Essentials Magazine Essentials Fall 2016: EDspaces Edition | Page 28

Classroom Design

Designing The Ideal Classroom
BY DAVID MOCTON

T

he majority of classrooms in schools today are the same as they
were 30, 40, or more years ago — a teacher’s desk up front, a
board on the wall, rows of traditional student desks and chairs facing the front, and perhaps tables and windows in back. Some students
do well in this environment but many do not.
Fortunately times are changing.
Forward-thinking designers, product developers, and manufacturers
are finding better ways to plan more
productive learning spaces. Many more
schools are now experimenting with
different layouts that feature interactive
environments, new types of furniture
and equipment, and in some cases, no
traditional classrooms at all.
What if you could create the optimal
learning space? An environment where
today’s students could thrive and their
teachers could motivate and facilitate.
What would that include?
At Hertz Furniture, we reached out
to the 1,300 members of our “Classrooms of the Future” LinkedIn group
— teachers, administrators, consul-

28 essentials | fall 2016

tants, and designers — and asked them
what the ideal classroom would look
like. We wanted to know about design,
furniture, technology, workspaces,
color, and any other factors that would
enhance student learning. While some
results were expected, there were definitely some interesting surprises along
the way, as well.

The Elements
So what elements are most important to today’s educators?
• Ready access to technology
• Outdoor learning spaces
• Flexible workspaces with individual and collaborative learning areas
• A creative, fun and welcoming
environment

While at first glance it might seem
impractical to get all of these elements
into one learning space, it may just be a
matter of creativity and balance. Much
of today’s flexible classroom furniture
has been designed for comfort and
technology. Additionally, flexible furniture allows both individual learning and
collaborative work spaces in the same
room. When thinking about design and
layout, considering which setup will
make technology the most accessible
and straightforward can make a big
difference in the daily experience of
teachers and students.

Staying Flexible
Creating a flexible classroom starts
with matching the right furniture with
the curriculum and teaching style. It is
simply not practical to expect elementary
school students or their teachers to drag
heavy desks and other equipment around
the room on a regular basis depending
on what’s needed for that class. Jerry
Blumengarten, the Cybrary Man, an
educator in New York City for 32 years,