The Music of Change (3 Easy Updates and Revamps for the Classroom)

Don’t You (Forget About Me)

Hindsight is 20/20. After we have experienced a year in the classroom we often tend to reflect over our lessons and interactions and determine what worked, what didn't and what we will use again next year. Most teachers, as the school year is in full swing, are focused on the here and now, the current unit. We don't have enough time to see the bridges and arcs, we rarely see how everything clicks together, into the giant mosaic, that is our curriculum. We see the edges but viewing the fully, complete, masterpiece does not happen until the end of the year. Once the final bell has rung and we are filing away our knowledge for the summer break is when the vibrancy and shininess of the tiles, take shape. This is when the glassy, reflective surface of our school year starts to sparkle and glisten. This illuminates our memories and helps us see the full story- the narrative of being an educator.

This is a time of packing up cupboards, putting in final grades and removing things from our classroom walls. But, as we bundle and bale our former year into the crevices of seclusion, it is important we take the time to jot down a few notes- not plan excessively, but maybe put some sticky notes on our lesson plans, and classroom design, creating ways to remember what to tweak and alter before we present the lesson the following year. Summer is a time for rejuvenation but once we step foot back into teacher mode, some earlier than others, we need a road map- warning signs and danger zones we are directed away from so that our new route will be as bumpy free as possible.

Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough

There are a few big reconstruction projects I have in the works, it has been a week since my school year completed and with a new principal and new team for next year, it is important that I grout certain activities into the mosaic and move some pieces around before they become a semi-permanent feature. I will be the lead teacher, on my team next year, and it is important for so many reasons that I align my team and have some well-used, successful strategies in place. A few are new teachers to our curriculum, and they will need a baseline. This foundation for the first time in many years, will fall on me to smooth and even the cement, removing any bubbles. To make sure that we each have plenty of room for our hand-prints, that out signatures have plenty of space to fit, but also that the concrete is consistent and stable- scaffolding and all.

1-Community Board/Calling Cards

I will be keeping these in place, but the community board needs to be designed and updated by students, not me. Let them put articles and projects they are proud of up on the wall. Make sure they feel comfortable using their calling cards to meet partners and create lab teams. Also have their calling cards in the fishbowl (have them make two) and I can use them to create random teams for projects and activities. This wall was bare at the beginning of the year but changed and grew throughout the year, but mainly by me- it needs to be more student-driven next year.

2. Graffiti Wall/Collaborative Assessments-

The board I use for various assessments, but I like to leave it blank for them to science doodle, as well. Next year to make it more steam-lined and fluid I plan on writing different words and sentence stems to spark their creative juices. That way the board is a daily interactive tool.

3. Classroom Podcasting-

I use podcasting in many ways in my classroom:

-students podcast lab results and reflections

-students create 1-2-minute expert podcasts about their favorite relevant topics and beyond

-I podcast test/quiz reviews

-I podcast what’s cool in science topics

What I am doing for next year is create a class podcast on Sound Cloud where students can have easier access to all the podcasts in one place. We share on our on-line district platform Canvas, but this will make it more like a channel rather than a drop box.

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

Lastly, flexible seating, just for good measure, has always been apart of my design. Freedom and options. I have round tables, long slate science tables, standing desks and a few assorted cushions and rugs. But I think the layout was off this year. My revamp will make it feel more coffee house, a corner with cushions, long tables (like dining tables) on the edges and standing desks pushed together like coffee house tables. I am also going to buy more cushions so I can ramp up the floor options. If I create more of a group feel, like a community center, I think more students will sit in the cushion areas and at the standing desks because it will feel special.

These are just four of many small and big overhauls I am planning for next year. My walls got a little cluttered this year. If I really want a coffee house vibe, I need to go more minimal and sparser. Have the clutter in one area only- the makerspace, right down the middle of the room, where it can be the focal point of inspiration, creativity, tinkering and community.