Emergency Classroom Makeover

Getting the call to teach a day before school starts produces a gamett of thoughts. "I am so glad to be teaching." "I can't believe how lucky I am to work with students." "What will the staff be like?" And then a moment of panic as you wonder how you will ever get your room ready in time.  

That is exactly what happened to our friend Tessa, a brand new teacher. She got the call and was shown to her new classroom the day before school was to begin. The teacher who'd previously occupied it had retired and left everything in it.  To say it was overwhelming would be an understatement. Lori and Gail helped arrange the classroom as Tessa's family and friends put up bulletin boards, cleaned out the cupboards, sorting and organizing things that hadn't seen the light of day in many years. Together, they not only got it student ready, but transformed it into a fabulous learning space. 

In this photo you can see that her desk functions as a place where Tessa and students can work. Doing double duty, her chair can swivel around and be used as a teaching spot when she gathers her fourth graders up on the floor for instruction, whether using the smart board, whiteboard, or asking for all eyes to be a mentor text she is sharing. The beauty of having more than one area for instruction is if her students are loosing stamina and she wants to eke out a few more minutes to finish a lesson, she can stand up, and move to the other chair in front of the room,  requiring her students to shift their bodies. This can often be just enough of a break to sustain their focus for a few more minutes. This placement of classroom furniture was very purposeful. In fact, the teacher space, gathering space, and student desks are always the first things we arrange when setting up a classroom. We always strive to make the teacher space a multifunctional area. We will visit Tessa in weeks to come to see what is working with her room design and what she changed in orderto meet the needs of her students. One thing is for sure, her students are off to a great start in a classroom filled with the love and excitement of a new teacher.