Over the past few months I’ve been diving into my new job. A small portion of this transition has centered on rethinking the role of learning spaces at my school and beyond. One of my goals has been to start conversations about the power of spaces in improving our teaching and learning.

I updated my working space and have used my “office” as a model: an opportunity to wonder/share/create/reimagine. It has already started some great conversations with students, faculty, and staff.

While I’ve been enjoying the space, I wanted to share the transition and hopefully it will start your own conversation about the learning spaces at your school. The space itself is meant to be communal. I’m not one for saying, “this is MINE”. Students and faculty are welcome to use my space for brainstorming. I am a believer in the value of collaboration and being open to new voices/approaches and that only comes when you open your mind or in this case, “your door”.

The Result

How It Happened

To create the space, we used Ideapaint Pro. I highly suggest either getting a professional to apply the paint or following IdeaPaint’s instructions to the T. For example, if you spread the paint too thin the ink will stain the wall and not wipe off completely. The desk and bookshelf were made out of recycled wood by Amanda Kovattana.

Community Use

As I mentioned, I have offered this space to the faculty and students. They are able to reserve my office and use it as they see fit. This week my office is hosting a video “Photo Booth” for our Multi-Cultural Festival. Students are recording their thoughts based upon a prompt written on the wall.

I hope this has given you some food for thought and I look forward to seeing your take on how we can reimagine our learning spaces.

Photo Credits: Earthworm & davidbill

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