The Before...

A colleague of mine approached me recently to ask for help in redesigning her library.  The classroom teachers were each given a $200 gift card from our Head of School to spend on something related to the classroom environment.  Not a bag gig, huh?  $200 may not seem like a significant sum of money, but when you see what my friend did to revitalize her classroom library, you will see how far she stretched that gift card.

Knowing that I had this blog and a keen interest in classroom and curricular design, she said to me, "This is going to make a great 'before and after'."  She had told her students that we were going to do this and they were excited at the potential transformation, offering their own ideas of what the space should include.  More on that later...

We met in her classroom to discuss a plan before heading out to stores to find the desired items.  She was so charming about the whole thing, so excited for the change and ready to get everything so we could return to the room and set it up.  What surprised me most about everything was her level of excitement.  Here I thought I was the only person crazy enough to find enjoyment out of creating a purposeful space in my classroom with particular attention to its design and aesthetic.  Witnessing her and her passion for change highlighted the joy that other teachers can have when they acknowledge that something needs to be done to bring a fresh feel to their environment.  Because she had mentally acknowledged that the classroom library wasn't working the way she wanted, evidenced by the lack student presence in the library other than to get or return a book and the less than positive reviews by the students about the space, she didn't have to fight any personal struggle or denial about it and was much more open to its transformation.  It was self-directed, genuine.  The best kind.  I was excited because she was excited.  And the level of enthusiasm and intentionality is evident in the final design.

At the beginning of our conversation, it was clear that she wanted me to tell her what to do.  I firmly believe that the integration of curriculum and classroom design is not something that someone can come in and do TO a room.  She didn't yet see that SHE was the designer and SHE had the potential to create the space that fit the purpose and pedagogy of the room.  It had to happen WITHIN the room.  I don't know what happens in the room.  I don't know what's being learned.  I don't know what is valued or of priority.  She does.  It is her space to design.  I can only posit questions and suggestions that start the process and let the "teacher as designer" emerge.

We talked about what message she wants the room to convey.  She came up with words to describe the room, words that someone should say when they describe the "feel" of the room (provided we've been successful in our design). We talked about what's important in the room, what she wants people to understand about what happens in the room when they walk in.  Most importantly, we talked about the kids, how she envisions them using the space.  Ultimately, like home design, the design of the library had to reflect the people who live there, what they value, and what messages they wish to convey.

Below are the "before" shots. Before you look at them, I hope you will read this disclaimer about my colleague for her sake and her courage to allow this to be posted.  She is an exceptional teacher.  The "before" shots in no way reflect the kind of teacher that she is, the kind of connection that she has with her students, and the environment that she creates in her classroom.  The space was begging for a makeover, largely, in part, because of this. It did her no justice.  It did not reflect how amazing she is and the kind of organic and intentional learning that occurs in her room.  She is wonderful.  Truly.  I respect her and her work significantly.  She is nothing short of a magician.  Now she can add "designer" to her list of skills and talents...
 

Big Question #2

In my last post Inspiration, I talked about the ways in which the design of a room reflect the personalities of the owner.  Celebrity interior designer, Nate Berkus, in his book The Things That Matter shares the stories of home owners told by their homes.  One of the recurring themes is one of encouragement to his reader: find out what makes you unique and design your house to make that evident.  Which leads me to my next big question:

Big Question #2
What kind of story does your classroom/school tell?

If we look at the metaphor of a "story", it's extremely fitting.  A story has a beginning, middle and end.  It is written with an audience in mind.  The story is an interaction between reader and author and shares a piece of the author.  A story has themes, a main idea, a cast of characters, etc.  It would almost be insulting to identify all obvious parallels between a story and a classroom.  But that's why I like his book so much.  It seems so obvious that rooms/homes tell a story but I never thought of it that way.  

If I, as a teacher and main designer of a room (caveat: I do think the kids play an important designer role in the shaping of the story of the classroom) look at my classroom as telling a story, I would certainly be more intentional in how I design and maintain the space.  In order to be intentional, I need to answer Mr. Berkus's question: what makes me/my teaching unique.  How can a visitor who pops in and out quickly get an immediate answer to that question when they walk into the room?  And how can my students, participate in and learn from the story? 

To extend the idea just a bit further, a classroom doesn't act independently.  A school is a collection of rooms that must be shaped by its administrators to tell its own story.  

"As I've said over and over again, our homes should tell the stories of who we are. Not who our decorator is. Not who our friends sometimes think we should be, not who our family occasionally wishes we would be,and not who any number of style magazines tell us we must be." - The Things That Matter, Berkus.

I don't think Mr. Berkus would object to interchanging the word "homes" for "classrooms" in that quote.  

What story does YOUR classroom tell? Does it tell the story you want it to?
 

Inspiration

Interior design is a reflection of the personality of the client.  Designers meet with clients to get a sense of who they are and what they want their space to convey through its design.  When you enter the living room of our house, if we have done our job, you should feel comfortable, welcome, at home, relaxed.  We designed the room that way, from the furniture layout to the paint color.  Each aspect of the room was chosen, never mind the large pile of mail that occasionally builds up. (Or the piles of shoes, or the Amazon boxes or... :) )  Nevertheless, there was a point when the feel of the room and all the components of the room were selected to convey a message:  We are warm, social, inviting people who like our guests to feel at home in our home. 

Classrooms are spaces that reflect the educational priorities of the teacher and school.  Walking into a classroom, I believe, a visitor gets an immediate sense of what is important (or what isn't important.)  So, why do so many classrooms, including my own, feel like they lack a clear vision? The classroom and its contents should reflect intentionality.  One should be able to identify not only what the room feels like but what also is meant to be learned in and from the room, because we can learn from the environment purely by participating in it. Right? 

My living room... the inspiration for this whole exploration.  And maybe my desire at times to be in my living room instead of being at work.  But don't tell anyone that part. :)

 

Big Question #1

My classroom 2011-2012

Living rooms.  Bathrooms.  Dining Rooms. Kitchens.  Garages.  Offices.  The list of designable rooms goes on and on.  I guess all rooms, at one point or another, have been analyzed and designed by a professional designer.  Yet, in my 8 years as an educator, I have never heard of an interior designer come in and design a classroom.  I am sure it happens.  I just haven't ever heard of it.  But think of the amount of time that children/young adults/ adults spend in a classroom compared to the other designed rooms in their lives.  Trends pass through the design world.  Kitchens are moving away from granite countertops.  Stainless steel is no longer desired.  Carpet and wallpaper are making comebacks.  And much more.  But trends in classroom interior design....

Big Question #1: 
Is there such a thing as classroom interior design?

The obvious answer, of course, is yes.  There are design elements in classrooms.  One only has to go to the nearest teacher store to witness first hand the answer to that.  But a quick google search of "classroom interior design" opens up a bunch of websites that offer "tips" on ways to add elements of design to your classroom but fail to explore theoretically the space as it is: a room of intention, where function, aesthetics and transparency collide. 

A short search on "living room interior design" highlights that the design of living rooms has adapted to the design of that time.  Think of the "modern living room" or "mid-century modern living room" or "the arts and crafts living room" and so on.  Have classrooms had a similar mirroring of current design trends?  You could design your classroom to reflect this design style but there doesn't seem to be any correlation between a current design style and its evidence in a classroom.  How have classrooms largely evaded design trends? 

I am not an interior designer.  That much is PAINFULLY evident.  A 10 minute Google search isn't enough to answer the question: Is there such a thing as classroom interior design? Maybe it exists and I need to do a lot more research.  Maybe it doesn't....

Maybe it should. 

Welcome to The DesignED Classroom!

Hello readers and welcome to the DesignED classroom.  This blog is my opportunity to explore an area of education for which I have come to have some strong curiosity and passion: the integration of curriculum and interior design. In the blog, I hope to get "messy" with my thoughts on these topics.  Because this area of education seems largely untapped, the designED classroom is purely a place to "play".  I will be reading books, articles, magazines; I will be having conversations with colleagues and professionals; I will be setting up and taking down my own classroom; I will be self-criticizing and changing my mind.  I hope that, in knowing this, you will forgive me as I go through this journey.  I hope that we will journey together and that you will take the time to participate.  However, as a passive participant, you are still participating and I appreciate it.  We may have disagreements on things and I hope that this is a safe place, much like a classroom, where we can learn and grow together, challenge each other in our discussions, discussions founded in mutual respect and professional courtesy.  Above all, I am excited to get moving on this and I hope that my excitement sparks something in you.  It has been on my mind for awhile and it is about time to do something about it.  So here goes: Welcome to the DesignED classroom.