The purpose was to see our space without any pre-defined areas. We wanted it to be a blank canvas, where we could visualize new areas and new ideas for spaces. We also wanted to talk about sight lines and the flow of movement in the room.
We ended up sitting at the round table (the only furniture we didn't push out of the way) and just talked about what we could visualize in the space. We had a piece of blank paper and started to map out some of our initial ideas. We also wrote down a list of the learning spaces that we felt strongly about having in our classroom for September.
Learning Spaces
-light table
-art studio
-discovery table (a place for natural objects and found objects to be brought inside)
-inquiry project area
-communication table (what would traditionally be called the writing centre)
-dramatic play
-big blocks
-quiet reading area
-meeting place
-math exploration (with access to floor area)
-sensory exploration
-water
-sand
We then started to visualize where and how these learning spaces would fit together into the classroom. We drew an initial plan that we will play around with when we come back into the classroom at the end of August to set up for September.
Next steps:
1) Meeting to plan for September
2) Trip to Ikea for new materials
3) Repainting the dramatic play furniture and making repairs
4) Reading, reading and more reading
Here are some before and after pictures of the great room purge!
Stephanie and Helen. (Also a big thank you to Catherine for helping us dismantle our room!)
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| View from the back before... |
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| ...and view from the back after. |
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| View from the front doorway before... |
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| ...and view from the front doorway after. |
