Have you ever noticed how suspiciously similar modern classrooms look to those in the 18th century?

I have an idea.

As many of you know, I am proud to be a high school English teacher in Roswell, GA. For the last decade, I’ve become increasingly dissatisfied with the traditional setup of our classrooms. I find it odd that most classrooms look the same today as they did when I was a student. For that matter, they’re the same as they were fifty years ago.

As my irritation grows, I’m looking to make a compelling change. I'm modernizing my classroom to give me greater flexibility in how I teach. Now, to be honest, I’m not someone sitting back and watching as times change. I innovate. I work to offer my students unique opportunities, and my class is geared to look forward to the world they will enter, not backward. Nevertheless, the physical space is limited as are my resources.

I need your help to modernize my classroom.

Funding is the bane of a teacher’s existence. As with most industries, school budgets are tight. While principals, including my own, are enthusiastic about making these kinds of changes, there is little money available to us to try something new, no matter how solid the ideas.

It’s not easy to ask for help, but there are several reasons why I’m doing it. By far the primary motivation is the enormous benefit this project will have on my students. Not only the 140 students who come through my room each year, but as I make changes, other teachers will follow suit. We’ll refine the developments and make them more efficient with each room we change. And every student who comes through these rooms will be empowered to take ownership of their education. They'll be more prepared for the world they will enter.

Public education is often a monolithic lumbering beast. It should be nimble. It should look five years ahead rather than decades behind. Bypassing the traditional system facilitates rapid change. Community and school partnerships offer enormous potential for small trials of new methods. When these are successful, as this one will be, it spurs change in the larger educational system.

Also, I know there are people out there willing to help, people who value education but don’t know how they could affect change for the better. I hope some of you are those people. 

A big thanks to DekalbOffice for loaning me the Node desks and other equipment to test in my room. They've been a huge success. 

Our Goals:

My goal is to fully fund the renovation of my room. to give my students a space that celebrates their talents, that encourages them to rise to the challenge of their own education, and that challenges me to provide them the opportunity to learn, really learn and grow.

My dream is to exceed our goal and be able to fund my room and many others. There are teachers lined up, praying for our success. We can do this. We can make a real change in education and give teachers the CLASSROOM resources we need.

Other ways to help:

If you can't help with money, you can still help. Pass this project on to a friend. Let them know what good things we are doing. 

Guiding Principles:

Fundamentally different approach:

The role of the teacher should be the secondary role in a classroom, a resource, guide, or supporter when each is required. Learning is a series of successful steps, like crossing a stream. The role of the teacher is to place and then point out the stepping stones across the rapids. Designing a classroom where the student is at the center, instead of the teacher, will facilitate this relationship and make it easier for the teacher to structure the class around that perspective; a setting in which collaboration and self-discovery are the norm and where students feel comfortable taking chances.

Flexibility: No two lessons are alike. Most classrooms are set up for teacher-centered lessons, with most desks arranged to give the students maximum visibility of the teacher. Some rooms mimic college settings with more student-centered elements. An effective classroom needs the ability to achieve either of these options quickly.

Small group settings: Pulling four student desks together is the closest most teachers get to a conference table. An effective and engaging classroom needs quick access to shared workspaces with computers and collaborative tools like whiteboards and conference tables.  Ideally, these workspaces will be connected to allow each one to serve as a presentation center for the larger class.

Independent work areas: Areas that convert easily to independent work stations are important as well.

Whole class option: In high school there are times for direct, whole-class instruction. It is important that students have an unimpaired view of a central presentation space. It goes without saying that the teacher needs an unobstructed view of the students.

Different learning modalities: Students have different learning styles. Using multiple settings for student seating and engagement is essential. Some students, often males, do better when they can move. Traditional student desks are confining. Stools at high tables give students more mobility without disruptions.

Technology integration: Whether we like it or not, technology is here for the duration. We need to give our students real world opportunities to work with technology. While an interactive whiteboard is beneficial, realistic technology for presentations, communication, research, and collaboration is essential. All workspaces should have access to technology resources that are useful.

Aesthetic appeal: Most students go to schools where the classrooms are cinderblock rectangles. The similarities to prison cells are not lost on students, no matter what Herculean efforts a teacher goes through to hide them. If we want our students to see school as an opportunity, we need to make it look inviting and professional.

The nitty gritty

Ok. If you're toying with the idea of donating, you might want some details. These are the individual components for the new room design.

 Collaboration Table and Partition

The table and partitions will ground this room design in collaborative team work. 

A donor has graciously helped us build a prototype for the room. The students already fight to sit at the table and are using the computer and the whiteboard partition effectively in class.

Each of the four tables will have a dedicated work station that connects to the room's projector. The tables are at standing height to allow students more freedom to move and work with their peers. When necessary, the tables can be folded up to the wall, giving the teacher more options using floor space.

The partitions double as both a creative space for students to brainstorm or track ideas while also serving to give each group a more private space to work. This helps the group work together as well as elimating cross-group distractions. 

The partitions can be quickly folded up and put against the wall to allow for whole class work.

"Node" desks: These new desks are designed by SteelCase. DekalbOffice, a local dealer, has graciously allowed us to borrow a few desks and other furniture to see how the students use them. 

They are great. Virtually indestructible with a lifetime warranty. They are comfortable and versatile, allowing students to group quickly. 

They are on wheels, which scared me, but the students don't race around as much as I thought. 

Audio/Visual connections: In order to make the room work seemlessly, we'll need connected computers, scanners, and printers. These will allow students to use technology as it is outside of education and to work on much more real-world assignments.

Each computer will be hooked up to the classroom devices and projector to share with the class.

Informal Learning Spaces: As I looked at research for both fostering a creative environment and also dealing with the needs of students successfully, I've come to value the importance of having a few informal spaces within the classroom. These allow for varied learning experiences, student isolation for independent tasks, and a relaxed setting for students who need extra help.

There will be two independent work stations for students, as well as an informal group setting consisting of couches and low tables. 

Painting: A lot of research suggests the colors of our rooms are important to how we engage and learn. A small piece of this project will be to paint the room in more engaging colors rather than the classic institutional gray.