The classroom: A canvas for thought

Not a work of art ...

Not all primary school teachers think like me. I am very lucky to have fellow teacher friends and colleagues to share some very different perspectives that are out there. Primary teacher and instructional  coach Leah Myers, and one of my talented PhD Students, primary teacher Helen Hughes have both helped me to understand something important. The typical primary school teacher thinks about their classrooms as a work of art. Making rooms ‘pretty’ seems to be a very high priority for many educators in the early years.

As a dual qualified teacher, I came to the classroom with an unusually large collection of principles from learning sciences , and as such was not swayed by a primarily aesthetic imperative. Now don’t get me wrong. I love for things to look good. But my pragmatism, lack of time (busy with a young family), and focus on the learning means what I did put up and around my classroom was as minimal as possible.

Educators who have also embraced a stripped back approach to classroom decor may well have seen the research showing that an overly busy and beautified classroom actually detracts from student learning. Prof Daniel Willingham summarises and comments upon the findings of a 2014 study comparing busy vs. bare classrooms and is quick to reassure teachers. There are many reasons to make classrooms appealing, and that ideal is not stark or bare...

Nevertheless, Dr Anna Fisher who conducted the study noted that young children (who tend to have the busiest and most stimulating classrooms) have, somewhat ironically, the greatest difficulty sustaining focus in such environments.

So if you are teacher, or work with a teacher, who prides themselves on having the most beautiful classroom, and may find themselves opting for style over function… How can one be persuaded of the benefits of classroom minimalism?

For pretty’s sake

Minimalist, clear design that has a calming feel, with a few colour highlights is perfect. In fact more recent research in the UK indicates that classroom layout and displays can work well to support learning, but that they should also be ordered without clutter or over-the-top colour use. So we aren’t talking about having bare, ugly classrooms. However, I am pushing back against the idea of pretty for pretty’s sake…

My ideal classroom to visit and teach in is a naturalistic, light-filled room, with one or two highlight colours, devoid of clutter, and specific zones for beautiful, eye-catching displays.

See image source on Interiors Addict

It’s not just because I think it’s more aesthetically pleasing that way. It’s because, at the end of the day, your classroom is not really about you. It’s about the learning.

Your classroom as a ‘canvas for thought’.

This concept came to me last week and gave the inspiration for this piece. By canvas of thought, I mean that the space in which we bring about the learning experiences for our students should be conducive to that learning (and not detract from it).

Sometimes, I think we teachers feel pressure to ‘show’ what our students are learning by adorning walls and ceiling hangings with artefacts, celebrations and inspirations for this learning. Concerningly, such efforts may unintentionally stymie the target learning, as per the research above. After all, thought and learning happen in kids’ heads not on the walls.

Working memory is limited.

Don’t forget that a hallmark of our cognitive architecture is our restricted working memory, which can be easily overwhelmed. Reducing extraneous load in the environment (and our instruction) is a win for everyone. It leaves more fuel in the mental tank for actual thinking and learning.

So without sounding too harsh: Your classroom should not be a work of art that constantly inspires, but rather a canvas for thought in service of the target learning.

By keeping our decorations and potential distractions minimal, displaying only what we need to, we can create the blank canvas students often need for the mental work required; We can increase the space and chance for students to be enraptured in the learning experience itself, rather than the ‘stuff’ around them.

The art is in the teaching and learning

The art of your practice should instead come into being through the rich learning experiences you create with students; Not through the beauty and thought-provocation you create on the walls or ‘engaging’ (read: distracting) side features in nooks and crannies.  

5 principles for optimising your classroom canvas

So let me share five takeaway principles to transform any classroom into a canvas for thought:

1. Rotate your displays

Displays are great when they facilitate learning: They might provide:

• a list of vocab with key words and a picture;

• an anchor chart explaining a concept or process;

• examples and explanations needed to solve a problem; or

• an image to provoke or inspire thinking.

 An increasingly used strategy, often promoted by Brad Nguyen of Docklands Primary, is to rotate the displays so only those which are needed for the task at hand should be visible. Use magnets or velcro dots to easily put out the relevant posters, charts, maps, images etc., and then remove them when they’re no longer relevant.

 2. Orientate the space

 I’ve written about this before, but the rule of thumb is that students should not have to turn, crane or lean in order to see you or the target stimulus at any time during explicit teaching. Aside from rearranging your tables to improve this line of site, another big action is removing the ‘vines’ of student work from the ceiling or walls. Move these out of the front and centre area (see below).

If you have essential information for students to refer to then ensure it’s visible but not distracting. If it’s only for a few students, or if there are different versions of the resource, then consider taping it to the relevant students’ desks. Otherwise, you could also have a quick resource that the student can get out and use when needed. 

See my post on organising tables.

Also check out my post on organising tables and pair squares.

3. Less is much, much more

Perhaps you’ve already considered the above two principles and just need a nudge? In general, most teachers will have too much visible in the core teaching and learning space. Strip this back to what is essential for academic and/or aesthetic reasons. I would think that when you have less out, what you DO have visible will be better experienced by students and any visitors to the space.

4. Creativity and chaos to the back of the room

We all need a space to celebrate our students - their birthdays, classroom jobs, values and ethos, as well as work samples. Often this does take pride of place up the front where such displays can steal the attention of students (and the adults!). A simple reorientation where this material is displayed at the back of the room away from the core teaching front and sides, then everyone wins.

I love having a wellbeing or ethos corner. You can have a big comfy teacher chair there as well as all the lovely stuff about your class displayed there. You can start and end your day in a less formal part of the room, and use it for sharing funny stories, reading from favourite books and wellbeing time.

This separation can give a nice sense of distinction between when it’s time to knuckle down and put in all the effort to learn, and when it’s time to reflect, connect and share informally together.

5. Not essential? Strike it.

Lastly, I think teachers can also be prey to over ordering ‘stuff’ for their room so that it feels nicer. Just make sure niceness doesn’t become clutter, disorder or just mess. If the object is not essential, you should probably just ‘strike it’ (remove it) as they say in the theatre.

Does it potentially distract or detract from learning ? Strike it.

If you’re not sure if you can do without it, strike it for now! Remove it for a week or so and see if you miss it.

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Final notes

This reasoning builds upon the clever framing of faff-free teaching by Leah Myers and Jac Dominey. When we make this clearer and more streamlined for our students, there’s more time and space for learning (and less other stuff, i.e., faff).

Let’s continue the conversation!

How do you optimise your classroom aesthetics so they are helping, not hindering, student learning? Does the metaphor of a canvas for thought help reconceptualise the ‘beautiful’ classroom ideal?

I’d love to see classroom minimalism in action, so you can share a pic of your classroom using the hashtag #CanvasForThought