The Classroom Set up

Now many teachers get asked after having two months off:

"Oh man...so you have to go back to work soon...that will be hard with having so much time off"

                  "How are you going to get used to waking up again?"

And my personal favourite and this question is ALWAYS asked with that overly scrunched 'should I even dare ask this questions face'    "Are you ready to go back to work??"

And my answer and the answer of many of my colleagues would be an overwhelming YES! You see the classroom set up time that occurs at the end of August is a highly valued, highly thoughtful, and highly exciting time of year for me. As a teacher I feel strongly that children work best in a classroom that fosters their interests and gives them workspaces that involve choice and variety. For example in my classroom you will see traditional tables with chairs. you will see many carpeted areas with pillows and you will even notice that half the classrooms fluorescent lights are off, and there are many different lamps scattered around the room. The answer to why I create a learning space that looks like this comes largely from the ideas of Loris Malaguzzi who founded the Reggio Emilia approach, who stated that learning happens through peer, adult and environmental interactions (The Third Teacher, 2010). Many school around the world have taken to this approach and have made it their own. This is what I aim to do in my classroom, for students to have the ability to work with each other, their teacher and with their environment.


Here is a view of what my classroom looked like when I arrived mid-August, the floors were freshly waxed, the walls newly painted and all of the furniture in a heap in the middle of the room!

                         

August 2016

Now I am the type of person who loves to make lists and plans for most things in life, especially my teaching. So every summer I take out a blank piece of paper and start to make a map of the classroom I envision to set up in August. This year was no different! A few years ago I had my classroom library in the middle of the room and I really enjoyed having all of the stories, fact books and novels in the middle of the classroom, essentially at its heart. This year I tried this set up again and I am very happy with the results.

Books surrounded by trees and a comfy carpet and pillow area ready to have children on them snuggled up with a good book.

Writing Area

Building Centre

Low Table/Computer/Teacher "area"

You will notice that I do not have a teacher desk, or chair, or specific area. I simply have a small filing cabinet alongside a small bookshelf. The reason for this is simple...I do not need a desk, or chair or specific space. The classroom is just a much my students as it is mine. I work with them at different spaces around the room on the carpet, at a table, basically wherever the student I am working with feels the most comfortable. Therefore I do not need a large space in the room that is mine...the classroom is all of ours!

9 days and counting until we start on our journey together! Until then...

Nicole

A Friendly Welcome and Introduction :)

Hello :)

My name is Nicole Platsko and I am a wife, a mother, a country music lover and I am a teacher. I recently returned back to work in the Spring after being on maternity leave with my son who is now 18 months old. I have been teaching for 5 years and I have had the pleasure to teach grades K-3 during this time. I am returning to work this September to tackle a new challenge (one that I am the most anxious and excited to begin)  teaching a 1, 2, 3 multi-age classroom.

I work at an incredible school, filled with some of the most amazing teachers I know, teachers who challenge my thinking, support my passion and have become some of my closest friends!

Teaching is something I have a deep love and passion for, each year brings new relationships with both students and families as well as new and exciting challenges. I cannot wait to begin this school year and share this journey with my students, families and the greater community!

Nicole