The Classroom Environment

Reading about Montessori's ideas about creating an "interesting, beautiful environment" (the quote is actually Mooney's from page 27) was something that stood out to me, because I too need an interesting, beautiful environment. And not to knock L&C, but the only classroom that I find interesting is the Yellow Lab in which we have our Science and Children class. Naturally, one may say, "But Rachael, you like science, so it is no surprise that you enjoy being in that classroom." Or one may say it's just the wheelie chairs...

I posit that both conclusions are false. Ok, maybe not about the wheelie chairs -- those things are sweet. Instead, if we look at our classrooms in Rogers Hall, I would be lying if I called them interesting or beautiful; orderly, yes, stimulating, not so much. And then there is the classroom in which we have our Arts class. I really hate that room. Even though I am interested in the subject and enthusiastic even to express my creativity and artistic side, I am having the hardest time concentrating on much of anything other than the clock in that room. And I can attribute that to one thing -- temperature.

I have always been a bit sensitive to heat. Heat affects us all in varying degrees, but it does affect us all in ways that are not conducive to education. The classroom in which I am interning this year was very hot when I visited. Will this be detrimental to not only me, but also the students. I know that spending dollars on air conditioning would be an insane idea, but would it be worth it in terms of the students performance (I use performance in this instance, since it seems that is all any bureauocrats care about -- but that's another topic).

So that lead me to think about a theme that keeps coming up in conversation with the other ladies in the cohort is about the issue of giving up household duties and hoping that the men/partners in our lives will pick up the slack. Many of those conversation involve frustration and dismay that our homes are becoming less "beautiful." Is this merely a male/female thing? Is it because men were not made aware of the importance of an orderly environment while children? I normally would say it's cultural, but I am just posing some questions for further thought.

So that lead me to thinking about how boys and girls would see an "interesting, beautiful environment." Would the girls gravitate more toward the beauty/order/cleanliness aspect, and the boys would be into the interesting/cool stuff everywhere aspect? Or would an orderly environment perhaps affect the boys to the end that they too begin to appreciate orderliness? Could a classroom save women a headache in the future?

Hmm.