#5: Thinking About Physical Space (Back-to-School Countdown)

Editor's Note: Find the full 10-Day Back-to-School Countdown here.

In This Vlog with Sarah Brown Wessling:

How do I create a learning space that becomes another home for my students? What do I want the classroom to look like? Why? How will the physical layout support the learning purpose and classroom culture goals?

Here are some of the ways I'm thinking about our space and how it will affect our classroom culture:

• I organize my students' desks in my classroom in either a circle, half circle or in pods so they can talk to each other.

• I'm starting the year with blank walls. As students create new work, it will be put up on the walls and serve as a record of our year.

Your Turn:

1. Think about a poignant experience you've had and how the role of physical environment contributed to your entire experience. Please share your story in the comments section below.

2. Read our most recent #TchLIVE chat archive. It was all about building classroom culture.

Sarah Brown Wessling is a high school English teacher in Johnston, Iowa. She is the 2010 National Teacher of the Year and is the Teacher Laureate for Teaching Channel. Connect with Sarah on Twitter – @SarahWessling.