A Reader Asks... A Room Set-up Rubric

A LYS Principal asks the following:

SC,

Quick question... Do you have any examples of room set-up rubrics I could provide for my team as we prepare for the start of school? 

We are trying to make sure we don’t give away any student performance due to sub-par room set-up decisions.

Thanks.

SC Response

Kudos to you and your team for recognizing that the set-up of the classroom can either augment or impair student performance.  I don’t have a specific rubric for you but I can provide some guidelines for developing a rubric specific to your campus.  Which in my opinion is the optimal solution.

The rubric should define and be oriented towards "True North" in a classroom (for our southern hemisphere readers, use “True South”).  “True North” is the wall with the main display or white board, and usually is the direction that students face in that particular classroom.

Based on “True North,” line out how classroom items and decor should be situated.

Then line out what should be displayed and what should not be displayed.

Address what are allowable teacher furnishings and what would be considered excess furnishings.

Set base parameters for classroom clutter, organization, cleanliness and lighting.

And finally, use picture and diagram examples as much as possible.  After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

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