Patrick is from Montreal, Quebec. He describes the transformation and how he created the welcoming and comfortable classroom:
Bonjour! Since my classroom is our second home I thought it should be welcoming and comfortable. First of all, I changed the color of the walls. They used to be green and I felt it was depressing especially in winter time. I chose yellow because it is bright and stimulating.
Then I talked to my friends and family to find couches for the reading corner. Finally I went to IKEA. They have nice furniture that isn't too expensive and is suitable for use in a classroom.
During the summer I did a lot of thinking about how I wanted to design my classroom. I drew some plans to help me. The most important thing for me was to keep enough room for the reading corner. I wanted to make an environment where kids enjoy reading.
I went back to school 2 weeks before the students returned. It gave me enough time to organize the classroom and see if it was functional. After the students arrived I made a few little adjustments until everything felt perfect.
The children and I really enjoy the classroom. I feel we are more motivated.
At the Open House a child who came to visit my classroom said, "WOW! I have never seen a classroom like this before. So cool!" This was my reward.
Thanks for sharing, Patrick!
By Teach Daily
This article was a combined effort by multiple team members.
