Learning Environments Reimagined

What a cool place for a club meeting:

I mean, how cool to just chill after school. Must be some kind of tech club, maybe coding, or webdesign, or something like that.

Except, it's actually a classroom. Cris Higginbotham, PFHS Social Studies teacher and two-time Tech Camp presenter, has been re-imagining her classroom over the last two years, and seems to have arrived at a format that really works.

She began when she first returned to our district, moving the desks from rows to groups. Then she started replacing desks with tables, finding ones that other teachers weren't using. Finally, she had a set of tables that matched, and, with her principal's support, she applied for two small grants to buy the last pieces: a couch, two armless chairs, two beanbag chairs, and a coffee table (the leather chair she already had). This became the central seating area in her classroom. She also has clipboards and lapdesks in boxes under the coffee table so students can be fully productive in this space.

A few simple rules make the whole space work: students aren't allowed to lounge across the couch, there is a maximum number of students allowed in the space (seven in some classes, nine in others -- you have to know your students!), and anyone who sits in the space one day must be the last person seated the following day. Note that the entire room is warm and welcoming, as well: small lamps supplement natural lighting, art work is on the walls, students can select non-standard chairs at the tables, etc. This is not just about chairs, it's about the entire emotional climate of the room.

That last point probably addresses the biggest question: doesn't this lead to more discipline issues? Quite the opposite. Students in "Ms. Higgie's" class work collaboratively and create a variety of learning products. As such, engagement is high and learning is strong. In such an environment, students are invested in the class and discipline issues are minor and easily managed.

Admittedly, one other thing makes this work: the classroom is a "one-to-one" envrionment, with chromebooks for every student. That has been an ongoing project Cris has done through a series of DonorsChoose grants, each one for a small number of laptops until there were enough for all. Once every student has a screen, the need to have them all focused on the SMART Board is gone, but even before that, there are ways to make this -- or something like it -- work in any classroom. If you want to discuss ideas for this, or have questions, contact me. If I can't answer your questions, I'll get you in touch with Higgie herself!