Dewey Schara

Neveln Elementary School Principal

When I was in fourth grade, almost 40 years ago, the classroom was very traditional. There were rows of desks and maps on the walls. The teacher talked, and we listened. We had art, music, physical education and recess after lunch (unless you were sent to Sister Kathleen’s office and had your own chair).

We did some small group work; we had homework, spelling and reading groups. Honestly, 39 years later not much has changed. However, I think we would all agree that the students have.

Businesses tell us they need workers who can communicate well, certainly have some basic skills, but more importantly, workers need to be able to collaborate with others to solve problems.  Obviously, we aren’t molding 10-year-olds to be ready for the workforce tomorrow, yet we do have a responsibility to build the foundational skills for them to be successful in life. The jobs our students will compete for probably haven’t even been created yet. How are we supposed to prepare students for an unpredictable future? What can we do in the classroom to get them ready?

After five years of school visits, hours of research and book studies along with staff development, we have created a classroom at Neveln that we believe will give students the learning foundation that will prepare them for the moving target that is their future. We call it, “The Baxter Learning Studio,” named after Neveln’s first principal, Francis Baxter.

The studio is really one giant classroom that houses the entire fourth grade.  There are no traditional desks. Instead, in the studio you will discover flexible seating options, an abundance of interactive technology like marker paint on the walls so the students and teachers can write/ draw/design as they work in groups, Mimeo Boards which act as a giant touch screen computer, and varied height tables so students can stand, use a chair or sit on the floor and work.   

The benefits of this type of learning environment are numerous. The environment allows for immediate collaboration: student to student; student to teacher or teacher to teacher. The Learning Studio also allows us to coordinate resources to more efficiently meet student needs.  There are over 90 students in the Learning Studio and there are three homeroom teachers.

However, during math and reading we can bring as many as three other teachers (interventionists, English learners, special education) into the classroom to work in small groups or individually with students. At many times during the day one third of the student are out of the room and in music, physical education, art or Launch (our Project Lead the Way class). In essence, this new learning environment is aiding in preparing students to gain a greater understanding of the importance of collaboration. That will help them attain the skill set for success in future levels of education and ultimately, the workforce.

The vision and mission for the Learning Studio are: 

Vision: Learning is embraced and mistakes are encouraged.

Mission: The Learning Studio is a fun place where students are challenged, learn to persevere, and build positive relationships. We are only three weeks into the school year, but already students are settling in and excited about the new environment. When the learning environment changes, the instruction must also. As a result, we are collaborating with the University of Minnesota Learning Technology and Media Lab and other specialists to provide staff development to our teachers. As it states in our vision, “mistakes are encouraged” and we know that applies to the adults as well, who are learning new ways to collaborate and gain knowledge from one another.

It won’t be perfect right away; we will make some mistakes but ultimately our classrooms need to evolve with our students’ needs. We believe the Learning Studio allows Neveln to do just that. We are excited to see where this excellent educational path takes us and our students.