Essentials Magazine Essentials Spring 2018 | Page 33

Intentional Space Design
school. They can, most importantly, lead
people to believe that excellent learning
isn’t possible in this space. To begin to
seeing how space impacts all areas of
a learning community, consider these
questions. displayed in the hallways?
• What signage speaks to mission,
purpose, and the key concepts of the
building?
• Do your hallways tell the non-ver-
bal story of your learning community?
Outside of the building
• What message does the outside of
the building send? Many people in the
community judge their school based on
driving by.
• Does the outside of the building speak
to only safety and security or does it tell
the learning story?
• How does the green space showcase a
level of excellence? Common Spaces
Libraries, cafeterias, gymnasiums are
areas that are seen and used by most
students each day. In addition, they are
heavily seen and used by the commu-
nity.
• What level of design has gone into
these spaces?
• Do they show the level of detail to
cleanliness that speaks to the excellence
in the building? Do they promote caring
and belonging?
• Are these areas energy creators or
energy vampires?
Entryway of the school
• How many times do visitors see the
word no as they enter the building?
• Is there welcoming signage from the
parking lot to the place to check in?
• Are there old posters, furniture and
art work near the entryway?
• Do individuals feel welcomed? How
soon do visitors see images of students
learning?
Hallways
• Can students learn concepts by just
walking down the hallway?
• Are hallways filled with learning exam-
ples that both showcase learning process
and product?
• What art and design features are
Forgotten Spaces
Visit a school’s bathrooms and their
teachers’ lounge and you can learn a
lot about the school.
• Are the bathrooms sanitary and com-
fortable?
• Has design played a role in how they
have changed over time?
• Does the teachers’ lounge speak loud-
ly to the professionalism of the staff?
• Does the teachers’ space feel like a
place where teachers would gather to
think, reflect, and learn?
The time has come to move beyond
furniture and flexibility in classrooms,
and begin to lead in a comprehensive
way around space design. This work
can be an essential lever of change for
school leaders as they look to build a
modern school that supports the needs
of all students. By leading this way,
leaders can begin the conversations and
changes needed to shift the culture,
community support, and capacity for
learning needed for true meaningful
success for all students.
n
DR. ROBERT DILLON serves the students
and community of the University City as
Director of
Innovation
Learning. Prior
to this posi-
tion, he served
as a teacher
and admin-
istrator in
public schools
throughout
the Saint Louis
area. Dr. Dillon
serves on the
leadership
team for Connected Learning, an organi-
zation designed to reshape professional
development to meet today’s needs. Dr.
Dillon has published four books: THE SPACE:
A Guide for Educators; Redesigning Learning
Spaces; Leading Connected Classrooms; and
Engage, Empower, Energize: Leading Tomor-
row’s Schools Today.
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