Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/859531
The Reimagined eachers are adapting their classrooms for the Knowledge Era. For some, that means creating a homier environment, where students are comfortable learning. For others, it's changing the core of what it means to be a teacher. Here, educators talk about how they've modified their instruction and reshaped their spaces to meet 21st century student needs. T Meeting the needs of 21st century 36 cta.org Back to School B R I G H T I D E A S Adapting the physical space Brynn Hutchison, who teaches a fourth- and fifth-grade combination class at Banyan Elementary School in Newberry Park, began to reimagine the physical space of her class- room after spotting ideas on Pinterest. "First, I started taking legs off of desks to move them closer to the floor," says the Uni- fied Association of Conejo Teachers (UACT ) member. "We have 36 kids in fifth grade, and they are bigger, so classrooms can feel crowded. Lowering desks helped make the classroom feel huge." Then, she added yoga balls because some nudgier students worked better on them, and brought in wobble stools, bean bags and video rockers. Generous parents purchased a standing desk and an adjustable table for her own use. "It 's the Starbucks Classroom," Hutchison jokes (see sidebar, facing page). " The kids are more engaged. When we read a novel, we have a discussion that lends itself to be more relaxed. There's more participation." Hutchison had input from students along the way. " They articulated how they need to sit. Some said they needed a yoga ball to bounce, others wanted a seat with no back. They were surprisingly self-aware," she says. Three of Hutchison's colleagues who team-teach the same students reimagined their classrooms as well, and repor t pos- itive results. "Flexible seating gives them independence, ownership and responsibility," says Kim Tetzlaff, a UACT member who teaches sci- ence, math and social studies. Tetzlaff 's classroom furniture includes items from her garage and donations from parents and a DonorsChoose.org request.