Classroom of My Dreams by Jhett

Classroom of My Dreams by Jhett - July 2020 Scholarship Essay

The most exciting days of learning I’ve had have come from field trips to natural spaces where immersive discovery can take place. If the setting of schooling took place where creativity and visualization were possible, I would enjoy my time more and thus excel in academic pursuits. My dream classroom would consider this preference as well as provide a comfortable, modern space to spend school days.

In preface to the specifics of my ideal classroom, I must outline the most important features I look for in a classroom. These would be one-for-one technological access and inviting atmosphere. Each student would have their personal mobile device utilized as well as a laptop to perform writing or design tasks. The design of the classroom should be fun and innovative with comfort infused into seating arrangements. Old schoolhouse rows of chairs attached to desks are so out! They lack mobility, hinder cooperative interaction, and are plain painful to sit in hours on end. In my perfect classroom I would like a large space with few students. Natural lighting from a wall of unobstructed glass would softly fill the room and be a massive improvement from the sharp, flickering, and much too bright fluorescent lighting of a standard school. It would also provide connection to the beautiful outdoors from which students can draw inspiration or be provided serenity during stretches of classwork. During the modern school day, students like myself are spending more and more time on computers every year. Having natural light and the outside world to look out upon gives a rewarding distraction to refresh the student mentally so they can dive back into their assignments. Overall, the “open” concept classroom described could definitely provide a more inviting and healthier place to learn with a more comfortable experience for all students. With young people like myself spending so much time in the classroom during weekdays, it is so important that they not only have what they need to succeed, but they enjoy their time in the learning environment. This cultivates internal motivation to put effort in their pursuit of knowledge and higher learning.

From grades three to six, I attended a K-12 developmental research school, PK Yonge of the University of Florida. In fourth grade, we were moved into a new building that was modern, consciously designed for progressive education, and so colorful and cool. The top floor, where the fourth and fifth graders learned, was called “The Treehouse.” Even as a young child, I vividly remember the excitement of being able to read outside on the tree lined balconies, listening to wind and watching wildlife, rather than being cooped up in a square, carpet-floored cell. I could see my friends practicing math skills in a glass walled classroom from the open areas of “autonomous time,” and loved all the dynamic movement we had the privilege of experiencing during our day as we moved from one supportive space to another. These experiences, although early on in my schooling career, had a great impact on me both then and still to this day. I was so excited to get to school every day because my “classroom” was just so welcoming, engaging, and beckoned for me to create my best work. I could work on my iPad and be independent and move comfortably throughout the learning community. I recall sensing that my teachers were thriving too, as they were happy, inspired and connected to this space in how they taught and used not only the smart technologies but the natural simple spaces as well. Now, I’ve become accustomed to the traditional public-school format of middle and high schools which are far less inspiring. As a result of experiencing both types of class room settings, I am certain that given the chance to work and learn every day in my dream classroom described earlier, my academic performance, as well as that of my peers, would excel. This would naturally result from a more eager attitude to get to school, enjoyment of the supportive aesthetic of an ideal learning environment and appreciation of the wonderful opportunity to discover valuable lessons in such a well-crafted dream classroom.