How We Spent Our Summer. Hint: No Vacation for Us!

We started to transform room 220 which was a lot of hard work but also a lot of fun. And the payoff was the first day of school when Ms Brady’s 5th grade flowed into the room, many of them helped give our plan focus when we held our workshop in May. This story is so easily told through a few contrasting photos.

The first day of school in room 220.

A lot of what we did was to organize. And we asked the DoE to paint the room a light blue color the kids had helped select. We added a lot of sound deadening surfaces on the walls of the classroom. And they added wireless microphones for use during presentations which they love. It's a lot quieter in the room and the kids listen to each other now, because it's possible! And Ms. Brady doesn't need to strain her voice to be heard.

A view of room 220 (above) shows the computer station we designed (they had the laptops, just no place to put them). We created several discreet spaces for the students including a writing table. Also note the huge blank back wall which we will fill very shortly and document in a future update. As teachers started to come back to school many popped in to see what we were doing. And asked for our help. We urged, 'Fundraising is the key!'

The room before the transformation: The kids gave a lot of input. Ms. Brady (you see her back here) set up a station to start to sort the thousands of books into genres and reading levels.

“I’ve been able to be on top of everything. I know where everything is. I’ve never been able to say this before.” says Ms. Brady now that school is back in session. "I’m able to keep the kids on task. No wasting time looking for stuff. The room feels lighter even with 26 kids.”

(Thanks to all who contributed through the crowdsourcing funding platform, ioby.org.)

We've raised $7000. We need another $3000 to complete the workbook which will help any school do what we did in room 220. The workbook will be funded through WorldStudio Foundation, our new fiscal sponsor (they accept checks and Paypal). Let us know if you want to help with the workbook project. We will, of course, honor all the rewards we offered on Kickstarter.

Thanks so much for your support — financial and /or psychic.

Want more glob entries about transforming a classroom? Just search below for room 220.

For more information on how to transform a classroom, email us at Lab[at]inquiringmindsusa.com

Note: The names in this article have been changed to protect the privacy of the students and teacher.