The Importance of the Physical Environment in Student Well-being
"I have always felt it is our job to make children fall in love with the world"
-Ken Winograd, 2016, intro
If we want students to fall in love with the world, we need to provide students with a world or environment that is accessible, engaging, and worth loving. For a student, the environment is composed of physical objects that often define where students sit, how they move, and who they interact with. Teachers often think about the person-to-person interactions in the school environment, but if we are truly going to make students fall in love with the world and all that is in it, it is vital to think of the person-to-physical-space interactions. The button below contains a literature review about the impact of the environment on student learning.
-Ken Winograd, 2016, intro
If we want students to fall in love with the world, we need to provide students with a world or environment that is accessible, engaging, and worth loving. For a student, the environment is composed of physical objects that often define where students sit, how they move, and who they interact with. Teachers often think about the person-to-person interactions in the school environment, but if we are truly going to make students fall in love with the world and all that is in it, it is vital to think of the person-to-physical-space interactions. The button below contains a literature review about the impact of the environment on student learning.
This paper showcases my "case for change" as Rod Allen would put it. I am linking ideas around effective pedagogy, the environment, and the idea that "knowing is a personal and social act of the heart". I realize my classroom is not perfect - it is not accessible for all students, however, as I research and work with others I am making changes that are helping make it more accessible and therefore more equitable. I am constantly assessing the learning and equity challenges in my room and working to solve them. I am also learning to name the work I am doing, and I hope you can see the wonder, voice, agency, and co-construction that I try to foster in the environment my students occupy.