Jungle, Prairie, Mountain, Sandy Beach: A Classroom Comes Alive

Cold air whooshes like a slap in the face, it surrounds you, as you open the exterior door. It sounds like a vault as it is finally exposed to the elements. Like on TV when they open a safe that has been locked for decades. The audible snap of the seal, whispering “What’s inside?” as it slowly releases the staleness of isolation. The anticipation speaks in a dull hum, felt to the core. As you step inside, hallway becomes scenery, each step a different landscape: Jungle, prairie, mountains, sandy beach. Crisp coolness mixes with a warm breeze- expectation meets imagination. Possibility meets parameter. Individuality meets consistency. There is a stillness, waiting to become noise. A serenity in need of agitation, disturbance, action. You can feel the rumble as it nears.

Desks empty, tables organized. Board advertising procedures. Enticing curiosity. This space has become your second home. You spend more time here than you do sleeping. It is comfortable. Yet, it is missing something, an energy, a din of giggles and contentment. There is a swirl of optimism glistening in the light. Sparkles of prospect, promise and passion gently adding a layer to the classroom climate. The daily weather forecast: clear skies. The warmth ignites a potency of happiness. A little bit of moxie and pizazz in your step. You are prepared. You are at the starting line, you have stretched and prepared for this- the opening bell is just about to ring.

For the remaining moments, you hum your theme song. A soft cadence becomes a boisterous rendition. The room absorbs your stamina and fortitude. It becomes an animated space: dynamic, spirited and above all else, activated. It becomes more than a classroom, it becomes an ecosystem: Jungle, prairie, mountains, sandy beach. It takes on the spirit of overlapping vegetation, tall grasses, peaks and valleys, ebbs and tides. As the voices approach, the wave reaches shore, the inhabitants merge into view- you see the entirety of potential. You no longer just see individuals on printed rosters, but communities. You may stand near the center of this beautiful landscape, but you are nothing without the residents. The citizenry of the classroom.

They enter, buzzing, chirping, cackling and chattering. They carry with them the vibrancy and tempo of real life. They send a vibration into every corner of the school. It is like a pulse, beating, charging the once silent hallways with electricity. This is the day they solidify your image of what your classroom culture will be for the year. They will determine the mindfulness. The kindness. The positivity. When you emanate joy and gratitude, they will return the energy with trust and respect. This is the moment many voices merge into a common language- expectations and possibilities. This is the day you choose to let many opinions remain vines, that connect the flora of imagination and creativity. This is the year that uniformity once thought necessary, dissipates and a common vision becomes clear. This is the space of all invested, the community of every participant, the home of every learner as they grow and expand into one giant jungle, prairie, mountain, sandy beach.