Children exist in classrooms for the better part of a year. They are situated in an enclosed environment that is to be their framework and the overall basis for learning and growth. This space is, of course, shared with many other children who are each unique and individual in their capabilities, interests, behaviors, and attention spans. Although we now understand the psychological benefits and necessity in addressing each child’s individual needs, we still craft entire classrooms and institutions for education in too vast and general a space.
By doing this, we allow for crippling distraction, generalizing, and lack of options during the school day. This is a paradigm that needs to metamorphosis with the changing times and increased understanding of child psychology. Space Plus, A Division of The Sliding Door Company has crafted a list of helpful solutions in the classroom integrating a few of our space optimizing Glass Wall Partitions and sliding glass doors to achieve a healthy classroom balance for all students to enjoy. Below is a breakdown of some well-known issues in the classroom, and our tips on installing the resolution.
The Known Culprit- Distraction
First, the largest issue and overall reason for classroom disruptions are individual and collective distractions. Many students suffer each day from crippling ADHD, ADD and just basic, un-termed lack of focus. Children are not necessarily designed to sit still and focus in a small room for hours on end, without breaks and fresh projects keeping the day stimulating. Because kids can only focus for so long on one theme or lesson, there is an inevitable point in each day where the collective student body begins to suffer from diminished capacity due to stagnant energy, other children disrupting the group or just plain boredom. Below are four main factors at play that should be addressed and reconsidered.
Diminished Focusing Capacity
There are a few ways to help mitigate this stagnation amongst your students:
- Craft a few distinct zones with frosted glass dividers throughout the classroom to break up the lessons into activity zones. After twenty or thirty minutes in each ‘zone’ have each group switch to the next station. This keeps the lesson moving and flowing, and the students preoccupied in the right ways.
- Give students the opportunity to work in separate spaces separated by wall partitions in the classroom if they need a little extra time to finish an equation or an activity when it’s time to move the majority of the class on. This way, the student can enjoy a finished thought before prematurely switching gears without having fully understood the material. This will cater to students who take a little more time to grasp concepts.
- Be sure to craft thoughtful seating arrangements and successful partnerships in the classroom. A large reason for distraction in the classroom comes down to poor seating relationships and putting students together who are going to distract rather than inspire one another.
Lack of Accommodation for Different Learning Styles
Our educational system tends to operate with a standardized teaching method for every student- regardless of their attention span, their learning style, and their individual comprehension. This is an outdated approach to teaching, that is quickly being updated by any institution of learning that is clued in. Here are a few ways to integrate techniques that cater to the individual in the classroom.
- Allow options by giving the students the opportunity to work collectively as a class, individually, and in small partnerships. This encourages varied thought and the beneficial qualities achieved through shared thought and group problem-solving. This also keeps the students stimulated and provides great team-building opportunities.
- Offer quiet zones that are subjugated by sliding glass wall dividers in the classroom that cater to students that need a little extra help focusing on their activity. Some students find it very distracting to exist in a vast and stimulating atmosphere. This can be a crippling impediment for the student’s basic education.
- Mix up the day with a variety of learning activities, from music to written assignments, art projects, and building exercises. By keeping the students on their toes, they inherently are able to better focus their attention and actively participate. Some children are more artistically inclined than others, some are more mechanical or math forward. By catering to a multitude of activities, the teacher allows individual successes amongst the students.
Physical Outlets
As previously stated, children are not designed to sit still and focus all day. Especially inside. Young children, as well as teens and adolescents, need a surprising amount of physical exercise and outside stimulation to achieve a healthy balance throughout the day. Here are some exercises to employ during the school day.
- Take the students outside every ninety minutes or so to get their blood running, and some fresh air circulating. Having them run a lap around the track or go on a ten-minute walk will increase their overall stamina throughout the day and ability to concentrate in the classroom.
- Provide a small portion of the classroom as a movement zone. Install simple glass wall dividers in the open floor plan to create a place for students to get up and do some necessary movement when going outside isn’t an available option. Yoga and normal stretching can be a crucial benefit to the health and wellness of the student’s day. Especially when they are asked to sit in uncomfortable desk chairs for long periods of time.
By utilizing a few of these helpful tips, you can better craft a productive working environment that caters to all students evenly. When atmosphere and stimulus are so important to students, it’s a no-brainer that providing options and healthy outlets will improve the overall quality of their education. To get started on optimizing the classroom for success, visit Space Plus, A Division of The Sliding Door Company for more ideas and inspiration on available solutions. Call Us to get in touch with one of our helpful representatives today!
