The Big Fresh August 30, 2014 The Other Space

So, what made the difference this year? I changed the space where I planted them. In previous years, I planted watermelon and cantaloupe in  long, narrow raised beds. I figured I could train the vines to run lengthwise along the walls of the bed. Since that didn’t seem to be working, I decided to put them into a different space when I planted my garden in late May. I set the small green seedlings in a large, square bed, with lots of space between them. They looked rather lonely and forlorn spaced so far apart. My hope was that the plants would have room to stretch and grow and produce edible fruit. Well, my plan seems to have worked. The vines reach out every which way and it’s only a matter of days until we have our own homegrown melons for breakfast.

I was reminded of the importance of space when I went to school to spend time with the brand new teacher I am mentoring this year. The first thing she shared was her vision for how the different spaces would be used in her classroom. Her rocking chair and easel were up front with a large empty space for the students to gather. Sticky notes dotted her walls indicating where to put her calendar, class promise and her word wall, to name a few. She had even begun arranging her classroom library in a space that was easily accessible to her young learners. The physical spaces in her classroom are well thought out and have a purpose, promising a  rich learning environment for the 23 first graders who will soon enter her room.

The physical space isn’t the only space we need to think about though. The space I’m considering isn’t necessarily visible to someone passing by a classroom. I’m thinking about the space we give children that will help them thrive throughout the school year. Are we giving our students ample time to explore? Do we welcome their questions and encourage them go out and find answers? Are we asking questions that encourage students to think critically and problem solve? Are we open to the possibility that there might be more than one right answer? Do we give students choices that empower them?  Are they reading books they want to read?  Are they writing about topics that are important to them? Do they know it’s okay to make mistakes and learn from them?

I’ve come to believe that these invisible spaces are just as important as the physical spaces we create in our classrooms.  By providing the right spaces, we give our students opportunities to stretch, grow, and reach their full potential.

Julie Johnson is a literacy coach in Hilliard, Ohio and has taught for nearly 20 years. She is a teacher-consultant with the National Writing Project, a recipient of the NCTE Donald Graves writing award, and the author of the blog Raising Readers and Writers.