At Australia’s National Education Summit, my colleague Jeremy gave a talk that stuck with people. Designing Spaces for Growth asked a simple but challenging question: what messages are your classroom layouts sending?
Some rooms tell students, “Sit still. Face forward. Wait to be told what to do.”
Others say something different:
Through flexible zones, quiet corners, open tables or standing desks, they offer choice.
They build trust.
They make it clear that learners are meant to explore, not just absorb.
The session came off the back of our recent Provocation on the powerful connection between people, place and pedagogy. Jeremy’s talk showed how those three aren’t separate strands, but a woven fabric.
Change the space, and you often shift the relationships and the teaching too.
But the reverse is also true: without a clear view of how learning happens, you can spend a fortune redesigning a space, or even a whole school, and still miss the mark.
We’ve undertaken masterplans for multi-million dollar campuses and helped teachers undertake “IKEAvation”: low-cost high-impact change in a corner of their classroom. Different configurations shape learning experiences and student potential.
There are five things any teacher can try in their classrooms this week. No big redesign required. Just a willingness to experiment:
Rearrange just one zone. Change the layout of a single corner or table setup and observe what shifts in student behaviour.
Add a standing or mobile option. Introduce a spot where students can choose to stand or move while working. A clipboard at the window counts.
Use the space to support the development of a lifelong meta-skill. Focus on one skill—like collaboration—and make a space that encourages it, such as a teamwork zone or reflection bench.
Run a layout experiment with your class. Let students try two different setups over a fortnight. Ask what worked best, and why.
Make the invisible visible. Use icons, overlays or simple signage to show what each part of the room is for. Clarity supports agency.
Every classroom layout sends a message. The question is, are we sending the one we mean to?