Does your child’s physical classroom setting matter? Isn’t learning learning, no matter where it takes place? Not necessarily. The classroom setting can influence more than you might imagine.
“The physical environment can have such an impact on students that it could affect a student’s academic progress by as much as 25%.”
Annie Murphy Paul
How the School Environment Impacts Learning
Researcher Annie Murphy Paul has suggested the following environmental factors to enhance and boost student achievement:
- Multiple sources of natural light and high-quality electric lighting.
- Comfortable, larger desks and chairs.
- A variety of activity zones within a single classroom, allowing different types of learning to take place at the same time.
- An orderly, well-organized space.
- A smaller number of students.
Just like certain things in the classroom can positively affect the learning environment, factors exist that can have a negative impact that you would want to avoid. Annie Murphy Paul’s research shows factors that inhibit learning include:
- Uncomfortable classroom temperature (too warm or too cold).
- Noise.
- Disorder, mess, and disorganization.
- Crowded, densely-populated classrooms.
What Should Parents in Brownsburg, Indiana Look For?
The best schools take their students’ learning environments seriously. You can spot key indicators of this when you visit (and yes, do visit if at all possible!). When touring a new school, look for:
- Small class sizes.
- Classrooms that are thoughtfully arranged.
- Classrooms that feel welcoming and comfortable.
- Evidence of student participation in the classroom setting.
- Learning environments with flexible seating options.
- Excellent light.
- Order and structure.
- An overall feeling of peacefulness.
When you walk into a great learning environment, you can feel it. Allow your student to experience new school environments too. They will have a great deal of insight to offer! After all, they’ll be the ones who will be in the environment all day, so listen to their thoughts and make an educated decision together.
Bethesda Christian Schools Has Pride in Our Learning Environments
At BCS, we take pride in small class sizes and exceptional learning environments. We listen to what’s most important to our parents and tailor each student’s experience to what works best for them as an individual. Our teachers go above and beyond the call of duty—they view their students as family, not just another student. Take a tour today, and see what we can offer your family!
