Part of our teacher's lounge has been taken away from the staff to allow room for two special education resource teachers. The need for more space challenges many school personnel to rethink the uses of the space they do have. Lucie Boyadjian has remodeled some of the classroom space in her school to encourage more team activities. But her dream is to remodel the whole school. Principal Karen B. Slack at the Pre-Academy at Madison Park in Boston would design a dream school in which her teachers would have everything they need at hand, so as not to waste a single moment.
Ownership makes a big difference.
It fosters investment. Investment creates tradition. And tradition creates belonging and self-esteem, which in turn improves learning. Joe Lazarski's teachers teach in teams, but there is really no room that lends itself to team activities. He'd like to see two or three classrooms created for large group instruction.