Aesthetics of the classroom environment

One of things that constantly inspires me is the principle of aesthetics in the Reggio Emilia approach. Beauty is something that this clearly valued and many of the classrooms are filled with real or natural resources that are open ended for children to explore. A lot of wall space is neutral allowing for the children's work to take center stage. The physical space is set-up to invite and provoke children's thinking which sparks projects and investigations. 

In the past I would have put up brightly coloured fabrics on the wall and trimmed them with equally bright borders. There would have been ‘areas’ labelled i.e. maths area, art area where specific work could be displayed. Since I have been on this journey I have begun to look closely at the aesthetics of my classroom and ways in which I could make it more beautiful and to reflect the values that I have, as well as creating a peaceful, warm and inviting space.

Interlinked with the aesthetics of the environment is the image of the child. What is my/our image of the child? I believe that children are competent and capable and I value the child’s voice.  One way I show that I value the children’s voice is through minimalist wall coverings which allow the children's work to be more visible and not fight for attention with bright fabrics and borders. I decided last year to cover the walls with cream coloured paper, and this year with calico fabric. I also decided to not have designated areas because I believe in displaying projects from concept to conclusion which demonstrates the interlinked nature of the children's learning that occurs in the classroom. 

What does your environment say about the values you/the school hold? What does it say about what happens in that space? Is it a warm inviting space? How does it spark curiosity and thinking? What is it that you are displaying and why?

One way that helps me think about the choices I am making and why, is to visit other classrooms and see what other teachers have displayed or to look at how they have things set-up. It’s often much easier to see what is valued in other classrooms than in your own. Once you start to think and reflect upon what is happening in your room you can develop a clearer grasp of how your environment reflects your values and expectations.

Here are some inspiring environments…