In a couple of weeks it will be all about the kids, so while I still have time to breathe, I’m going to ponder the state of my teacher desk.
Two years ago, after seeing one of my teacher heroes, Sheryl Rank, devise a stand-up teacher desk, I took the plunge and fashioned my own. I utilized an old IBM hand-me-down, black filing cabinet/storage shelf that has been floating around Grisham since the 1980s. This cabinet made an ideal stand-up desk when I turned it around to face me because I could utilize the shelves and filing compartments for my teacher materials. It was about 3ish feet long and about 4ish feet high. I loved that it didn’t take up too much space in my classroom and it forced me to pare down my teacher materials to a bare minimum.
A major reason I got rid of my traditional teacher desk was because I found myself sitting at it way too much when I shouldn’t - i.e. during class : ( After the initial first week of standing behind my beloved cabinet, my legs stopped aching, and I loved my new-found stance. However, because I kept my laptop on top of the cabinet, I found myself standing behind my cabinet just as much as I had sat at a traditional desk! It wasn’t the furniture; it was the technology making me a not fully-present teacher.
As I prepare to move into my new classroom at my (brand) new school where I was discouraged from bringing old furniture to, what will I do without that cabinet? I know what the cabinet is doing: I willed it to Todd Stovall (another teaching hero). I’ve read in Joy Kirr’s Shift This how she turned her teacher desk into a student writing center. She filled the drawers with writing supplies - I love this idea, but… teacher desks are so big! I don’t want that behemoth in my room at all.
So I thought, I’ll make a stand-up teacher desk. I’ll design it and construct it in our school’s MakerSpace! Who am I kidding - I don’t have time for that, and I don’t know how to use power tools. My husband suggested I get a podium, but that’s not the answer. If I had a podium, I would just stand behind it and talk at the students.
Then I started thinking, do I need a desk at all? Is this the next stage of the progression? Stay tuned...
You don't need the desk at ALL! Cushions at Goodwill are a great substitute! Glad your mind is spinning, Jennie - I'd love to see a photo of the transformation of that space... a reading nook? A maker space? A place to just chillax?? ;D Keep me posted, and I'll share it on our Weebly! (I'm so excited for you and your students!)
ReplyDeleteI'm planning on using mine as a hub for one to one conferences, a place for inclusion teachers to take notes and a location for students to sit and work independently if needed. I only have one spot for mine in the lab so that makes placement difficult. What if you placed it in the middle of the room? Among the students? I'm curious to see what you decide!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great reminder about cooperating/inclusion teachers! I was thinking about student teachers as well.
DeleteWhat's the status, Jennie?! Been wondering what you'll do... ;D
ReplyDeleteI set up the traditional teacher desk as a student writing center - thank you for such an excellent idea! For me space, I purchase an Ikea shoe cabinet - it's just the right size : ) Pics and posts forthcoming!
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