New classroom environments at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School boost academic and social-emotional learning

Courtesy photo/Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School

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Classroom furnishings at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School facilitate learning.

SALT LAKE CITY – New learning spaces at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School improve flexibility to help student learn.

In August, the Lourdes Middle School Academy opened in the newly renovated fourth floor of  Judge Memorial Catholic High School, which is adjacent to Our Lady of Lourdes. The academy serves 48 students in grades seven and eight.  The renovated space and classrooms boast state-of-the-art design, furnishings and technology.

In addition, right before the holidays, the desks in Lourdes’ lower grades were replaced to go with the chairs and other flexible seating options that had been purchased the prior year.

Long gone are the lift lid or open front desks.  And while chairs are still used, other seating options – stools, bean bag chairs – also now exist in Lourdes classrooms. Classroom furniture today is all about flexibility to enhance student engagement.

On any given day at Lourdes you might see the desks lined up in neat rows or rearranged in pods for face-to-face discussion and collaboration. All the furniture is fitted with wheels that allow all classroom spaces to grow or shrink to accommodate different activities — individual work, class discussion, group projects. The key is flexibility. Flexible furniture options are more conducive to the different ways students learn and the different ways teachers teach.

Lourdes fifth-grade teacher Nathan Little has always incorporated flexible seating, allowing students a voice and a choice within their classroom. Incorporating various types of seating at different levels throughout the room allows students to find workspaces where comfort meets potential – be it on the floor, in a bean bag chair or seated at their desk, he said. “A space that allows for movement can reduce student fatigue, improve behavior and increase performance.”

Classroom furniture and layout can also have a huge impact on instruction.

“Teaching is not a spectator sport,” said Principal Christine Bergquist. She encourages her teachers to instruct while circulating through the room, rather than standing at the front to deliver instruction. Walking the room allows teachers to talk with their students, promote relationships, monitor progress and keep the learning happening.

Educators want to prepare their students for the future – in school, work and life. Our Lady of Lourdes classrooms mirror what students will encounter, and flexible spaces that promote collaboration and problem solving are at the forefront.

Courtesy of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School