No Tables or Chairs: A Haiku

No tables or chairs,
Children can express themselves
In other ways too.

If you were to enter a classroom without tables and chairs, what would you think? Let's say it's a first grade class. No tables, no chairs. While this could be alarming to some educators, it's important to think about the message being sent about the absence of this kind of furniture. I would assume that a classroom without tables and chairs would use that open space for multiple purposes. The teacher is most likely engaging his or her students in discussions, interactions, and experiences so that their students are able to make meaning of what they are learning. One thing I could imagine occurring in a large space is the teacher encouraging students to engage in whole-group discussion. Furthermore, I can imagine that there would be a lot of read alouds and shared reading in this space. Another activity I can imagine happening in this space is a lot of interaction between the teacher and the students, especially if the students are bringing a concept or a book to life through dramatic play. Establishing a classroom with no tables and chairs depends on one's teaching beliefs. Personally, I would be curious to see how my students react to this type of environment. Additionally, I'd love to engage them in meaningful literacy activities this way. Learning will always be happening, just through other ways than sitting at a table with a pencil and piece of paper. The haiku I have written above reflects my thoughts about a classroom with no tables or chairs. Children will be able to express themselves, even if they aren't sitting at a table. Giving children space to share ideas will allow them to be engaged in all kinds of literacy activities.