By Nicholas Provenzano
I decided to focus on learning spaces this year in the classroom and around my school. It led me to create a makerspace in my schools library, but it also led me to take a hard look at the classroom. Last summer, I visited my classroom and decided to change it around. The entire process started with one simple question: “Is this room designed for me or for my students?” It was on this question that I based every decision I made when it came to designing the room.
The Benefits of Desk-Free Teaching
The major change that I made in the classroom was deciding to get rid of my teacher desk. It wasnt an easy decision, but when I asked my one simple question, I realized that the entire room was designed around the desk, making it seem as if this was my classroom and the students were just visiting. I wanted to change that idea. I wanted the students to start feeling that it was their classroom and I was part of it. There were plenty of funny looks from teachers and students when they noticed the desk was gone, but I really learned some incredible things about myself and about my classroom by ditching the desk.