Additional Reading
Caring spaces: Some Characteristics of Space
The size and scale of buildings interiors and objects has a large influence on how we feel. Doesn’t it just make sense? When you get your first home most people dream of what color they will put on the walls and how to decorate it so that that home makes them feel wonderful. My ten year old ask the other day to paint her room her favorite color blue. Of course I said “yes”. I want her to feel good and peaceful in her space.
Having child scaled furniture and toys are critical where we expect children to become independent and competent, however children still have to function at home in mainly an adult world. Having a mixture of child-scale items with some adult is good.
Space and objects determine how we feel. I love going into certain places; Target, The Honolulu Convention Center, Japanese Learning Center, The Willows Restaurant, etc. these places make me feel welcome and peaceful. My husband if asked the same question might pick a few other places, because spaces and objects draw feelings differently from person to person. Research has determined has determined influences created by size and scale. How each person interprets those influences are very individual.
I love Maria Montessori’s teachings, her influences you see in many classrooms across America. But nothing takes the place of knowing your students individually to understand how they are receiving/feeling about the classroom they are in.
Chapter 6 Creating Quality Learning Environments
After reading this chapter I want to re-walk through each classroom, sit on the floor and pretend I’m a child. What would I feel like? Would I feel attracted to the toys/centers in the classroom? Would I understand and see division between each center? Is there a quiet place for me if I need it? The 2 year old room is looking very friendly. The three’s doesn’t have enough for me to do. The four year old room has lost the framework of the organized centers and the focused seems to be very large open spaces.
I dream of mine would be to create a school from ground zero. Working with an architect to put in everything where I wanted it. Does anyone else have this dream? Looking at page 139-141 “floor plans” inspires my creativity.
For now I will do the best with what we have and create the best environment we have.
Swine Flu Update
October 27, 2009
After reading this section on swine flu I had to reflect back to my experience with this terrible flu. This summer 2009, I was taking very intense classes at UH and trying to still keep up with preschool work. I had gone to a youth camp during the weekend and came home “sick”. I went to school on Monday but by Tuesday I couldn't move. I can't remember ever being that sick. Extreme pain invaded every part of my body. Because of the intense classes I was in, I pushed myself back to school by Wednesday. Though I made it through the summer session the flu had taken a toll on my heart and I ended up in the hospital about a month later.
I thank God my children or husband did not catch this. I’m strong and able to communicate well and still suffered greatly, what a horrible flu this would be for a child!
The article gave the following suggestions. They are important to insure that no child suffers due to ignorance of the sickness.
• Get vaccinated against the flu;
• Stay home when sick;
• Conduct daily health checks;
• Separate ill children and staff;
• Encourage hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette;
• Perform routine environmental cleaning;
• Encourage early treatment;
• Consider selective early childhood program closure
It’s important to stay abreast of the current issues and preventions.
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Hi Judith,
ReplyDeleteThrough your own experiences, you share an interesting perspective on spaces and how spaces make you feel. You even have specific places which make you feel good -- places you want to be in during your life. I wonder children feel about the space of school.
You mention how you enter the spaces in your school and tried to understand the spaces from the children's perspective. I wonder how this exercise might change if children were asked about the spaces they inhabit. Would their voices share something different than trying to understand how children feel from an adult's perspective? You mention specific things in regard to your view of the classrooms -- would the children agree?
Jeanne
Hi Judith:
ReplyDeleteFunny how you say you go to places that are inviting. Never thought of the scenary and how we keep going back. Now that I think about, I do enjoy certain places and keep going back.
As for the children and their spaces, I too did a check and get down to their levels to see the entire environment space. I also check to see where children are visiting and where they are not and figure out WHY???? When I rearrange the space, I noticed they go back and revisit it again.
Jan
Hi Judith,
ReplyDeleteI think that would such an amazing opportunity to work with an architech to create a school. I would love to create a base structure for each classroom. When you say you want to work with an architech to put in everything the way you wanted, do you mean just the basic floor plan of the room, or the actually layout with the centers built in? Many times the room is a reflection of the individual teachers and their preferences. Do you think that if you created a classroom in your own preference, would it conflict with the teacherʻs preference? I personally like to move the layout of the classroom at least once within the year because the children seem to respond well to it and it provides the children to explore more and they donʻt become so complacent. what do you think?
Judith,
ReplyDeleteI loved how you mentioned that after reading chapter 6 you would like to re-walk through each classroom, sit on the floor and pretend like you're a child. I think that would be a great experience, and something that would actually be good for all of us to do. We can easily setup a classroom and think it's great for a child, but that's from our point of view, we need to think about the child's point of view and how it would benefit them. Excellent idea!
-Jaychelle