Beyond the Desk: Creating Inviting Classroom Spaces for Student Success
Dr. Christopher S. Culver & Dr. Kelly B. ForbesBack to School season is incredibly exciting and re-energizing as you get to plan out your new classroom theme, decide what new decorations you will purchase, and how you want to set up your space for success, effectiveness, and efficiency. We remember how much fun we thought it was each and every year. Now, teachers have access to really creative resources (Cricut, heat presses, and more) to create innovative and super zen areas for students to engage and learn.
As educators, we know that a classroom is more than just four walls—it's a dynamic environment that shapes the learning experience. From collaborative seating to ambient lighting, every element plays a crucial role in fostering engagement, creativity, and student well-being. And, don’t forget to leave spaces for the children to have themselves reflected in the room with their work and creativity to foster unity and belonging.
We hope through this article, you gain practical insight into setting up your classroom space to not only be a great learning environment but one that cultivates engagement and belonging for all students to ensure a collective community.
Collaborative Seating: Fostering Teamwork and Interaction
Gone are the days of rigid rows of desks. Collaborative seating arrangements, such as clusters of desks or flexible seating options, encourage teamwork, discussion, and peer learning. Whether it's cozy nooks for group projects or standing desks for active learning, diverse seating arrangements cater to different learning styles and promote a sense of community among students. It is even more important, now, to ensure student personal interaction due to the heightened use of technology. Our Gen Z/Gen A students are so immersed in their cell phone, tablet, and laptop that they need spaces to be encouraged to use oral language to communicate with one another.
Collaborative learning allows for more discussion and the sharing of ideas (COSpedia, 2024). Creating such an environment engages students to study, grow, and learn especially from each other. A classroom teacher recently shared that an “L” shaped desk arrangement works best for students to collaborate as it allows them to have easy visibility to the front of the classroom, the teacher, and fellow students for collaborative discussion. Plus, it provides more opportunities for students to move around the room (Schauer, 2024). Here is a quick layout of what the classroom could look like with an “L” shaped seating arrangement.
Since this may be a new approach to seating for you and/or your students, we have to nurture our expectations around the collaborative seating arrangement and we have to have high expectations. We have the luxury and freedom to move students around until we have that perfect mix (or close to perfect!).
Lighting: Setting the Mood for Learning
Lighting isn't just about visibility—it sets the tone for the classroom atmosphere. A 2021 research study on psychology and mood found that lighting can significantly affect how well students perform in a particular setting (TCPI, 2021). Who would have thought that lighting would have such a direct effect on student performance? Research has shown that fluorescent lighting and LED lighting, at high levels, can be distracting and detrimental to students (Winterbottom & Wilkins, 2009).
Additionally, research suggests that “pupils perform better in both classrooms that are brightly lit in a way that mimics natural light, and those that additionally feature natural light. Brighter classrooms have been linked to better behavior and lower levels of anxiety and stress among students of all ages” (Kizilutuanli, 2023). Natural light promotes a positive mood and enhances focus.
Therefore, position desks near windows whenever possible. If you do not have windows in your classroom, that is okay. Focus on artificial lighting – opt for soft, adjustable options that can adapt to different activities throughout the day. Consider using lamps or string lights to create a cozy, inviting ambiance during reading or quiet study times. If your classroom has drop ceilings, cover the panels with fluorescent light covers (can be found on Amazon – prime days are coming up!)
Remember that the lighting in your classroom has the potential to improve visibility, health, mood, and behavior. Think about how this can benefit students, but how it can benefit you, as the teacher, too.
Music: Enhancing Productivity and Creativity
The right music can transform the classroom environment. Soft instrumental tunes can help students concentrate during independent work, while upbeat rhythms can energize them during group activities.
Playing music in the classroom can encourage students to have greater dopamine-enhanced experiences, plus it can extend wider-ranging brain connectivity to content and learning sequences (Willis, 2023). With our Gen Z/Gen A students, the more we can create a dopamine experience that is outside of technology, we are able to foster stronger excitement – making connections with their context and our content. A study found that students who had music playing in the background of the classroom helped raise intrinsic motivation to learn, higher ability to stay on task, and produced positive behaviors – not just for an individual, but for the class as a whole (White, 2007).
Experiment with background music playlists that match the mood of your lessons and encourage a productive learning atmosphere.
Smell: Creating a Comfortable Learning Environment
While often overlooked, scent can significantly impact mood and memory. Consider using subtle scents like lavender or citrus through essential oil diffusers or natural air fresheners. A pleasant aroma can create a calming effect, reduce stress, and improve overall well-being within the classroom.
A 2022 study found that among rosemary, lavender, mint, lemon, and sweet orange, sweet orange was superior to the others in terms of pleasantness, relaxation, and higher levels of engagement (Ma, 2022); however, Choi found that the lemon aroma did the same and improved student learning performance (2022). We know that our students come with an array of smells – especially our middle school friends – whatever one may work for you and your students, check out a wallflower, a diffuser, or some sort of way to pump smells into your learning environment that will benefit your students and yourself and positively impact your mood and experience.
Wall Decorations: Inspiring and Informative
Classroom walls are blank canvases waiting to inspire. There is that fine balance of being over-stimulating for students or distracting, and just the right amount of coverage to ensure that the space is bright, welcoming, calm, and fostering that sense of belonging.
Use them to display student artwork, educational posters, and interactive learning aids. Rotate displays to keep the environment fresh and engaging. Incorporate motivational quotes, maps, timelines, and student achievements to create a visually stimulating environment that sparks curiosity and reinforces learning objectives. Research found that student empowerment is critical for fostering belonging (Culver, 2023). Allow students to have a voice in expressing their views and opinions to be represented in the classroom. Consider asking students what they would like to have represent them in the classroom whether that be something cultural, in another language, or their work artifacts, for example. Forbes (2023) found that having students' cultures and identities represented in the classroom allows for all stakeholders to practice meaningful engagement in diversity and multiculturalism. In fostering culturally proficient practices in our schools we are better able to acknowledge ways in which to overcome perceived barriers. Soliciting student feedback and ideas, and implementing them, will create an environment where students want to learn because they know they belong – fostering trust through elevated voice and choice.
Be mindful of how much you put on your walls. A research study found that when the walls were overly decorated students were 54% more likely to be distracted by the decorations than to engage in teacher instruction (Willingham, 2014). Therefore, we have to be mindful of what we do with our wall spaces. Perhaps, we create a homier feeling with fewer distractions – a painting or two on each wall or a few positive/inspirational messages, but nothing overboard to distract students from learning.
Designing Spaces that Support Learning
The design of a classroom impacts more than just its aesthetics—it influences student behavior, engagement, and academic success. By embracing collaborative seating, optimizing lighting, incorporating music, considering scents, and thoughtfully decorating our classrooms, always with students at the forefront of your mind, you can create an environment where students feel safe, have a sense of belonging, are motivated to learn, and where students can collaborate effectively.
These intentional efforts will help bolster positive relationships rooted in trust and will help elevate student engagement and student performance. Remember, the classroom is not just a place for teaching; it's a space for inspiring and nurturing the minds of our future leaders.
Thank you for allowing us to share some tips and tricks with you! We hope you create the best classroom space EVER for you and your students this upcoming year!
We appreciate you and your service to the field of education. Grateful for you answering the call to serve. Let us know how we can help you!
Keep shining bright, and all our best always!
Dr. C and Dr. Kellito
REFERENCES
Choi, N., Yamanaka, T., Takemura, A., Kobayashi, T., Eto, A., & Hirano, M. (2022). Impact of indoor aroma on students' mood and learning performance. Building and Environment, 223, 109490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2022.109490
Culver, C. S. (2023). Motivation and the collective impact on teacher retention (Publication No. 30522813) [Doctoral dissertation, Southern Nazarene University]. ProQuest. https://www.proquest.com/openview/524d44bad03c1b83afa0e884fd48b339/1.pdf?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
Forbes, K. B. (2023) The dual language impact: The role cultural proficiency can play in supporting all students (Publication No. 30527817) [Doctoral Dissertation, Southern Nazarene University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. https://ezproxy.snu.edu/loginurl=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/dual-language-impact-role-cultural-proficiency/docview/2832657000/se-2?accountid=69339
Kiziltuanli, B. (2023, August). A literature review: The impact of light on students' learning performance. August 2023. https://www.hltmag.co.uk/aug23/the-impact-of-light-on-students#:~:text=According%20to%20research%2C%20pupils%20perform,among%20students%20of%20all%20ages.
Ma, Y. (2022). The influence of ambient aroma on middle school students. International Journal of Psychology, 57(3), 387–392. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.12827
Schauer, J. (2024, January 2). A desk layout alternative to rows and circles. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/flexible-classroom-seating-design?gad_source=1%26gclid=CjwKCAjw4ri0BhAvEiwA8oo6FzCkKSSsirDBiXhyvek34oQAE5hrVTNGuN4pAiCPLV3t8PZsLX_hiRoCAtgQAvD_BwE
TCPi. (2021, November 15). Light impacts classroom & education. TCP Lighting. https://www.tcpi.com/how-light-impacts-psychology-mood-in-education/
The benefits of collaborative furniture in the classroom. COS. (2024, June 26). https://www.cos.net.au/c/cospedia/collaborative-furniture-in-the-classroom
White, K. N. (2007). The effects of background music in the classroom on productivity, motivation, and behavior of fourth grade students (ED522618) [Master's thesis, Columbia College]. ERIC. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED522618.pdf
Willingham, D. (2014, July 3). Are decorated classroom walls too distracting? Daniel Willingham--Science & Education. http://www.danielwillingham.com/daniel-willingham-science-and-education-blog/are-decorated-classroom-walls-toodistracting#:~:text=The%20study%20confirms%20something%20you,plan%20in%20such%20an%20environment.
Willis, J. (2023, May 3). Using music during instruction to support cognition. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-music-support-deeper-learning/
Winterbottom, M., & Wilkins, A. (2009). Lighting and discomfort in the classroom. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 1(29), 63–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2008.11.007