Learning Environments: A Student's Avenue to Thrive or be Squelched

The topic of space within schools has been one on my mind quite a bit lately. The main reason being that our school is in the midst of a building project. We have had to get a little creative when it comes to using the space we have and been getting creative in terms of what it would look like if we added on to our existing building. Teachers have been providing input in regards to the set up of where rooms are placed and how space is used. A second reason is because of a webinar I watched recently led by Danish Kurani. Danish is an architect who seeks to create sustainable schools that are designed to prepare students well by providing learning spaces designed to meet the function of the task. Out of these two experiences stems a lot of different ideas as to how space should be used and who should get what. What it all boils down to though is the following:

How a classroom or school is physically set up tells a lot about how the teacher or school views the students.  

Are rooms in the shape of nice boxes with long, narrow hallways going to each room to keep students in a nice straight line when they go from room to room where they stay for the whole day or for a set period of time?  Within the rooms, are desks in a straight line, facing the whiteboard, so that students can clearly see the teacher up front?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dcjohn/74907741

Or are desks arranged in groups, so students are sometimes facing each other and able to talk with one another?

https://mrtylerslessons.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/7-my-classroom-august-2013.jpg

Or are there tables in the room that students sit around, creating less of a mindset of "my spot"?

http://www.foursquarefurniture.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/school-hushboard1-725x484.jpg

Or, does your room model the one below, with many different learning areas available depending on what is needed for the task?

https://processofliving.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/21st-century-classroom-2.jpg

The adage "form follows function" is a key one when it comes to designing learning environments for students. What is the function of what you are trying to do as a teacher for your students? Are you trying to teach them how to sit straight and learn everything from your mouth? Or are you trying to have them collaborate and share with one another? Or are you needing to have some of both? 

A room does not, and most likely cannot be all the learning environments a student should have in order to be successful. A school should, however, strive to provide different areas throughout the school where different environments can be available to learn depending on the task. Is there an area where students can present to each other what they have learned? Is there a collaboration space? Is there a "big board" where brainstorming can happen? Are there places that look like places in the real world that students can interact with to allow life skills to start developing at a young age? Teachers are often too possessive of "their space" and are unwilling to give up the space they call home. Sharing spaces and physical resources does not happen as much as it probably should. If the focus is on the students, spaces should be a little more flexible and willing to change to fit the need. Student learning should not expect to happen at a high level in the same room and same set up every single day of the entire school year. 

Keep the focus on the students. What do they need to be successful and how can the environment be shaped in order to best allow that to happen?