New Year, New Dreams!

I've always known how much thought, effort, reflection and time educators put into designing and setting up their classrooms.  It is absolutely a labour of love.  But this year, as I wait for my new classroom to be finished and dream of what will be, I've been especially inspired sitting on the "sidelines".  I've had a completely new perspective as I admire photos, ideas, and conversations about elements of classroom design through the eyes of my fabulous PLN who spark an excitement in me of what could truly be.

And I've realized that this idea is what drives us as educators who embark on a new year.  Possibilities.  We set up invitations for learning in our rooms but, instead of simply seeing the books and loose parts, we see the emerging brilliance of our children.  We envision the deep conversations around a centre, the squeals of glee as children openly explore, and the warmth that fills the room with the pitter patter of feet that enter.  Yes, we knew we had been missing something.

The carpet becomes the place where we will build relationships.  It will be the place that we gather inspiration about where our inquiries may go based on our students interests.  It is where we will
share our hopes and dreams, celebrate successes, and support each other in times of need.  Our
gathering space transforms into what we hope our children experience around the kitchen table at dinner time.

The empty spaces on the walls are filled with hope.  They are beckoning for reflections of our
children, for the language of learning, and for decisions made as a class.  They are also a message to parents:  without your children, this space is simply a space.  It is a space that, later on, parents will slow down as they pass to study the depth of their child's growth.  The bare walls send a message that our year will be a process of co-construction and one that we eagerly await to share with families.

The outdoor space that peeks in through our windows reminds us that there is a naturally constructed classroom awaiting us.  What may look novel and intimidating to our kindergarten children will quickly turn into a feeling of home.  It is the place where curiousity comes alive, where rich emergent learning occurs that could never have been planned, and where deep relationships are formed not only between children together but between educators and children and the earth around them.

The classroom door is wide open and the entrance is welcoming.  It says to parents 'This, too, is your space to be'.  It is a space for colleagues pass and then  to linger for excited sharing and reflection to take place.  It is a message to admin that we are proud of the learning that takes place in our rooms, that we are constantly growing and challenging ourselves, and that we want them to be a part of it.

So as we begin a new school year in our rooms so lovingly planned, I wonder:  what will we make possible for our students?  But perhaps, more importantly, what possibilities will our children uncover for us?