Here are 4 classroom design strategies to boost student engagement and help your students make the most of the next school year.
With the school year coming to a close, it is time for educators and administrators to reflect on their strengths and areas of improvement from the last year. While educators must consult pedagogy and psychology for their analyses, an area that deserves more attention during this period of reflection is classroom design and its impact on student performance. Here are 4 classroom design strategies to boost student engagement.
1. Talk With Your Students
When considering changes in classroom design, ask your students what they want. Although discussions of that nature can give your class clowns time to shine (a classroom soft-serve machine, anyone?), you can also gain crucial insight into what your students truly value in a learning environment. Maybe they would like more creative seating, or perhaps your subject matter and grade level would be best suited to traditional desks placed in rows. While you may have ideas about what your students would prefer and what would help them, they are the ones who will be learning in the environment that you create.
2. Get Creative With Desks and Seating
When people usually think of classrooms, the traditional classroom desk comes to mind: rigid, stifling, and uncomfortable. Although some educators get creative by using bean bag chairs, stools, and even hammocks to spice up their classroom, there are options which blend the traditional desk with creative twists. With modern advances in design and production, more and more ergonomic and eye-catching versions of old classics are available. Edwards & Hill is pleased to offer many lines of furniture to suit your classroom’s specific needs.
3. Multipurpose Workspaces
One approach to classroom design which both stimulates students and utilizes space fully is to create workspaces with multiple functions in mind. Fill otherwise empty spaces with whiteboard surfaces to encourage students to collaborate, think big, and share their ideas. Using desks that are easily moved can allow you to transform your classroom from a collection of small discussion groups into a symposium with the whole class, then back again. The only limit to your classroom’s design is your imagination!
4. Enact Your Plan Gradually
While the addition of some items must be done all at once (think furniture or sets of items for each student), there are some things that can be done to change the design of your classroom gradually over time. Consider revamping your classroom in stages. Not only will this keep you (and your budget) from getting stressed, but it will allow you to see how each change impacts learning. Seeing these changes in real time can help you adjust your design plan as needed.
Let Edwards & Hill Help Design Your Classroom
Are you ready for classrooms that allow your teachers and students to work comfortably and productively? Edwards & Hill can help you design and install the perfect classroom design for your facility. Edwards & Hill is a leading office, education, medical, and hospitality furniture provider with the high-quality design and installation services for any style or scale. If you are ready to get your classroom design started, contact us online or give us a call at 301-317-4250. For more furniture design tips, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Flickr, and YouTube.
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