I’m really into the notion of how things make me feel.
Working out to look better is a goal that moves many forward. But an even better goal is to work out to feel better.
Instead of endeavoring to cut out sugar so I can lose weight and look a certain way, I should commit to cutting out sugar because I feel better when I don’t have sugar in my body.
The thing same can apply to your classroom space.
During step one of this process I asked you to sit in your classroom. I asked you to think about what you noticed. What did you take in through your senses? How did it make you feel?
We want to go beyond creating a space that looks a certain way just for visual aesthetics. We want to look at sensory aesthetics. We want to consider how a space makes us feel. Ultimately we want to evaluate our sensations in the classroom space because we want to consider how that space makes our students feel.
Do we feel at peace? Safe? Are we eager to return to this space? Do our students feel pleased and at peace in our classroom? Are our students eager to return to this space.
The next step that we need to take is to get a more objective read on this identified space in our classrooms. This specific space on which you focused. This desk space. This bookcase area. This corner or this center.
We can become desensitized. We come to our classroom every day. We have a particular perspective. Our mindset is ours. We like certain things. We stop noticing other aspects.
What we need to do now is to take a really objective look. One way to do that is to take a photograph.
Any time I’m working on a space whether it’s an area in my garden, on my patio, maybe it’s my bedroom or the kitchen, I’ll think I have it a certain way and I’ll feel happy with the look. I mean, I really think I’ve done a bang-up job and the area looks smart! THEN I take a photograph and I’m shocked to notice things that did not come to my attention while in the presence of the space. Somehow the photograph will help things stand out to you that you might not otherwise notice.
This is why we are going to photograph our identified space; the area which we have decided to revitalize.
Step two in our process is to photograph our space. Take a photograph from as many angles as you can of that area that you have determined that you want to revamp.
Easy work for you this week. And I hope you join me in finding joy in such a simple task.
I told you this would be a fun and rewarding project that would not break the budget nor exhaust you!
Maybe you’ll go a step further and post your photos. Post your photos on social media or in the comments here. Document your mini classroom revitalization project. I’d love to see your progress and I’d bet lots of other teachers would benefit from your ideas.
Fellow teachers, I love you and wish you much joy in this process!
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