Presents tips to help teachers best use their preparation time before school opens. Suggestions include making multiple student lists; designing classroom desk arrangements; reviewing cumulative records; adding desktop names and numbers; checking texts; posting correctable schedules; decorating only one bulletin board; creating box-trays for…

In this article, the author talks about art in the classroom. He urges teachers to envision their classroom as a balance between inspiration and meditation, clutter and clarity, excitement and introspection. Remember that each student has a unique threshold for stimulation--what inspires one student to productive creativity may well trigger the…

In order to sustain strong academic programs and to provide a safe and comfortable environment for learning in the state's public colleges and universities, the facilities that house the institutions' programs must be maintained and replenished. The size, condition, and adequacy of these facilities have an impact on the quantity and quality of the…

Education is often understood as the sole responsibility of parents and teachers. Reggio Emilia identifies a 3rd teacher between child, teacher, and parent: the environment. In its attention to how space can be thoughtfully arranged, Reggio Emilia has reconceptualized space as a key source of educational provocation and insight. In what ways does…

This article examines how classroom space is utilized and what this communicates about the teaching conducted there. (RC)

A multilevel, child-sized area was built into an existing classroom to provide for more efficient space utilization and to brighten up the room. (EJS)

Presents a list of affordable decorating suggestions for elementary classrooms, including: a reading tepee where students can read quietly; bouquets of construction paper flowers with students' pictures in them; an art center that displays posters of paintings by famous artists; colorful curtains created with bulletin board paper; and a secret…

Describes the design process of a revolutionary high school design that melds technology and the arts to provide students with employable skills that future job markets require. (GR)

Presents photographs and the floor plan of a middle school whose split-level design separates "noisy" areas, such as the band room and gymnasium, from the academic wing. The design encourages teaming and flexibility through its classroom clustering and mobile partitions between classrooms. Additionally, all classrooms possess windows and…

Presents suggestions for setting up a classroom that is organized, efficient, and welcoming, focusing on the following elements: the conference table, individual work trays, flower arrangements, a small rug area, paper files, folder storage, book bags, reading baskets, the teacher's chair and easel, a meeting area, and low-level tables. (SM)

This paper provides teachers with an opportunity for thinking about the kinds of "people" constructed in their classes, the kinds of "dances" choreographed and the ways space is organised for learning. We argue that this is essential for teachers to think about if they are to enact socially just professional practices. In this…

School building design in this publication is interpreted as meaning layout and arrangement of rooms rather than as architectural style. Citations are organized under (1) central authority publications, (2) local authority publications, (3) general works, (4) articles in periodicals, and (5) unpublished theses. (Author/MLF)

Education institutions have trouble justifying huge spaces that have only one function and sit empty most of the day. The solution to this problem is to create multipurpose spaces that can accommodate a number of functions. This article offers suggestions on how to develop functional multipurpose spaces.