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What do your buildings say about you?

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We have all done it; looked in the window of a restaurant or a store and then decide if that place is for us or not, but how do we know….?  When I was younger my mom said not to go into a store with wooden hangers...not sure where this came from. We all automatically stop at a counter at the doctor’s office or restaurant.  Social norms and the environment speak to us, so what does your school say about you?

I am currently in the process of helping a District decide on new furniture for a STEM building. During the process  I asked the question "what are you trying to say?"  If this is a building of collaboration, investigation and creation, then what should the furniture look like?  In the end, two person tables with casters were chosen for most spaces to maximize flexibility in the creation of groups and move through a variety of activities. Work benches and science lab tables will fill out the rest of the building.

Furniture can have a huge impact on our perception of a building.  Furniture is the most obvious geometric form in a room, it creates circulation within every room and is what we sit on, write on and place our stuff in.  Still, within the architectural process, it is often an after thought.  Years and countless meetings are spent on the design of the building but furniture may just get assigned to the principal or purchasing department at the end of the process.  Renewing the furniture is often left up to the administration at a particular site. 

So, what is your space saying about you?  When you make a major program change do you change what is inside your space to to enhance the new program? Is it part of the discussion when you discuss professional development?  I know there are so many pieces to think about in the educational world, but spaces should work for you and not against you.  One of the keys of creating lasting change is to change the environment. Furnishings make the environment work.

How to start? 

If you have a building project starting or in the proecess, get involved and ask questions.  How is our furniture selected?  How is input given into the process? Ask to conduct meetings with all users to really determine what activities are happening in a space. Furniture manufactures have all sorts of shapes, sizes and types of furniture to meet all needs. Visit showrooms and other schools to see, touch and feel the different pieces. Remember that the image to a student may be very different and if possible, get their feedback.  Ask them when viewing pictures of sample rooms what activities they think they would be doing in that room  and what impression they have of the feel of the space?

If you don't have a building project going, don't despair.  Start a pilot project.  I talked to a principal the other day who had some tables in the teacher’s lounge that were not being utilized so he is moving them into a classroom to try out how they work.  He is even going to refinish the top with whiteboard paint. Look around the school, ask the maintenance department if there is anything in storage and see what can work for a starter project.  It may lead to some surprising results.  Even rearranging the existing furniture you have could produce a different image and expectation.


Inspiration 

For some other inspiration on teachers that have done it, check out some of these blogs. Most have a common theme of talking with students and noticing a behavior change when in different environments are created. These case studies may be enlightening for the next time you are asked to select furniture. 
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