Schools are for more than simply memorizing facts and adding figures. With the proper design and tools in place, they can also be incredible havens for mental as well as emotional and physical development. The physical space and environment where learning takes place (from indoor to outside) plays a crucial role in shaping students and encouraging learning and growth.
If you’re wondering how something as simple as a chair, a locker, or a configuration of desks could possibly lead to better autonomy, inspire curiosity and innovation, and improve collaboration skills, let this blog be a helpful primer. As you’ll see, choosing the right classroom furniture and setup can make a profound difference in a students’ ability to thrive. With the educational landscape perpetually in flux, it’s time to think outside the box when it comes to classroom design and the power it has to encourage student success.
Encouraging Collaboration, Curiosity, and Activity
Good collaboration skills cannot be overlooked at any age. They are a fundamental tool in a person’s ability to navigate the world successfully. As such, any opportunity to cultivate them should be taken. Given the nature of the classroom, where students are often in states of interaction, what better place to teach those skills than schools? Believe it or not, classroom design and furniture type – how we arrange it and what we choose to fill the space – can significantly impact the collaboration dynamics of a learning environment.
Go Full STEAM Ahead
Certain subjects – STEAM in particular – are more hands on and lend themselves to collaboration. By nature, they encourage teamwork, prompting students to discuss, dissect (sometimes literally), and work together to solve problems and find solutions. They push students to get curious and think outside the box. To encourage this, classroom furniture such as lab and art tables are ideal for providing the center points for students to converge, converse, and collaborate.
Gather Around to Innovate
Where you choose to place student desks within the classroom space also plays a part in encouraging collaboration, curiosity, and activity. Arranging desks into clusters or semicircles allows for more student engagement, fostering discussion and interaction that ultimately leads to more creative and critical thinking.
Encouraging Autonomy
Two useful tools in encouraging autonomy in students may seem unrelated, but they do, in fact, provide opportunities for encouraging student growth in ways that are often overlooked and underestimated: lockers and study carrels.
You may see a simple locker, but a student sees a personal haven. A locker is one of the few places in the school that is theirs alone to organize, decorate, and make their own. It provides them a chance to assert their own autonomy, making it a unique tool for developing a sense of responsibility, personality, and pride.
Another boon of lockers? Believe it or not, they can aid in overall well-being. When placed strategically near entrances or common areas, lockers can reduce stress by helping students transition smoothly between classes. They also keep classrooms and hallways organized and clutter-free, which leads to fewer safety hazards and a healthier environment overall.
Study Carrels
There are times when students need to minimize distractions and focus on individual work. Study carrels provide the ideal quiet, private spaces for these instances. These compact, versatile units provide a much-needed respite from the sensory buffet that is the typical open-plan classroom and give students a chance to clear their head and work independently. They are quiet oases for regulating energy levels and taking a break from the melee of the crowd, leading to a sense of serenity, lowered stress, and improved overall well-being. In short, the privacy study carrels provide gives student brains and bodies a break, leading to better retention, productivity, and regulation.
Study carrels are ideal for libraries or quiet corners in classrooms and can be easily configured to fit a variety of spaces.
Design Your Ideal Educational Space
As educators, you have the power to shape the environments where students learn and grow. By prioritizing thoughtful furniture design, strategic placement, and intentional product choices, we can create spaces that inspire curiosity, collaboration, and success and help develop the whole person beyond intellectual pursuits.
Ready to transform your classroom, library, or study area? Explore Metro Office’s collections of lockers, student seating, desks, classroom and lab tables, and study carrels to find the perfect pieces to help your students thrive.
For personalized recommendations, schedule a Metro Office Furniture Consultation today and let our experts help you create a space for optimal learning and development success.
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