How is space the third teacher?

Myself in 5th grade
with Mrs. Hayes

When I think back to my own experiences in school, my fondest memories were in classes where I felt welcome and comfortable. I was a total teacher’s pet and LOVED school. My favorite teachers were Mrs. Maguire in first grade, Mrs. Hayes for second grade (pictured to the left), and Ms Moyer in fifth. Beyond my electives courses, I don't have strong memories of middle school or high school. The classes where I struggled or have minimal memories, also often had classrooms that were stark, cluttered, or were set up for students to sit in desks in the traditional rows facing the front. I remember my favorite classrooms had comfortable reading nooks with pillows or bean bags, lots of color (without lots of stuff) and had different areas designed for different purposes (desks, group table, computer station, floor space, etc.). My favorite classes also had learning experiences that happened outside the classroom walls through field trips and outdoor activities. There were definitely other factors that played into my favorite memories of school, but the classroom's physical arrangement was a key component.

I do think that space plays a huge role in learning. As teachers, we have to understand what we want

for the student learning experience and design with that goal in mind. According to Long (2012), we should be “using design to improve the human experience” (p. 17). As a person who shares space with other teachers, I have to find creative ways to redesign and use the space in ways that still allow it to function for teachers who have different teaching styles than I do. “Design thinking combines collaboration, systems thinking and a balance of creative and analytic habits” (Long, 2012, p. 16).

As my classroom will take more detailed planning through the design process to make changes, I will be using the design thinking process as our school looks to build a greenhouse on our campus. I run an after school club that has taken the lead in the process and I was struggling to move forward with specifics. I think the resources available from this unit will give me a great deal of momentum to move forward with the plan.


Long, C. (2012, February). Teach Your Students to Fail Better with Design Thinking. Learning & Leading with Technology, 16-20.