What if we made school child-sized? What if we left our schoolbags at the classroom door and chose how to organise our day?
We could start with a little multiplication-table revision session using a fan and shoelaces, then go and challenge our mates at Conjugotop, lying on our tummies, nice and comfy on a life mat while we’re at it?
In short, put learning through play first and organise things however you like without losing focus. That could be the mantra of Pauline Tu, a Year 4 teacher at a school in the Paris region, aka “the best teacher ever” according to Oscar from the Mezamé family, who understands that children learn better through play.
“I’ve been teaching Year 4 for four years, and I’m passionate about putting play at the heart of learning; it’s essential to me. But in a traditional classroom, it quickly becomes complicated: you have to move the tables around to create groups, then the storage units are facing the wrong way, the children get frustrated… and above all, you can’t move around anymore!”
Seeking flow and consistency in her teaching, Pauline embarked on the wonderful adventure of the flexible classroom. “I needed a guiding thread, something that would let me easily put my vision of learning into practice.”
After a few chats with the headteacher and teaching team, it was time to roll up our sleeves and spend much of the summer getting ready for a back-to-school season unlike any other: planning games around the curriculum, laminating as much material as possible so it could be handled all day long, preparing work plans mixing exercises and games, in groups or solo… and above all, physically organising the classroom!
Pauline started by putting an old tennis ball on each chair leg: a great way to cut down on noise! Then she removed a few seats: there are fewer desks here than pupils, but the children can use Z-tools to do their work. Z-what? A clever little seat-and-desk combo that you sit on right on the floor (or on a mat #redundant no, never) and where you can easily place your exercise book to copy out your poem (or your laptop, yes, we did wonder!)
And for those who just can’t sit still? Pauline has thought of everything: wobble cushions on chairs or wobble stools, whichever they prefer. Conversely, for those with attention difficulties or simply needing some quiet space to focus, the teacher provides noise-cancelling headphones and desk screens to create a little bubble of their own.
And of course, a few Mezamé mats for group time before a new lesson or for the reading corner.
“We change places all the time, that’s what’s great!” Oscar tells us enthusiastically.
A chaotic mess, you might think? No, a brilliant way to help our children become more independent. Every Monday, Pauline gives them a work plan for the week, with games and exercises: everyone organises themselves however they like, at their own pace.
“I tell them that if they’re tired, they can choose a game or exercise that feels easy; they can tackle the harder part of the work plan another time.”
Independence, then, but also mutual support and cooperation.
“If their friends aren’t available at the same time, children will approach other pupils to find partners for group exercises,” Pauline tells us.
And the best spot for these group activities is, of course, our iconic mat, often laid out in its King Size version so everyone has a place.
The mats even make their way into the corridor, where the teacher has created an extension of her classroom for noisier games that might disturb some pupils.
“It creates such a lovely classroom atmosphere,” Pauline concludes, so much so that the children sometimes don’t even want to go out for break!
