SWC #7: Setting Up My Classroom

As I was reviewing pictures from the beginning of the year, I realized that I had completely thought about what my process what before setting up my essential agreements and unpacking the central idea.  When we are stuck in the work, it's difficult to think beyond, especially if you are reflecting backwards.  Here's my attempt to recreate those early moments. 

I decided from early on that I was not going to set up my classroom on my own.  If I truly wanted to have an agentic classroom, I would need my learners to help me make design decisions. I decided to push the desks and chairs to one corner of the room until the first day of school.  Nothing was on the walls, even for parent open house.  I made it clear that I wanted to create a space where the learners felt empowered to make decisions about the environment and their learning. 

At the same time, I knew I need to get my materials together, so they aligned with the big ideas from my units of inquiry.  My school purchased the Fountas & Pinnell classroom library kits and I wanted to use them intentionally.  I matched the genres, purposes for reading/writing, and the central ideas of the units of inquiry to choose my titles.  

For instance, we are currently learning about the transition between narrative fiction to realistic fiction as a bridge to nonfiction.  The books available in this series include biographies, relatable realistic fiction stories, and expository texts.  This range of titles has helped my learners to see how we go from facts to fictionalized stories.  This has been powerful. 

Here is an example of how the texts are displayed in my classroom.  I brought titles from home that are just for fun.  Learners have a range of titles to read when they are looking for something beyond Raz-Kids or Epic Books. 

One thing that has changed for me is involving the learners in every design decision, not just about learning.  We are constantly in dialogue about what is working within our learning environment and how it can be improved.  

It's still a work in progress, which is why I am attending the responsive learning environment workshop with Sean Walker and Anne van Dam in January 2025.  I don't want to be good, but I want to be better. 

One thing that made my heart burst one day was seeing how well my learners were able to self-manage without me being present.  These small moments are what you hold onto when it feels like nothing is working out.  My kiddos were struggling with organizing their materials, but they finally figured it out.