The 5 Most Significant Realizations of My Inspiration Phase
"The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today."
-H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
-H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Throughout the past few weeks, my eyes have been opened tremendously to what it is like to be a student in my room. Each of my classes were honest and genuine in their feedback. With that being said, as much as I would love to be sitting here saying that it would be such an incredible experience and an absolute delight to sit in my room everyday, that would be a lie. Upon reading their various forms of reflection and response, I drew several conclusions. The desks with attached chairs are rigid, cold areas of confinement. The walls, with their resemblance to oatmeal, are lackluster and uninspiring. Our temperature varies daily from something resembling a safari in the African savanna to a temperature comparable to a trip up to the Arctic Circle. Despite these conditions, my classes come in and put their best foot forward each day. After all of the conversation and activities, observation and reflection, I realized that almost each epiphany I had could be quite eloquently summed up under five overarching themes.
1.
1. Students are resilient and adaptive.
With each of the daily struggles and discomforts my students face, I found myself admiring their determination and resilience. No, the seats aren't comfortable, but they either make it work or find somewhere else in the room that suits them a little better. They do not complain about it on a daily basis, or use it as an excuse to not complete our tasks. They simply adapt, overcome, and focus on the goal at hand.
2. Students appreciate choice, and although they are not always aware of all possibilities, they thrive when given the opportunity to make their own decision.
When we started this process my students had their assigned seats and occasionally got to pick where they sat or worked during smaller parts of our class. Since the grant process has been underway, my awareness to their need for more comfort and flexibility has exponentially grown. Although we start class in assigned seats for attendance and typically a bit of whole group instruction, students hardly remain there for the rest of the hour. Whether independent work or small groups, students are now in the practice of moving to where they work best and are most comfortable. At first when I started telling them they could move, they might have picked up their things and moved to a different desk, but they constantly asked before they would even dare to transition. Now, it is not uncommon to see chairs pulled to various locations, students clustered in groups on the floor, and even an few perched carefully in the window ledge. I love watching them take the initiative and ownership of their workspaces without feeling like it is my choice or feeling that they are obligated to ask me first.
3. Movement leads to better focus therefore yielding more success.
The amount of focus my students demonstrate when they are moving is astounding. It is even more impressive that sometimes all it takes is a shift in seat, a moment to stand up, or a quick walk across the room to bring them back to what we are doing.
4. Students not only know themselves well, but are empathetic and understanding of others.
This realization came gradually throughout the first phase. It was something that didn't necessarily present itself as one coherent thought until I really sat and looked at all of the information my students gave me. Consistently throughout their feedback they addressed the needs of students other than themselves and even me. I found myself smiling at each explanation that stemmed from "it would be good for the class" or "I think this might help my classmates who struggle with a, b, or c." It baffled me when several students designed a teacher area that they described as "cozy" "fancy" or "fun" and justified their design with because this is your workspace too. It was one of those moments that did my heart good as a teacher. Not only are students in my room hard working, but they also are kind, empathetic, and wanting change for all members of our classroom.
5. Our students deserve better.
Furniture alone is not the be all end all, or perfect solution in this process. Instead, it is simply the first step in our transition to improve students' daily experience and overall education. I cannot imagine sitting in restricting and unyielding desks for hours on end. Our students deserve more. They deserve a place that they can be comfortable; somewhere they want to be, somewhere where their excitement for learning is sparked, and their thirst for knowledge quenched. In addition to being appealing, the environment needs to lend itself to collaboration and inquiry. The joy of learning something new needs to be brought back to classrooms. Students need to be engaged in activities that have them problem solve together, ignite creativity, and prepare them for their futures.
With each of the daily struggles and discomforts my students face, I found myself admiring their determination and resilience. No, the seats aren't comfortable, but they either make it work or find somewhere else in the room that suits them a little better. They do not complain about it on a daily basis, or use it as an excuse to not complete our tasks. They simply adapt, overcome, and focus on the goal at hand.
2. Students appreciate choice, and although they are not always aware of all possibilities, they thrive when given the opportunity to make their own decision.
When we started this process my students had their assigned seats and occasionally got to pick where they sat or worked during smaller parts of our class. Since the grant process has been underway, my awareness to their need for more comfort and flexibility has exponentially grown. Although we start class in assigned seats for attendance and typically a bit of whole group instruction, students hardly remain there for the rest of the hour. Whether independent work or small groups, students are now in the practice of moving to where they work best and are most comfortable. At first when I started telling them they could move, they might have picked up their things and moved to a different desk, but they constantly asked before they would even dare to transition. Now, it is not uncommon to see chairs pulled to various locations, students clustered in groups on the floor, and even an few perched carefully in the window ledge. I love watching them take the initiative and ownership of their workspaces without feeling like it is my choice or feeling that they are obligated to ask me first.
3. Movement leads to better focus therefore yielding more success.
The amount of focus my students demonstrate when they are moving is astounding. It is even more impressive that sometimes all it takes is a shift in seat, a moment to stand up, or a quick walk across the room to bring them back to what we are doing.
4. Students not only know themselves well, but are empathetic and understanding of others.
This realization came gradually throughout the first phase. It was something that didn't necessarily present itself as one coherent thought until I really sat and looked at all of the information my students gave me. Consistently throughout their feedback they addressed the needs of students other than themselves and even me. I found myself smiling at each explanation that stemmed from "it would be good for the class" or "I think this might help my classmates who struggle with a, b, or c." It baffled me when several students designed a teacher area that they described as "cozy" "fancy" or "fun" and justified their design with because this is your workspace too. It was one of those moments that did my heart good as a teacher. Not only are students in my room hard working, but they also are kind, empathetic, and wanting change for all members of our classroom.
5. Our students deserve better.
Furniture alone is not the be all end all, or perfect solution in this process. Instead, it is simply the first step in our transition to improve students' daily experience and overall education. I cannot imagine sitting in restricting and unyielding desks for hours on end. Our students deserve more. They deserve a place that they can be comfortable; somewhere they want to be, somewhere where their excitement for learning is sparked, and their thirst for knowledge quenched. In addition to being appealing, the environment needs to lend itself to collaboration and inquiry. The joy of learning something new needs to be brought back to classrooms. Students need to be engaged in activities that have them problem solve together, ignite creativity, and prepare them for their futures.