Conformity or Comfort?

Recently I read a blog post by one of my favorite education bloggers, The Nerdy Teacher.  Mr. Provenzano, the Nerdy Teacher extraordinaire, posted a blog about the way we set up our classrooms.  If you haven't read this blog post, go ahead and visit his blog.  Really.  I'll wait.

Now that you've seen his vision of an ideal classroom, I'll let you in on mine.

I have never been a fan of desks.  Even sitting at my own makes me a little uncomfortable.  I feel like it screams of the unspoken imbalance of power in an institution that thrives on just that.  I'd rather have a comfy chair in the middle of a mess of kids.  I think the kids naturally "get" that I'm the teacher and am, therefore, "in charge."  They know I'm the one who deals with their grades, their discipline, and their lesson for the day.  A formal teacher's desk isn't necessary to send that message.

What would be perfect is the typical coffee house setting.  I love visiting Starbucks or a small cafe with comfy chairs, couches, and maybe a few tables on which to work.  It's an opportunity to give students choices in their education and get away from rows and tables that separate them.

Here's a few images of my vision:

Comfy chairs, separated work spaces

Ideal for partner work - space to relax and chat

Spaces for tables and chairs

I can anticipate some of the problems this may cause:

1) How do we deal with students when they "fight" over who sits where??
I'm not quite sure at this point.  I don't know if there's an answer to this without knowing my kids and their needs.  It could be as simple as assigning "first choice" groups.  Those in this group choose first, and then others fill in, much like the "line leader" job in primary grades.

2) What about standardized testing?  Don't we need desk surfaces on which to write?
Yep, we do.  But in my dream, standardized tests don't exist.  If I had to find a solution, I would hit up my wonderful maintenance men for tables and chairs for a week.  I can't let a few days out of the year dictate my entire being.  Hmmm... what a profound thought.

3) Is there enough space?
I'm really not sure.  It would take a great deal of planning to find the right fit.  Oversized and overstuffed is not an option here.  Smaller, more compact pieces would work better.  It's just a smarter use of space.  I wonder if the district could just push my wall back about twenty feet?  Simple fix, right?

4) Will this really work?
No idea.  People probably questioned dry erase boards, smart boards, computers, and ereaders.  Now, it's simply a part of culture.  Why not try it and see what happens?

Conforming to the public school's way of thinking is not necessarily bad.  I just know that if I'm uncomfortable at my desk (with a padded chair, no less), students probably are, too.  I just have the luxury of being able to get up and adjust when I want.  Unfortunately, a classroom full of kids cannot do this.  A change in furniture is a complete change in the way we plan lessons as well.  We're asking kids to create content in a space that may not encourage creative thinking.

My philosophy is simple:  If kids are comfortable in their environment, they'll be more willing to work in it.

Now, where do I plug in the coffee pot??