Kohn

    In Kohn’s What to Look for in a Classroom, his idea of a good learning environment goes hand in hand with Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, through learning with social interaction. Kohn believes that classrooms should be designed to help students work together, in an open environment which is usually represented by tables and not desks. He also mentions the importance of discussions between teachers and students and how a student can learn outside of lecture teaching ways. Kohn also talks about creating a space that encourages learning from each other and finding their own motivation rather than relying on extrinsic motivation.

    While the ideas about classroom setup are helpful when going into teaching, however, I believe it is important to note that a classroom setting or setup is not a "one size fits all" circumstance. I think a kindergarten classroom looks different than a fourth grade classroom and with that those classrooms are different from a middle school one. I have also never seen two classrooms in high school look alike due to the number of different subjects. What I mean by this is not a bad thing. It is simply knowing your audience and who you are teaching. A well-designed classroom should be flexible enough to adapt to different learning styles and ensure all students feel comfortable and supported. Ultimately this shows how classrooms caters to the needs for the ages of the students it will hold, and thus, creates a positive learning environment. 

A typical kindergarten classroom with loud colors, student work, group tables, and a rug for morning meetings or story time.

A typical fourth grade classroom that includes less color to promote concentration, less student work and more posters to aid them (i.e. multiplication table), and group tables to promote collaboration.