S P A C E The Other Teacher
Written by Anne Weisel, Head of Lower School
St. Andrew’s has always valued the impact our physical space has on our students, as evidenced by our carefully curated campus design. Stone and wood bridges, buildings opening onto intentional outdoor classroom spaces, and a tidal creek running through the middle of campus highlight the value placed on instruction that is active and engaged. Core to the instructional pedagogy we subscribe to, intentionally designed space both in and outside of our buildings helps set the stage for the dynamic learning experience that is a day of school at St. Andrew’s.
Our space has power – the power to influence how we feel, the actions we take in it, and the type of community we become within it. Anyone who has joined me for a Lower School Open House session, walked the building with me on a tour, or sat through any number of professional development sessions knows how passionately I feel about the influence physical space has on the instructional experience of our students. Space is known as “the other teacher” in our Lower School, and receives the same level of support, evaluation, and collaboration as any staff member would.
The design of an instructional space, whether in or outside, is the “first impression” a student has with the educational experience they are engaged in having on any given day. Just as we ask teachers to welcome our students, provide clear and developmentally appropriate instruction, and support them through a lesson, intentionally and thoughtfully designed space should be expected to do the same thing.
Mindset: Consider the following statements:
This feels just like home. This reminds me of the old neighborhood. This place looks amazing! This feels so cozy, I want to curl up and take a nap. Oh wow! This song makes me want to get up and dance!
The feeling generated when we walk in a room influences our mindset. Working the same way for our students, space influences how comfortable, how motivated, how open-minded, and how engaged they feel. Successfully designing for this mindset includes a developmental lens, considering what feels comfortable and engaging for the age of the students engaging in the space.
Things like furniture size, the types of items set out in a learning center, the content of informational wall displays, the use of words vs. pictures to identify areas within the room, etc. all impact how quickly and comfortably students orient themselves to the tasks of the day. A sense of joyful purpose, enthusiasm, and engagement can all be fostered through a teacher’s intentional classroom design, a fact illustrated up and down the halls of the Lower School each day.
Based on this picture, what do you imagine as a student you would be expected to do in this space?
If you assume paint, paint a picture of the model item, or any variation of that, chances are the intentional design of this instructional center informed you, as it would the students joining this table. Going one step further, this space would also inform you how many children were allowed to participate in this center, how you should clean up and manage your tools, and how you should label your project.
A well designed space should tell a student any combination of the following:
- This space was designed for you to use.
- You are welcome here!
- You know what you should do when in this space (where to go, where to sit, how to work).
- You know the appropriate boundaries of the space are (how many students, which materials).
St. Andrew’s School creates personalized learning experiences for our students through the use of differentiated instruction. In the Lower School, we use a centers-based model throughout all our classrooms to create a variety of intentionally designed activities our students can apply their learning in. Through a combination of teacher-led and independent centers, students explore concepts both with the guidance of their classroom teacher, and the guidance of the space as their “other teacher”. Whether in a PreK-4 center exploring phonemic concepts through sound boxes or in a Fourth grade math classroom practicing fluency through a math game, well designed spaces directly inform our students’ actions and influence their learning.
The IB Learner Profile highlights 10 attributes that illustrate what it means to be a good student, a good citizen, and ultimately a good human being. We celebrate an attribute each month in the Lower School, highlighting and recognizing actions students take that illustrate the Learner Profile and therefore contribute to the school community. How our students understand, practice, and ultimately succeed in developing actions and learning habits that highlight attributes like risk-taking, communicating, thinking, and reflecting is an intentional process on the part of our teachers. Space plays a key role in designing that process. Take a walk through the Lower School and you’ll notice a key commonality within each classroom – a gathering space. A central area, most often with a rug but sometimes with stools, desks, and even the central circle in the gym. A space in the classroom that speaks to the priority we give to developing our classroom community.
Throughout their Lower School experience, students consistently experience classroom spaces that encourage a morning meeting and closing circle, small-group learning centers, and provide areas for collaboration and problem solving. Unlike traditional classrooms with forward-facing desks and rows, our teachers have designed their classrooms to encourage and support working together. Exactly the kind of nurturing, safe spaces that make it possible for our students to engage in the work of developing IB Learner Profile attributes.
Every morning I walk the halls and spend time checking in classrooms. One of the most joyful parts of my day, this time allows me to do things like work with a PreK student in their morning center or jump into a morning meeting with first grade. The strength of our Lower School is our teachers, illustrated clearly in these morning moments throughout the building. They believe in the power of their spaces, curating that “first impression” each morning for students through new manipulatives and centers, familiar routines, and welcoming, careful introductions to the plan for the day. Our students feel safe, engaged, and included thanks to the intentional work of their teachers and that “other teacher” – the carefully curated St. Andrew’s School space.
Curious how this looks and feels? Join us! We would welcome the chance to continue the conversation and invite you to reach out if you would like to take a peek into our Lower School space.