Resource Summary

“Flexible Classrooms: Providing the Learning Environment That Kids Need”

For this assignment, I chose to read an article titled, “Flexible Classrooms: Providing the Learning Environment That Kids Need”. It discussed to how to create a classroom environment that works for children, not adults, but little kids. For example, the author spoke with a teacher who said that when she closes her eyes and pictures how she would want her classroom to be, she described walking in and seeing students sprawled out on their stomach doing a worksheet, with another student standing up working with manipulates, and a group of children on their knees in a group working on a project. Basically she would want to create an environment that works for children. She mentioned that students can sit wherever they want in the classroom to do their work as long as everyone’s safe. I love this idea. In my future classroom I too want to allow for students to do their work in a position that is most comfortable for them. I know how uncomfortable it is to sit in a desk all day and I don’t want children to be distracted with the discomfort of sitting at a desk all day.

The article also touched on the seating arrangement and the lay out of the room. The room needs to allow for a collaborative learning experience. The teacher in this article wants students to be seated so that they are able to work together on activities and are free to move around the room comfortably when doing assignments. She even discussed ways to fund your classroom, such as purchasing old furniture from college students who recently graduated or have parents donate money for materials for the classroom. Even setting up “Go Fund” me pages could work. She also frequented the Salvation Army for materials she could clean up and use in the class.