Classroom Spaces That Work

Imagine spending every day in a physical space designed for people much bigger than you. To wash your hands or get a drink of water, you’d have to drag a chair over to the sink or ask a friend for a boost. Your feet would dangle in mid-air when you sat down and you’d have to crane your neck and stand on tiptoe to read the bulletin board. After the novelty wore off, it’s likely that you’d end up feeling uncomfortable, insignificant, and out of place.

Unfortunately, this is how many children feel every day in their classrooms. Whether it’s because the chairs are too big or too small, the aisles too narrow, the tables too low, or the displays too high, the message is clear: “This room was not made for you.”

The sad fact is that most classroom spaces are far from ideal. Perhaps they were originally designed and built with little or no consultation with the teachers who would be working in them. Or maybe they were designed for another purpose, or with tight budgetary restrictions. And while teachers probably won’t be able to transform an inadequate classroom space into an ideal one, they can make dramatic improvements.

So, where to begin? The most obvious place is by thinking about the students. Before moving a single piece of furniture or clearing a wall for a display, learn as much as you can about the particular needs of the children you’ll be teaching by talking with families and former teachers.

Below are some general guidelines to help you create a physical environment that makes children feel comfortable and significant and that best serves their needs.

Make the Classroom Fit the Children’s Bodies

Too many times I have watched students struggle with attention and behavior problems that were clearly the result of being in spaces that were too small, too crowded, or otherwise unsuited to their physical size.

So, before you even meet the students, estimate the range of sizes based on what’s typical for that age. Use this estimate to:

• Choose desks, tables, and chairs that fit the children. Check out school furniture catalogues that offer standard height and width calculations based on grade ranges. Also, consider making modifications to the furniture you currently have.
• Select and arrange bookcases and shelves. In general, children should be able to see and be seen over any shelves. Taller shelves should be placed along the perimeter.
• Determine where to locate display areas. Displays meant for children should be at their eye level whenever possible.
• Plan the amount of space needed for class meetings. When children are sitting in a circle, there should be approximately three inches between children.
• Plan enough space for table work. Keep in mind that when children sit at a table to work, they need “elbow room” and space to spread out materials.
• Plan enough space for the children to line up at the exit door. For comfort and safety, it’s best to allow about nine inches between children.
• Plan passageways—the aisles children use to move about the room. In general, a passageway should allow two children to walk past each other comfortably.

After students arrive, observe how they use the room. Make necessary adjustments and invite the students to be part of the design process whenever possible. This gives children a sense of ownership and increases their investment in making the design work.

Plan for Children’s Special Needs

It is essential that teachers consider how the classroom design will accommodate children with special needs and help them to feel a sense of belonging in the community. To learn about a child’s needs from many perspectives, begin by having a conversation with the child, the child’s family, and the team that is developing the child’s education plan.

Depending on the child, adjustments may range from minor changes to major adaptations. A student in a wheelchair, for instance, might require additional space when sitting in a group or maneuvering around the classroom. A student who exhibits impulsivity might need two distinct work environments—one among classmates (at a table or desk group) and one by him/herself.

Having one or more one-on-one teachers aiding children with special needs will also impact the room design. Often, these teachers will need desk space of their own with access to adaptive computers and materials.

There are excellent resources available on teaching children with special needs and making accommodations for them when arranging classroom spaces. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Technical Assistance Program offers many excellent resources on their website: www.adata.org.

Consider Children’s General Developmental Needs

Although every child is unique, there are clearly predictable stages of development which most children go through. Take, for instance, the newly discovered independence of the two-year-old, the expansiveness of the six-year-old, the inward-looking tendency at seven, or the social awkwardness at eleven.

Understanding developmental patterns will help you to create classroom spaces that work for the students. Ask yourself, “What are the general developmental traits that I can expect from the group of children I’ll be teaching?” (A list of developmental traits for children ages 4–12 and their classroom implications can be found in chapter one of Classroom Spaces That Work.

Of course, there will always be a range of chronological ages and developmental ages in any classroom. While teachers must meet the needs of every student, knowing the dominant age of the class lets you make rough predictions about the children’s developmental needs. Do you have a particularly young group of children this year? A particularly old group? Or a group with half of the children clustering in the young range and half in the older range?

This information will allow you to be more effective in creating a space that works for most of the children. As the year progresses and you come to know the students individually, you can make adjustments to best meet their changing needs.

Tags: Classroom Organization, Decoration and Displays