If you build it, they will come! So it took a while for the teachers to get comfortable allowing the students to work in this space “unsupervised.” I totally get that. Some of us educators are very controlling, Type A personalities:) But it only took a couple of times to send the kids out to work independently that we “got it.” They love it! They know it’s a privilege and none of them want to jeopardize that!
Some days it looks like this:
And some days it looks like this:
Whether it’s one, two or 20 kids it’s a valuable space that the teachers and students really enjoy using.
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| The day the custom chair arrived. |
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| Mrs. Grant using Smart TV/Chromecast. |
“So how much did that cost?” you might ask. I do not know the exact cost but somewhere around $12,000 is my estimate. You see the furniture is custom ordered with custom fabrics and colors. Of course you wouldn’t have to do that. This is our district’s first attempt at redesigning a current space. you see, we don’t all get to build a new school or have classrooms/spaces built on to our buildings. We wanted to see if we could use the space we already have in a creative way.
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| Yep! I’m sitting on the floor in awe of their work. |
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| Interesting uses of furniture:) |
Yes, this many 3rd and 4th graders were really working in this space quietly and on task. The teachers are in the classrooms right next to this and frequently check on their progress and work in the “Tech Cafe.” I was as amazed as anyone with how quiet they were all working, writing, reading, listening, etc. You have to see it to believe it!
So come visit us! See it for yourself.
(Click here for Part 1)
