What a pleasure it is to walk about a new campus like ours! Collaborative spaces, the latest technology and natural lighting abound. I was walking about on one of my coaching days and was struck by the the variety of messages that I was getting from how my teachers chose to cover or uncover their interior windows.
Check out the image above. The classroom pictured on the top is identical to the one on the bottom. Do you get a different feel when you look at them?
As I walked by the open window, a story began to form in my head. This is a room in which the teacher trusts the students to maintain a focus on their learning, even when someone happens by. I find it noteworthy that all the students are engaged even though their principal is standing in the hall with his phone clearly taking a picture. This room tells a tale of openness and transparency. It invites us to come and take a look at the amazing learning that is taking place within its walls. It speaks of a teacher who is vulnerable and authentic. It says clearly, "This space is all about collaboration and connection."
The tale of the closed window stands in stark contrast to the other. It seems to say that students are incapable of recovering from the distraction of someone walking by in the hall. It whispers of something private happening within its walls. It sends the message that learning is siloed within its space.
What tale do your windows tell?
Mark
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