Monday morning, I wasn’t at my very best. I knew I was coming down with something…head aching…throat, sore. I hoped, from the onset, that I would have the energy to give these grade four children a lovely day and a bit of a painting experience. I was already tickled to be welcomed by beautiful office and instructional staff. These guys always rock!
I stepped into Ashley’s classroom and immediately felt a sense of calm. I think that there has to be some sort of link between productivity, learning and an ordered space. Is it possible to be creative when there is order? I guess I’ll check out the psychology of that aesthetic as I think of Ashley’s work space.
Hmmm…the Psychology Behind Messy Rooms.
K…so I’ve wandered a little on the world wide web, sipping grapefruit juice as I go and what I can surmise is that our living and working environments need to be constructed/designed/maintained in a very individualized way, to suit our very personal way of functioning and creating.
On Monday, this ordered space was absolutely what I needed. I have Ashley’s permission to welcome you into her space.
Love is in the air…first of all, it’s February! Gracie was my #1 assistant all day. Thank goodness for her efforts. She really took up the slack!
I just really like the philosophy behind these seven habits…language that grade fours can understand…but, ideas that we might all put to good use.
A sense of space and order as I entered the classroom…I think I actually vocalized…”Ahhhhh” as I breathed out. The new buildings are so wonderful because the flooring allows for spills, building, exploration and easy tidy-up.
Winter art was cheerfully displayed. I think that mats, while very inexpensive, somehow emphasize the individuality and the special nature of each creation. Once the display comes down, the other side can be used for the next piece of art…so reuse!
Light…so wonderful and necessary for a peace-filled day. I like the touch of personal objects that give the children a sense of home and community. A place for those teacher’s gifts.
Storage buckets with a sense of humour. These make me smile just looking at them.
A nook for spirtual objects contributes to a sense of calm.
Ideas for daily physical activity! Good stuff!
Students like to know how they’re doing.
I liked how every thing had its place. I felt in control, even in moments when I would typically be feeling anxiety. The desks were in such an arrangement that it made very quick work to move them into pods of two students for easy access to the paint station. The how-to of this lesson can be found here. Here are just a few of the students’ creations. Thank you, Ashley, for a day with your class.
Other Classrooms…