Summer Glimmer to Classroom Bloom

Shimmer and Glimmer

For many, summer is near the middle, they have weeks left, until they venture back into their classroom. The rest of us, we have ascended the peak and are now on the decent, just about to reach basecamp. Hopefully these last weeks have been full of family and fun, learning and growth and relaxation and rejuvenation. While some are still basking in the luminosity of vacation, there are many who have turned the key and entered ‘teacher mode.’ Either way, soon, all of us will be immersed in the glow of student interaction. Collaboration is slowly building momentum and design and set up, rosters and syllabi are at the forefront. It is that time of year where educators really need to pause and center before they take the leap. Excitement is building, it is palpable. But, there is also a bit of hesitancy, we know that once we enter, we say goodbye to the easy-going days of summer.

Education is like architecture- slow, detailed, with a timing, a tone. Yet, adaptable to the audience, the current culture of things, to the energy of the room. There are monologues, recipes and revelations. Every teacher has their quirks, passions and creative spirit. It can be calm and precise one moment and chaotic the next. Chaos- if you are in it- can be scary. But, order comes from stepping above it- seeing the edges. Recognizing the full scope of things, then each layer is identifiable and discrete. You are as big as the things you enjoy, the things you accept and as small as the things you let control you. So, as you become inundated with all the start of the year expectations, pause, breathe and realize it will all get done.

Colorful Transition

A classroom is the best place to shed the old and climb into the new. It is a fantastic opportunity to take-risks and try outlandish things, because students are flexible, everything is fresh, they will be more than willing to try something new with you. If you tell them you are on a new adventure, they will be your look out, they will chart the map for you. New approaches, outside the box teaching, causes a disruption in their thinking. Disruption lets you know something new is coming. Too much maintenance squelches creation and change. Howard Thurman has a great quote “Don’t ask what the world needs, ask what makes you come alive and go do it, because what the world needs is people who come alive.” As you are easing back into the realm of classroom facilitator, curate your thoughts, build something refreshing and ask yourself, is my classroom a “me space” or a “them space?”

The shimmer, glimmer of summer fades. But, the bloom of the classroom is continual throughout the year. The learning space needs to be about the students. It is challenging to say the least, to step back and leave most of the walls blank, until the first week of school. To put the tables in a pattern that will be manipulated and altered by students. When students feel like they can move a chair to a different table, draw on the graffiti wall or chalk board, add artifacts to the culture wall- this empowers them. When students have a giant makerspace full of supplies this inspires them to tinker, to create, to build something with their hands, rather than play on their devices. Technology can be a great tool in the classroom when purposeful. But, when I ask my students, “Would you rather play a review game on your device or build a model with these supplies?” Most of my students say they want to use the makerspace and trust me they love their devices.

Classroom Bloom

I asked several of my students “Why is the makerspace so popular, when you could be playing a review game on your device? Why wouldn’t your technology always be your first choice?” They responded, “We can play on our devices anytime, we don’t have a makerspace anywhere else.” They added, “I think having options, lots of supplies gets my mind going, it makes me want to build something, my device is about beeps and dings, instant gratification but when I can get creative, have time to think things through, build things, this is fun too.” This was enlightening for me. Many teachers believe that technology makes things more engaging for students. It can be of course, but it is not necessarily a student’s first choice. Give them options and they just might surprise you with their ingenuity.  Value conversation, collaboration and investigation- these approaches empower and if we let them charge up with the most meaningful fuel, they will be able to recharge themselves.

It is the freedom to think for themselves that students are seeking. Design the classroom to do just that. Let them decide how it is set up, what is on the walls, where they sit. The more empowerment they have, the more engaged and committed to the learning community they will be. Things don’t have to shimmer and glimmer, these aspects fade. But, if we keep the learning space fluid and adaptable it will allow students to bloom, anchor themselves deep into the learning experience and together, collectively become a vibrant garden, forever growing and changing with the seasons.