Every once and a while there are movements that sweep through education. Understanding by Design, Differentiated Instruction, Response to Intervention, and all sorts of other ideas and fads that come and go with the wind.
I would like to nominate the next movement that should take place in education: getting rid of the desks in all classrooms and replacing them with something that is conducive to learning.
Desks signify the “old guard” of education where people sat in their seats, listened, maintained compliance, and were forced to stare at the front of the room as an older individual barked information. Desks signify a form of education that created widgets and workers for factories where everyone was expected to perform the same rote task at the same time and finish at the same level of understanding. None of this EVER happened, but it made people feel good thinking it did.
Instead, we should be equipping all classrooms with a diverse mix of tables, couches, exercise balls, bar stool tables, and anything else that reminds us of something other than the traditional classroom. Every classroom should have a variety of these items and as many different combinations as possible. Why? Kids spend 6-7 hours a day in a classroom and every, single one looks the same. Same color, same shape, same seats. If not the same, they look pretty damned similar. It forces kids to think the same in every class and stunts any flow of creative juices that might be triggered by a change in environment.
Who’s with me?
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I’m with you. Looking at indestructible bean bags for 7th graders. However, change of scenery is but one requirement for transforming the classroom…and important one I think…but still just one.
Ever wonder why classrooms have pre-determined posters? I think a museum-like interface, based on the subject taught, would spark creative thinking in students.
Much more to discuss. Thanks for the spark.
Interesting idea…I think it is worth a try! I am not sure that I would recommend everyone do that right now, but certainly there is a charter school or private school somewhere already trying it out that need to share their experiences as case studies that we all can learn from. If not, I am sure there are some that would be willing. I think learning environment is a lesser understood and lesser considered variable.
I agree with you 100%. Desks in rows promotes lecture style teaching. Students are not encouraged to share with classmates. This is so important for English language learners in your classrooms. Whereas the United States places a high value on individualism—that is, “individual responsibility for self, independence, self-reliance, self-expression, self-esteem, and task over process” (Rothstein-Fish & Trumbull, 2008), 70 percent of the world’s cultures value collectivism more. An example of this would be the emphasis on group harmony that we see in Asian schools. The Japanese proverb “The nail that sticks out is hammered down represents this belief.
Belief in group work requires us to accept that our students learn best when they learn together. Group work requires students to collaborate effectively with peers without their teacher directly supervising every little interaction. It also requires that teachers believe that their students need to talk to learn; as such, it requires a high level of individual and group cooperation. Group work is based on two premises: that everyone has something important to say, and that everyone is a rich resource, so it is important to listen to all ideas.
I would add that schools themselves (not just classrooms) need different architecture that allows for open and closed spaces. Assignments of classrooms and sets of students to teachers reinforces working in isolation, both for teachers and students. Common spaces ought to be the norm and seem to be appearing in schools that are breaking boundaries (I am thinking SLA and HTH).
This is the next movement in education?????? I started using tables rather than desks in the 1980s, always had couches and cushions in my classroom. Tables are very common place in New Zealand schools and have been for many years – in fact I think there are a lot of kids here who wouldn’t have had individual desks until they go to High school. My sister started the year with her Yr 5 and 6 class one year by bringing them into her classroom with all of the furniture still stacked up from the summer. They spent the first day doing a creative problem solving activity where they designed the classroom space the way they wanted it then they set it up and after a couple of weeks reviewed it and tweaked it – worked really well. One of my friends built a mezaanine floor in her room with cushions and bean bags – unfortunately the ‘safety police’ eventually made her pull it down even though no kids had ever had an accident with it. One of our classrooms even had a kitchenette in the corner so kids could cook lunch.
If you really want to see the next big thinkg in education, check out these schools:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/eastern-courier/1403423
http://www.mhp.school.nz/
http://www.mhjc.school.nz/
http://www.summerland.school.nz/Site/Photo_Tour/The_Rooms_in_Action.ashx
Overall, yes, but I have found that when all of the seating items are not the identical, there is fighting over who gets what. In addition, I have found that assigned seats for the first few weeks pays off both in terms of learning names more quickly, shortening the time it takes to start class, and to take care of ‘business items’. But that isn’t necessary for the entire semester or year.
I think the key is the ability to reconfigure. Some students need to sit flush to the board or screen according to their IEPs, but for group work they do not. So sometimes rows are best, but then getting into conference table configuration is my usual favorite.
If only my students were responsible enough to let me do something like that. Unfortunately, my students need things a lot of things teachers who get to do things like this for granted, like having enough self-discipline to sit down in desks, much less get comfortable. Needless to say, I’m jealous of you guys.
Here, here.
I hate classrooms with desks lined up in rows. I can’t teach in them. On blogs and from people in my PLN I see this constant idea that education is actually about education these days. I love it. It’s no longer the mentality that you go to school so you can find a good job. I always remember thinking that that was all I was doing in school. I hated it because I knew it was only really meant to prepare me for a corporate or factory world I wasn’t too keen on.
I’m all for teaching students thinking for themselves and working together, but you ever worry that they are all going to grow up and just start having revolutions all the time
I wonder if Socrates used desks.
I think the underlying point might be that the furnishings of the room should go along with what we’re trying to accomplish.
As a band director, couches won’t do me much good. But I would love to see the kinds of options Aaron shares in his post for other areas of the building. I think a mix is good.
Hi Lauren – my sister was teaching in a very tough school when she did the creative problem solving about her room environment – giving the kids responsibility right from the first day helped them to respect her and each other and to take responsibility for their won learning – I spent time doing research in her class later that year and the kids were amazing! Am I right in thinking that most of you come from the USA? Its interesting how our systems can be so different and yet, in the end, we turn out very similar people no matter where in the world we are!
Hi Robyn,
I see and read stories about how schools who have students that pull off amazing things. I don’t believe that it’s impossible for something similar to happen here. I’ll just be diplomatic and say that I’d love to do even half the stuff that we talk about, but there are infrastructure issues that keep me from implementing them. I’ll just leave it at that. :^)
Yes yes yes! We need to do anything we can to break the old factory style education model. Just like the clothes a person wears affects how they act, the classroom is the first thing the students see about a school. Let’s mix it up and see what happens!
Great idea!