Finding Your Space

“There’s no place like home,” says Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. This was our school musical that brought sold out shows just before the COVID-19 chaos. Interesting right? The story of a young girl who journeys to find the almighty Wizard of Oz who presumably is her only ticket back to Kansas. She finds that all she needed was for others to point out the knowledge, love and courage she already possessed to bring her home.  Like Dorothy, home is a place of safety, comfort and family.

 

My 9-year old, who not so long ago, was very active with multiple sports practices and conditioning after school as well as swimming for physical education during school hours. Outside of a few homework items, home was where he would go at the end of all of this, snuggle up under a blanket and maybe have a little screen time – or just do nothing. It was his place to chill. Now home is EVERYTHING.

 

Cute graphics and blogs traveling through social media give tips for virtual learning. They all are the same with a few twists here and there. I bet many of you can almost repeat them without reading them. As someone who works in education and is also getting a child adjusted to distance learning, I thought I would share some of what I’ve experienced. As with all the rest, I’m starting with #1 – Designate a Space for Your School Work.

 

Students who learn at school have ownership of a desk within a classroom full of other students. This home “designated space” needs to fit the person. An elementary age student may need surroundings with some activity. Be it their siblings or parents working in the same room or maybe where things are quiet but not completely silent– this is what they’re used to. Older students may cherish total silence and be more productive than ever before.

 

Some fifteen odd years ago I ran a business out of my home. I had a very nice home office – complete with multiple desks, a printer, the works. Since then, my husband started working from home and the office has slowly turned into something more like a lair. My thought was to clean it out, notify my significant other that his space is now being shared by me and the kid and all of our “work” will be consolidated to one specific space. It was my idea of separating work/school from our normal home life. Then I realized that between my husband’s consecutive conference calls, mine and my son’s zoom meetings, it may be a little too noisy and no real work would get done.

 

After more brainstorming between me and the student, we decided together to set up at the kitchen table – at least for now. We’re both situated where the window curtain is our background for Zoom meetings.  I never thought I would be so attentive to where our laptops reside. A storage basket serves as a place to stow class notebooks and such when school work is done for the day.

 

As we have progressed into the plight of distance learning, I’ve noticed that my fourth grader reads his book on the couch. For spelling, he originally started to slip into his room, lay down on his stomach with his notebook propped up on his pillow to write his spelling words and then returns back to the table for math. He doesn’t just own space at the table or even a room – he owns the house! But isn’t that how it should be? Home is about comfort. This is where the parenting comes in and understanding what is going to work best for your child to be successful with their school work.  For mine, reading a book on the couch may not be a bad thing, in fact many classrooms have comfy furniture for students to read and discuss what they’re reading. Obviously writing spelling words as if you were up against a wall, is not the best idea.

 

Indoor Environmental Quality has been a hot topic for school architecture for the past few decades. Research is suggesting that air quality, temperature, acoustics and light effect how well one learns in the classroom.  Though most of the research is geared for the sake of school building design, there are some takeaways that, when possible, can be replicated in the home. For instance, working in enclosed spaces causes the body to manufacture more cortisol which causes stress, as opposed to working in spaces with openings.¹ A study conducted in 1999 concluded that children learn better with natural light with the theory that daylight helps to improve the eyesight, mood and general health of students and teachers, thereby boosting academic achievement.²  A common or open area with lots of windows to bring in light is always a plus for learning.

 

As we journey through this new world of distance learning it’s important to go slowly with modifications and definition of space. Setting up a perceived structured classroom desk to spend a significant amount of time in one’s “chill” space can be harsh. Take note of how your child learns best and slowly adjust to those queues along the way. It will be a unique opportunity and with time, you may be astonished at how well your student achieves.

 

Like Dorothy, realizing how much knowledge, love and courage we have in ourselves will get us “Home”. This could be finding a confident, comfortable way of working, learning and living or simply seeing the light of the world we know and love at the end of our quarantine tunnel.

 

#falconsflytogether

 

References:

1 -  Fich, Lars & Jönsson, Peter & Kirkegaard, Poul & Wallergård, Mattias & Garde, Anne & Hansen, Åse Marie. (2014). Can Architectural design alter the physiological reaction to psychosocial stress? A virtual TSST experiment.. Physiology & behavior. 135. 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.05.034.

2 - Cooper, Kenneth. “Study Says Natural Classroom Lighting Can Aid Achievement.” Washington Post, 26 Nov. 1999, pp. A14–A14.