A Fresh Start in Room 305

I love it when something or some things just click in the classroom, wherever that classroom may be.

I began this school year teaching my dual-enrollment communications class in a computer lab. With help from a colleague, we took desks from an unused classroom and moved them to the lab for what I thought would be a perfect set-up for a mix of whole-class, independent learning, and voluntary cooperative learning group experiences. This particular lab is spacious, well-lit, and with some exceptions, generally unused. 

One angle of our previous space

From the rip, the students all but communicated that this wasn't it. It was cold. It was big (later translated non-intimate). Some of them lost focus early. I didn't connect it with the physical space until we moved to a different classroom.

Short story. Another colleague had to relocate suddenly for a week. I told him to take my space. Comm101, my class, relocated to a more traditional classroom space that week. We've been there ever since.

The space is smaller and more intimate. There's a window for natural light and fresh air.  I could go on and on about windows in the classroom, but I won't. That day felt like a fresh start and a chance for us to control-alt-delete. We had been in that room once or twice before, but this time felt different. I legit gave my little rah-rah mini-speech about expectations for academics and behavior as if it were the first day of school. My subconscious may have known this would be our space going forward. Towards the end of the week I put it to a vote. The consensus was to stay.

Today, a different student again asked me about this year's episodes for the podcast. In order to elicit a response that would likely reflect his thinking I replied, "But the energy wasn't there the last time. So..." His reply, "We're in a different room. The vibe is different." Say less. We finna run that jawn back!

More than the room, I think our relationship, the one between a teacher and his students, that ever-so-important teacher-student rapport and connection is also at play here. I don't want to make this a longer post, but...yeah. Relationships matter.

Setting the mood in the classroom

I've always believed that a classroom's ambience can make or break moods for the year, week, day, or class period. I believe in windows and fresh air and plants around the room. I believe in books, books, and more books* for students to enjoy--in class--no assignments attached--just because.

Throwback to the '19-'20 school year. Seems like a lifetime ago, I know. I had to resort to artificial plants because of the dynamics of the room. What I couldn't do with real plants, however, I made up for in the lighting and in music, all with input from the students.

Those overhead lights?

In September of that year one said, "Mr. Flemming, can you cut them lights off?"

From that point forward, those lights may have been on for a total of 20 times all year**.

They were replaced with a few lamps around the room and the natural light from the sun.

Music?

Imagine the YouTube clip below full screen on the SmartBoard as the students enter the room.

Then imagine running it back while we all worked.

The feedback from students and staff all but said we were on to something.

The mood was described as "calm", "peaceful" or "this makes me want to sleep"--code for "there's peace in this room." Most of the comments were unsolicited and often overheard.

How did I pivot the mood for remote instruction? Tbh, I didn't do it a lot. From time to time I would drop links that this into the chat then send the students out of class to come back in 10 or 15 minutes. I didn't do it every class session. Given the another opportunity, I know I'd do it more often.

What made me think of all of this at this moment in June, a week before school is done? I've been playing a lot of this mood music lately.

I've had to.

It's been quite the year.

*books = reading materials of all kinds, including menus, bus schedules, comics, magazines, etc

**year meaning September 2019 to March, 2020, of course