How to Design a Classroom that Students Love
Tips by Teachers, for Teachers
Happy back-to-school season! It’s time to get back into the classroom and prepare your space for a new set of learners. Every teacher wants their classroom to be a place where students want to be (even when they may not always prefer to be at school).
But just because students love a space doesn’t mean it can’t be conducive to their learning. Sure, students would probably love a classroom that resembled a movie theater, an arcade, or a playground…. but that might make classroom management and explicit instruction a little tricky.
That’s what’s great about learning, though — it isn’t mutually exclusive with fun! Students want to be in a classroom where they’re empowered to make choices and be successful, feel safe to be who they are, and are given room to be creative and make mistakes.
The best classrooms are designed to bring out the most joyous parts of learning while maintaining the structure necessary to make teaching and learning peaceful for everyone.
As you decide what changes to make to your classroom layout, decorations, routines, and rules this school year, consider these creative ideas from other educators:
Allow students to sit where they learn best.
Dean Deaver — a math teacher turned principal — traded assigned seats for a new approach. He gave his students the chance to choose their own seats but emphasized that their choice should be based on where they learn best, not just where they want to be. Dean says that introducing the approach can require explicit instruction on what it means to find a seat conducive to learning and can require some scaffolding in the beginning.
“Ultimately, it all hinges on evidence of learning. It isn’t “sit where you have more fun” or “sit where you can hide what you are doing or not doing,” but it is sitting (or standing) where the maximum level of learning can occur. We want our scholars to be engaged in the right level of rigor for as long as possible throughout the day or period. Just like adults, scholars don’t always get it right the first or second time, but once the adjustment period occurs, there has to be competency or even mastery of the material. That’s the big secret to all of this. We just want them to learn and it really shouldn’t matter where they sit or stand. The thing that matters is evidence of their learning. Show me what you learned, not where you were sitting.”
Adopt a new approach to classroom rules.
Sixth-grade teacher Nicole Quinn rethinks everything at the start of every school year — from student groupings to lesson plans. Each year she asks herself, who am I designing my classroom for?
In an effort to design a classroom that is inclusive of every learner’s needs, background, and culture, Nicole made the transition from setting classroom rules (which often became white noise to students who had heard them all before) to developing classroom norms. Classroom norms are more open and fluid than rules or expectations.
“The beauty behind this structure is that it is not prescribed or set. It is fluid and organic. Establishing norms for your classroom gives your students a clear picture of what you expect of them. Allowing students the opportunity to develop how they live them out, allows for the autonomy and agency to be successful.”
Redecorate with a student-centered eye.
High school teacher Michelle Gabriel is purposeful in the decoration, organization, and layout choices she makes for her classroom — and she thinks like an interior designer. She says:
“So much goes into designing space — such as choosing a color scheme, furniture, and accents that provide a personal touch. While teachers are not required to be interior designers, you truly are designing your room based on the theme or subject matter and how you want your students to feel while they’re in your class.”
Michelle recommends visiting thrift stores and flea markets for unique pieces on a budget, choosing colors that represent the energy you want students to feel in your class, and adding simple objects like lamps that make a classroom feel more like a home.
Get students moving.
If there’s one thing that brings students joy (especially young learners), it’s the opportunity to get up and move! This year, consider how you can incorporate movement breaks into your schedule or even integrate movement into instructional design.
First-grade teacher Blaine Dunsmore drew from her own experience as a young student who had a hard time sitting still to bring movement into her classroom. She redesigned her space so that students moved from station to station throughout the day in flexible seating arrangements, made time for brain breaks with stretching, and brought exercise balls into her classroom for students to use as seats. She also integrated movement into instruction by having students clap during vocabulary practice and using movement-based activities as rewards. Here’s more on Blaine’s classroom, with pictures:
Yoga is a great option for a quick, easy way to integrate movement into your classroom routine. It can help with social and emotional skills, too. Here’s more from former special education teacher and current kids’ yoga teacher, Karen Achtman:
“One of the first things I tell people about kids’ yoga is that it looks much different than a typical adult class. It is often fast-paced to keep up with kids’ attention spans. There is a lot of high-energy music, props, and different activities or games, and class can still end with relaxation. But relaxation looks different too- kids may sit or lay down, but some may need to fidget or move; relaxation is often shorter as kids are learning how to be still.”
Celebrate every learner for who they are.
Finally, students will love to be in a classroom where they feel safe, seen, and respected. Culturally responsive and sustaining teaching practices can make a world of difference in your classroom environment. This year, consider how you can celebrate every one of your learners for their strengths, unique perspectives, and diverse backgrounds, and be mindful of the obstacles they overcome every day to follow along their own path to growth. Culturally responsive and sustaining teaching is complex and can’t be covered in-depth here. But here are some ideas from educators to get you started:
Decolonize your classroom. Educator Jackie Cope, Ed.D. (Washoe of California and Nevada), Director of Education for the Cahuilla Band of Indians, writes about how colonization continues to impact education and today’s students. She says:
“This year, I encourage you to rethink everything you have been taught about education from mainstream credentialing programs and venture down the path of decolonization. Down this path, you will start to find relief, grief, some shame, anger, understanding, and answers you have been searching for that create a more cohesive learning environment. Decolonizing is hard work and is a heavy load that needs to be carried by everyone because it has affected everyone.”
Read more from Jackie, including actions you can take today to decolonize your classroom and positively impact your students:
Rethink the holidays. Holiday celebrations in the classroom are a simple place to start thinking differently about culture and inclusion. Former assistant principal Yaritza Villalba writes:
“When I began teaching, I was always reminded that the holiday season, for inner city students, is the toughest time of the year. It is a time when our students are reminded of their hardships and trauma. It is also a time when most of us forget about cultivating equitable spaces by enforcing celebrations of holidays with no real importance in other cultures and societies. For these reasons, and many more, it is important that all educators understand the importance of culturally responsive- sustaining education (CR-S education) practices, especially during the holidays.”
For more from Yaritza, read:
For more on classroom and school culture, see:
