These were the kinds of extremes that come to mind when discussing the physical space of the classroom. Decoration is only a small component of class design, but these two approaches illustrate the diverse effects what we stick to our walls can have on a group of students. Even the physics teacher's lackadaisical satisfaction of administrative minimums sends a very clear message of his lack of investment in the class. Whether we intend to do so or not, our physical classroom sends a message and sets a tone for the kind of learning that will take place inside.
Entering my classroom mentor's classroom with this in mind has a powerful effect. Looking around, you can't help but notice the countless subtle decisions she has made to make her room more inviting. The time and effort she has spent to leverage every feature of her room to her students' advantage is pretty stunning. "It helps that I've been in this room a few years. It gets easier each year," she assured me on day one. You continually develop new resources and replace things that look "ratty." To a certain extent, this is a reflection of her personality. It had me a little nervous as I replaced butcher paper and borders on the class's many bulletin boards: I had never been very crafty. To be honest, I would be fine with exposed corkboard, but that wouldn't fly in this classroom. I realized it wasn't about what would be acceptable to me, but demonstrating to the students that they deserve a well-groomed space. That a space that has clearly been deliberately created would more likely be respected.
In this vein, decoration can actually be a pretty powerful way to shape class norms and culture. Well thought-out and carefully constructed decor and class layout sets a standard of quality of work. In this sense, teachers can model the level of deliberateness and effort they expect of their students. Additionally, when decorations reflect the teacher's passions and interests, the space actively humanizes the teacher and models an appropriate degree of openness. If there are visible reminders of the teacher's "real life" around the room, it becomes less likely that the teacher will vanish into a one-dimensional authority figure.
Visual reflections of both the teacher and students contribute to "Symbolic Identification," one of Weinstein and Novodvorsky's "Five Functions of the Classroom Setting" (36-37). The classroom that visibly reflects students (as in the "Hear our Voices" board) and teachers (through decorations that exhibit their personal experiences and passions) contributes toward creating a class community, which is essential to learning. These strategies are also consonant with Weinstein and Novodvorsky's guidelines for building respectful, caring relationships, which include "[learning] about students' lives" (52), "[welcoming] students' input" (57), and "[being] a real person" (58).
An equally important aspect of the physical classroom is the layout of the room. Students sit in groups of 4-5, which are arranged roughly in a horseshoe around the perimeter of the classroom. This shape is conducive to direct instruction, there is a general orientation toward the board, but the clear emphasis is on group work and group discussion. On the level of full-class discussion, the formation sometimes presents difficulties for students sitting on the inside of the horseshoe facing out, since they often have their back to much of the class.
My classroom mentor, however, alleviates this problem with her style of instruction. She dislikes lecturing from the front of the class, so she often "wanders" through the islands of student groups while addressing the class. She engages students by regularly making eye contact with various students as she moves throughout the room. This keeps students tracking her and allows the locus of the lesson to drift throughout the room. When students volunteer answers, she typically moves toward and stands near them. This both allows her to hear soft-spoken students, but also encourages the rest of the class to adjust themselves to follow the flow of the class and facilitates discussion.
From an instructional standpoint, this method is very effective. The class layout has the benefits of clustered seating without compromising the "task instrumentality" of direct instruction or full-class discussion (Weinstein and Novodvorsky 37). Effectively, the "action zone" is expanded to the entire student seating area (Adams & Biddle, 1970, in Weinstein and Novodvorsky). I think this also has a positive effect on classroom culture. The shifting locus of attention is conducive to inquiry-based instruction. It spatially challenges the notion that all the "right answers" come from the teacher, who occupies a position of absolute authority on truth. By floating through the class, the teacher validates varied perspectives offered in discussion. In high-quality discussions, this removes the emphasis away from "right answers" and toward communal exploration of class material.
Works Cited
Weinstein, Carol Simon., and Ingrid Novodvorsky. Middle and Secondary Classroom Management: Lessons from Research and Practice. New York: McGraw Hill, 2011.