Google offices are widely recognized for promoting a casual vibe to a serious job, but can the same be done in a school for young teenagers? In ASFM’s pursuit of enriching education, classroom spaces have been rethought and redesigned. However, whether or not this has actually contributed to the success of students has yet to be

The Vision

It only makes sense that as the world evolves, education does too. ASFM has always been known as a progressive institution and prides itself for always being one step ahead. Mr. Hamm is a current member of the ASFM innovation department, who came to our school in 2014 as the technology director. Five years later, he is now part of the team redesigning the school’s campus, which includes innovation coaches and facility managers, as well as teachers and administrators. Hamm stated, “You know, we talk about 21st-century learning but we’re in a 19th-century classroom.” Having to sit in the same chairs eight hours a day, surrounded by what students described as hospital lighting, can be seen as a setback in the evolution of education. The typical classroom concept needed to be modified because when students were asked the question, “Where do you feel inspired?”, not one said the traditional class room. These and other factors incited the need for change within the campus.

Mr. Hamm expressed, “If you want the school to be innovative, you have to allow the students to own their learning.” For this, students need to realize that they are the primary users of their learning space. Taking ownership of their learning helps them develop important skills such as self management, planning, and organization which are skills that transfer beyond the classroom.

The school’s superintendent, Dr. Adams, plays a major role in the school’s progressive education movement, and he explains, “The third teacher is basically the facility...we know that it means a ton where the learning takes place.” He mentions that aspects such as furniture’s location and its use, acoustics, lighting, colors, greenery, and nature are vital to the student’s learning experience. The Third Teacher, which is the space, will
be present no matter what, so it is crucial for it to have a positive impact on the students and learning. When analyzing the building, it is evident that there are few windows, yet studies show light and transparency are much better for learning. According to Dr. Adams, “students can concentrate just as much, or maybe even more, when there’s more light, when there’s more transparency, when there’s more openness.” Classrooms have started to change with more natural light coming in. Chairs are being replaced by couches, and desks substituted by modern tables to promote flexibility and choice.

Ms. Henning, current ASFM Instructional Coach, expressed her opinion about the ongoing transformations happening in education. She highlighted ownership as a crucial aspect to consider and explained, “It requires some work on the teachers’ part to make sure kids see the value and purpose of what they are doing.” If students understand the why behind what they are learning, and see the transferable skills, they are more likely to be invested in the process and take ownership. “When a student knows where they are at in their learning process, and is aware of their areas of growth, they can become more responsible in moving forward and owning their learning.” Ms. Henning supports the idea of classroom renovations because they allow choice and flexibility, stating, “If as a student I am saying ‘I have chosen where I’m working’, I might be more invested in what I’m doing because I got to make a choice, and I see the responsibility in making that choice,” she explains. She believes it makes sense for classrooms to change to promote choice and flexibility because instead of sitting and receiving content, we now focus on practicing skills in a more personalized fashion. And while the new spaces are able to provide for this, according to Ms. Henning, “there needs to be a lot of intentional work done so that the new classrooms are used in the proper way, and students are aware as learners to make informed choices.’’

The Experience

Expectations students and staff had regarding ASFM’s classroom change have not necessarily been met. The reality is, change does not always make people happy. Some were satisfied with the results, others were not as pleased. As stated by an anonymous 11th grade student, “It looks cool, period. It doesn’t add to your learning experience.” Mr. Behrens, who recently moved into his renovated classroom, points out the pros and cons of the new space. He says, “It has some cool new bells and whistles,” while also noting the overall lack of mobility and flexibility due to the fact that the installation is yet to be completed. The remodeling of areas in the school is also leaving many teachers without a classroom, which forces them to adapt to a learning space that is not designed for their subject. An example of this is Mr. Hart, a biology teacher who, because of the lack of classroom availability, teaches in Mr. Behrens’ room, which is designed and arranged for social studies. Although Hart likes the idea of these modernized classrooms, he finds constantly moving from one location to another, inconvenient. He voiced, “I have been teaching for, like, 12 years and I have never taught science in a room that was not tailored for science instruction.” Consequently, he also has to find a way for students to take traditional tests in a nontraditional environment and explained, “I need to find another place for that.” Several high schoolers and teachers have addressed the renovations as an aesthetic ransformation, rather than a necessity. According to multiple students who were interviewed, members of the design team have been visiting the classrooms during the modification process, conducting meetings where students are asked to define the room in one word or rate it on a number scale. An MUN student, who wished to remain anonymous, said she did not feel that her opinions were taken into consideration, “You had to choose a number from 1-4 in order to describe certain aspects of the room, and it was the only thing you could say.” She also pointed out that Ms. Aguilar’s room is not completely finished, but that, “It is fine, but because Ms. Aguilar pushed for her vision.” Similarly, certain students who were interviewed felt that their voice was not heard and that their feedback did not accurately reflect how they felt .

In a survey sent to 114 high school students from ASFM, who were not necessarily part of the redesign process, most responses were mixed. While a student stated, “I love these new spaces,” others were more negative and responded, “It looks like they thoughtlessly threw furniture together, and figured that we would like it because it was new.” There were a lot of concerns regarding the “uncomfortable” high chairs, “distracting” colors, and “sleep inducing” couches. But overall, out of the 114 students, 89.5% thought that the modernization was aesthetically pleasing, 41.2% responded that they felt like they concentrated better during a lesson, and 47.3% said their focus remained the same.

Some teachers have had an easier transition in their new spaces. Ms. Kramer, who teaches 6th grade math, experienced the opportunity to participate in the remodeling process of her classroom. From a trapezoid desk and white walled classroom to a room with sofas, colored walls, and creative seating arrangements, her classroom changed based on the learning needs of her students. When asked if her teaching improved, she stated, “yes, and I intentionally chose my furniture to change my teaching.” Ms. Kramer played an active role in the design process, and therefore, rearranged the classroom to match her educational philosophy.

Mr. Burns, department head of social studies, argues that the school wants, “to keep up [with] what research is showing us and where education is going.”
Both Mr. Burns and Mr. Hart agree that the changes are a positive step forward but acknowledge that with change comes challenges. Mr. Hart states, “I am not so sure that all of the teachers or the subjects are ready for [renovated classrooms] yet. So until these two things align, I think there [are] always going to be some challenges.” Mr. Burns also acknowledged that, “we are going to have some negatives in order to learn...it’s kinda like if you are trying to build a desk, you don’t necessarily always need to have an electric drill because you can use your hands, it just takes more time.” The conditions for this substantial change are never going to be perfect, but if we look at the new learning spaces as tools, we can learn how to modify teaching practices and learning through time to better fit within these new spaces.

As education progresses, so does our school. However, as Dr. Adams said, the school has, “never made a change for the sake of change.” There is no doubt that a significant amount of research was done to make sure that this step was the best option for ASFM. Rather than viewing these changes as hastily done, Mr. Hamm and others welcome the challenges that accompany them, and has said, “so what if the spaces are ahead? That pushes us to get there.” By engaging in a process as significant as this one, students and staff are guaranteed a change that will make their vision a reality.