For Educ 401 taught by Pam Kawinsky

My dream classroom is a cozy and inviting environment that encourages learning. To achieve this within a primary classroom, resources will be intentionally chosen for creating a classroom library, separate spaces within the room, along with resources that provide exposure to knowledge and inspiration for students.

For a classroom library, my dream is to have a wide selection of books of varying reading levels and interest levels, including high interest books in lower reading levels. Ideally, it would have picture books, graphic novels, novels, and non-fiction books. Rather than organizing the library by reading level, I would sort the books based on topic. This would allow students to try harder vocabulary related to topics that students are interested in and, at the same time, provide lower reading level options that meet students’ interests. A large selection of non-fiction books of varying reading levels would allow students to learn about topics they might not have heard of previously, such as animals from different parts of the world, information about countries they’ve never heard of, or science concepts that are new to them. Introducing students to new topics not only improves language comprehension, but it can also lead students to consider careers they might not have known existed and hopefully relate to a current interest. The goal of the library will be to provide wide exposure of information in varying reading levels.

Another wish for a future classroom is furniture that creates separation within the room. By setting up bookshelves, comfortable seating, and other items of furniture, purpose can be given to specific areas of the room that can then have an emphasised atmosphere. For example, a cozy corner that is separated from the rest of the room with a mid-height bookshelf could have a carpet and cushions that create a designated reading area. Another area might be more geared to centers with a play kitchen or tools for kids to immerse themselves in play that can inspire kids to consider what they want to do when they grow up. A gathering area for lesson instructions would have access to a large screen and a space for anchor charts to be displayed when relevant to the current lesson. When areas are setup with a specific purpose in mind, that purpose can be supported in a way that encourages a desired behaviour or feeling.

In a dream classroom, I would prioritize the curation of a classroom library with varying topics, reading levels, and book formats. I would also create separate spaces within the room to allow for a dedicated purpose. The creation of purposeful spaces and a classroom library that provides exposure to previously unknown topics will enable students to gain knowledge that can inspire and encourage them to consider their futures.