Feng Shui for the Classroom

My colleagues at school pick on me a little about my "feng shui". I absolutely positively cannot teach in a classroom that does not feel comfortable. I cannot stand sharp edges, clutter, and things that do not balance. I can't stand doorways being blocked or windows being covered.  I cannot stand wall to wall furniture. There has to be space! Open space!  AND things have to feel right! What is wrong with this picture? Well it's hard to tell from the angle, but the desk is not facing the door.  After setting up this new classroom, something just did not feel right and I could not put my finger on it until my dear husband pointed out that one of the basic tenets of feng shui is that the desk should face the door. Always. I didn't want to move it since it's heavy, but could not sleep last night for thinking about that desk and its bad energy! LOL  :)  I got up and left the house by 6:15 so that I could get that desk moved before the chaos of preplanning started and before the custodians were there to yell at me about scratching the waxed floors! After moving it, the room feels MUCH better.  I need a few live plants and hopefully I can find a tabletop fountain tomorrow since mine died. This girl needs water in a classroom. Yes, I am a nut.  So is Addie in this picture. While her legs look look like she has a horrible case of road rash, it's really in fact just a pair of softball socks she found in a storage room at school.  :) She was a big help these last few days! Thanks Addie B for being a trusty sidekick!


Check out this New York Times article on the effect of natural light on student learning. STOP covering your windows people! Take DOWN the paper! Also, please please please- if someone of ANY importance at all is reading this- PLEASE take note when the article says "Reading comprehension declines as room temperature rises above 74 degrees, and addition and subtraction skills decline when a room becomes warmer than 77 degrees." 


Help us! We are BAKING at Louisville Middle School. Our test scores SPANK the state average. Who knows at what level we might achieve if we weren't sweating out so many of our brain cells!   Who knows what kids could do if they weren't having to take turns breathing their 98.6 degree breath on the thermostat to make the air stay on. True story. Here's the link:  http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/05/education/the-feng-shui-of-schools.html


I had such a wonderful summer with Pete and the girls that it's hard to be excited about going back to school, however I felt a lot better after today. We have a great staff at LMS and there are some exciting things going on there! I am especially excited about our kids having Spanish and Web Design as new courses this year! I am also excited about my new role. I'm a little nervous about not being in the classroom full time anymore but I get stagnant and bored after a few years of doing the same thing and I need a challenge. I have definitely found one!