Lead / Create / Contribute
235 Hope Road, Tinton Falls, NJ 07724  /  732.542.4777

More Stories

List of 10 news stories.

Introducing the Third Teacher in Lower School

Loris Malaguzzi, a thought leader in early education, has said “There are three teachers of children: adults, other children, and their physical environment.” 

So while the word classroom may conjure up an image of perfectly lined desks and a clean chalkboard to you, Ranney Lower School is making that vision different for our students based on the latest research in education. Our students are 21st century learners, and their classrooms are morphing into spaces that foster innovation, imagination, creativity, and critical thinking skills. Impacted by leading research that verifies the importance of creating 21st century classrooms, the Ranney Lower School is giving students the opportunity to learn in innovative spaces.
 
The learning environment or classroom plays a key role in the Reggio Emilia approach.  Children thrive in environments that are suited to their interests and developmental stages.  In the Reggio Emilia approach, the environment is viewed as a place that is welcoming, authentic, aesthetically pleasing, culturally representative of the community, embraces nature and filled with purposeful materials.  The layout of the environment promotes relationships, communication, collaboration, and exploration through play.  Materials are thoughtfully added to the environment to promote creativity, thinking and problem solving skills, questions, experimentation and open-ended play.  

At Ranney some examples of the third teacher in execution are the Pre-K classroom, where center changes are student-led. The students decide based on their interests and then they help to brianstorm the components of the new centers. Fourth grade teacher Ms. Errickson has fabric pinned up in her room to change the lighting (all following safety codes).  Third grade teacher Mrs. Mitreuter has different seating in her room - high tops, low tables, benches and a pillow covered rug to provide movement, flexibility and to integrate choice. 

Senora Cordero, the Lower School Spanish teacher, uses the World Language hallway for many different activities. “For example, Beginners students learned how to line up by using the ring in different colors and then they place their hand in the hand on the wall to remind the class that we say Hola, then students say the number where they are standing and they must remember that number to enter the classroom and sit in their carpet numbers. Then we begin taking attendance in Spanish with the "tortugas" (turtles) and the "Patitos" (ducks) groups.”

Some of the general items that you might see around the Lower School that help with this philosophy are: 

– Teachers at standing desks with wheels so they can easily be moved around the room.
– Furniture on lockable wheels so the classroom design can easily be moved and new classroom arrangements can be created in minutes.
– The freedom of movement where students can use furniture with different heights that can serve as resting spots to either stand or sit and work.
– Cushioned benches or lounge pillows for students to curl up on and enjoy a great book. 
– The ability to move tables together to create large work spaces for collaborative group work.

Some of the benefits of flexible, innovative and relaxed classroom spaces are that students can collaborate and easily work in small groups to think “deeply” about concepts. It should be noted that a social curriculum that develops a positive classroom community with a shared purpose, teaches conflict resolution, and creates empathetic learners.

Additionally, elementary students enjoy socializing and working in groups. Research has found that starting in third grade, students need small and large group spaces to promote communication so students can socialize and share their ideas.

Another important benefit is that instruction and execution of the lessons can be more individualized, and teachers are able to celebrate and encourage creativity from their students.

Finally, an important benefit of the 21st century classroom is that it is a space that promotes design thinking and critical thinking skills.

Overall, the flexible classroom provides the environment for positive student-teacher and student-peer engagement.
 
Parents may wonder how they can create a 21st century space at home that will engage their child with their school work? Start with reading the book The Third Teacher: 79 Ways You Can Use Design to Transform Teaching & Learning written by OWP/P Cannon Design. There are also great ideas on Pinterest, and IKEA has furniture like standing desks.

“If we teach today’s students, as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.” - John Dewey
Back

Ranney School

235 Hope Road
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Tel. 732.542.4777
Our mission is to know and value every child, nurturing intellectual curiosity and confidence, and inspiring students to lead honorably, think creatively, and contribute meaningfully to society.