that Engage in Multiple Languages​

When I was thinking of the language learner and learning space design, some ideas that came to mind were picture/word labels and primary language representation.  This can benefit all learners, but they in particular help language learners to navigate throughout the day with visual cues.

• All learning spaces would benefit from being labeled with pictures and words.  For instance, I created a lower primary/elementary science lab and each drawer, and cabinet door was labeled with pictures and words.  This makes it easier to find materials, but it also allows learners to independently craft their own learning experiences.  

• As I go into the music room, how is the learner’s primary language represented?  Is there a space where all children see and experience their own language within the classroom design?  With music, it is so simple to incorporate music and songs from the cultures of learners within their classroom. For instance, a teacher had learners recite a simple song in English and asked them to have their parents translate it into their primary language.  This small act showcases the diversity of language, as well as, the celebration within the context of learning.  These small acts go a long way in building international mindedness too.

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• Are all classrooms curated with a similar process?  Are their items that we are looking for in a learning space design irrespective of the subject?  This is something to consider when establishing a school culture of learning space design.  Just because a teacher may be instructing in the gym, they can have similar elements of design, so language learners do not have to unlearn and relearn in every setting.  It will increase their confidence as they navigate throughout the day. 

Learners that Thrive with Learning Disabilities

When thinking of learners with physical, emotional, and/or mental disabilities, I naturally thought of access to resources and places to decompress.  All learners benefit from this, but how can we incorporate them into a wider variety of spaces?  

• Accessibility to resources is one of the greatest obstacles to learner independence.  When a teacher controls all of the materials behind closed shelves, they are sending a clear message to their learners.  These are my materials and my space.  Unfortunately, I must admit that I was this teacher at the beginning of my career, especially when I moved abroad.  Although we had a lot of resources, the schools didn’t have everything, so I would shop every time I returned to the U.S.  When items are precious, you conserve as much as you can, but at what cost?  This is a lesson I had to learn on my own.  When learners enter your space as a specialist or supporting teacher, do they feel comfortable engaging within it?  This requires trust on both parts. In particular with learners with disabilities, I consider if the materials being used are physically accessible to all. Have you thought about this with your learning space design? 

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• One of the best things I did as a teacher was to provide a place for learners to decompress.  We called this the Chill Out Zone.  Is there a chill out zone in every classroom or is this reserved only for the homeroom teacher?  This is a simple thing that can have a huge impact on the effectiveness of your lessons.  If children in PE have a chill out zone inside of a hoola hoop in the corner, they will be able to self-regulate their behavior before hurting themselves or others.  Think about it. 

​Learners that Excel in Certain Areas

When thinking of gifted/talented learners, I was inspired by a bookstore layout to a space.  The gifted learner likes the space to be purposeful and orderly, so they can manipulate materials to create.  All learners benefit from this type of learning design. 

• Is the learning design layout intuitive and bookstore style?  What do I mean by this?  Are the materials in the other learning spaces clearly organized and labeled?  Can learners find materials easily, so they can independently work on their own?  I think of a bookstore, where learners are able to browse different genre sections until they find what they are looking for.  For instance in the art room, are the materials organized intuitively based on the style of art?  Can learners discern the purpose of the materials without you? 

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• For those spaces that aren’t designed for creation, such as the school library and counseling center, are there some maker spaces to allow learners to create on their own?  Have you considered a lego wall with a bucket of lego pieces below?  This may seem like simple materials in a counseling center, but it can help all learners to decompress and innovate at the same time. 

​I know this episode has been all over the place, but learning space design influences how a child learners.  If we only consider it for the homeroom classroom, then we set an unsaid rule that the specialist and supporting classes are “different” and we don't have to act the same way.  Think about it.