“Starbucks My Classroom” Project: The Master Plan

By Oskar Cymerman | @focus2achieve | BAm! Radio Network EdWords Blogger

This is a follow up post to I’mma Starbucks My Classroom: My 21st Century Manifesto blog.

It’s the beginning of school year 2016/17. It is the morning of the first day of the new school year. You’ve done this before, but this time it feels very different.

You woke up before the alarm on your phone went off. Though it was much earlier than the last two months got you used to, you woke up energized. Shower, coffee, breakfast, and everything in between - improbably, you did not drag your feet. You got on the road with time to spare.

Driving, you were deep in thought. You were smiling. Visualizing. Anticipating.

As you enter the building you cannot help but smile. You open the door. You look around and you see it. This is the reason you were so eager to get back here.

You worked your ass off for it. You were a teacher possessed, a maniac on a mission. Be proud.

All is quiet. It will not be like this for longer. You can’t wait!

You take it all in. You feel it. You know it will change things forever.

You enter your new classroom.

Hey! Thank you for all the support and overwhelming positive response to my “Starbucks Classroom Manifesto.” I was pumped! Still am. So, I got to work right away.

I know. I know. It’s the end of the school year and I should chill. But I simply can’t! I need to start when the energy is high, the motivation plentiful, and the sense of purpose grand. So I did.

And, I came up with an idea I hope you’ll like. Several of you have expressed interest in ditching rows and columns of desks and want to “Starbucks” your classroom as well. A couple of teachers said they’re definitely doing it and we will compare what our classrooms look like when we’re done. I say hell yeah! But…

Why wait? Why not help each other right now? Collaborate by sharing ideas throughout the process? Get more teachers who are hesitating on board? Make the daunting not so daunting?

So I’m officially launching the “Starbucks My Classroom” Project and here’s the Master Plan:

Mission Brief: Create a Flexible Seating Learning Space in which communication and collaboration is status quo and 21st century skills are mastered. Get rid of most or all of the traditional desks and replace them with coffee shop style furniture. Rug(s), couches, armchairs, futons, high tables, restaurant style tables, stools, bean bags etc. are all fair game. And, you can spend exactly 0 dollars of your own money. We will use critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration to do this!

Get everyone on board

Your principal might or might not like the idea. Mine loves it (I hope), but if yours needs convincing contact me for resources on how to do this. Hell, I’ll even call them. Or e-mail. Or kill them with tweets. Actually, if they are on Twitter they’ll love the idea. Here’s my list of folks to hit up:

1. Principal

2. Teacher(s) you might share the room with

3. Custodians to help with furniture/decor/regulations

4. Fire code person/safety officer?

5. ?

Please add anyone I might have omitted, but should have considered in the comments below.

Get the stuff

Here are a few things to do or look at/into:

1. Craigslist free stuff.

2. Local Starbucks - I talked to the manager already. She said they do donate furniture upon remodeling and gave me the Corporate number. I have not called it yet, but here it is: (800) 235-2883. I am putting it on my to do list for tomorrow. I will ask for donations, info etc.

3. Tweet at Howard Schultz/Starbucks - maybe silly, but I’m not losing anything here right? Already did - no reply so far.

4. Other businesses remodeling/going out of business?

5. Maybe there are suitable pieces hiding in your building to get you started? Other district buildings?

6. School Family Donations - Ask students if they are getting rid of gently used furniture. It’s a tax write-off. One student told me they have a gently used futon his family is pitching. I’m all over that bad boy. Note to self: Get his contact! (I might not have electronic access to student records during the summer).

7. Your family or friends updating the home.

8. Write Grants - I applied for the Education First SEL Grant (up to $5k). The application is due on 6/13 11:59PM, but it is very doable. It probably took me a combined 3 hours and I got a blog post out of it :). Here’s the link: http://education-first.com/social-emotional-learning-innovation-fund/?utm_content=buffer8dc7e&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

9. Rich uncle.

10. ?

Add to the list in comments please.

Do It!

The first part is all you. YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE LEAP INTO THE ABYSS. Or faith, if that motivates you more. Abyss works well for me, because I promised myself to face my fears, fight them, and emphatically eradicate them. If you want to, but are hesitating- ask for help. I will help. Others will help. Then decide and proclaim it. Tell EVERYONE you are doing it. Then do it.

The second part is actually doing it and as I said earlier: YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

#StarbucksMyRoom aka Help is on the way

Hey- I’m pretty new at hashtags. This is the first one I’m creating. Let’s make it our repository of ideas. If you get an idea or know/find a resource related to flexible seating please tweet it to #StarbucksMyRoom . If you experience a light bulb moment while walking your dog or sky diving, take out your phone and let all your tweeps know. And use the hashtag. Post questions to it too. Follow the #StarbucksMyRoom hashtag and comment if you have answers to others’ questions.

Initially, the ideas can be related to funding, decor, overcoming obstacles etc. Support is always welcome. A nice ‘attaboy or ‘attagirl every now and then helps.

We should also post our progress (pics, vids, text) as that will motivate us all.

As we get closer to the roll-out, we can share teaching and learning ideas, articles, new research, reflections on the process etc.

_________________________________________________________________________________

So I told my 4th hour that I’mma Starbucks The Classroom for next year. I explained it.

They said: Why can’t you do it this year?

THEY SEE IT. CAN YOU?

Thanks for reading! Check me out on BAm! Sign Up for my Newsletter on the science of learning, teaching and learning strategies, and finding inspiration in the little things. And, you can always count on me to encourage others to ask questions, look for answers, and gulp (not sip) life.

Remember: You Have the Power to Change the World (and Starbucks Your Room). Use It Often!

I’mma Starbucks My Classroom: My 21st Century Manifesto

By Oskar Cymerman | @focus2achieve | BAm! Radio Network EdWords Blogger

Have you ever told yourself you’re gonna do something and didn’t do it?

I have. More than a few times. On a scale of trivial to life-changing most of those things were somewhere in between. I regretted not following through on some for sure. Writing a book is one of those. I always wanted to write one. Never did.

Why does that happen? Why do we flake out so much? I’m not a psychologist, but I think it has a lot to do with who we hold ourselves accountable to. Think about it. If you tell yourself you’re gonna do something and only a few people know about it and then don’t do it, you’ll just waive your mental white flag and move on. You might regret it later, but face no real consequence. You can make up your own excuses for not taking action and no one will think any less of you.

Except maybe yourself. Because you know the excuses are BS.

The Antidote? Tell Everyone You Are Doing IT. Whatever IT is. Really. Write IT down in your journal/phone/notebook and then tell the world about IT. Tell your whole family. Tell everyone at work. Tell everyone at church. Tell everyone at school. Tell them on social media. Blog about it. Brag. Brag. Brag. Do it all when the energy is high, the motivation plentiful, and the sense of purpose grand. Try punking out now!

So, in the spirit of calling ourselves on our own BS, here’s my

“I’mma Starbucks My Classroom Manifesto”

I want my classroom to be like Starbucks! And I don't mean the coffee - though I like it too. The plan is to throw out the traditional student desks and replace them with couches, armchairs, coffee tables, high tables with stools, restaurant style tables, standing tables, a rug etc.

I participated in a Twitter chat recently and Kayla Delzer, a 2nd grade teacher from North Dakota popped in for a few to say "Hi." Shortly before the chat, I read an article she wrote for edutopia titled Flexible Seating and Student-Centered Classroom Redesign and it inspired me to "Starbucks" my high school chemistry classroom. Somehow the chat discussion shifted to that very topic and Evan Robb, a middle school principal from Virginia tweeted: "Starbucks is designed for communication- rows are for compliance." 

That's exactly it! Traditional student desks promote compliance, while coffee shop type seating encourages community building and creative problem solving through increased and deliberate emphasis on communication and collaboration. The question I asked myself was: Do I want compliance or cooperation? The answer was easy: I'mma Starbucks My Classroom.

Research proves that our physical environment has a significant effect on our social-emotional being and student learning. I want to provide all of my students with the opportunity to gain 21st century skills by creating a 21st century learning environment that promotes creativity and innovation, but also builds a community in which students learn to not just accept, but embrace personal differences.

I believe that as a teacher I need to be intentional in how I set up my room if I want students to work together toward a common goal. It is one thing to "wish that students work in groups," but it's entirely another to understand that community/team building is a process a teacher needs to deliberately put into action.

Teamwork does not "just happen." Teachers must support it with the right physical, social, and emotional environment and build it "from the ground up."

Sharing ideas and learning with and from others through collaboration has been shown to increase school success and retention. Success (deeper learning first, grades second) improves the social-emotional well-being of students. In turn, they learn better. The cycle of awesomeness perpetuates.

Upon creating the new learning environment, my students will work together every single day and I will be working with them as part of the team. And, we will be moving around, which is crucial to learning. physical health, and emotional well-being. Humans are not meant to sit in one place. We are born curious and we learn by exploring our world, which requires all of the senses.

I am convinced that traditional educational settings dull the senses. We know that breaks and interruptions after periods of focused activity actually help in learning. The "Starbucks" environment will promote freedom and movement.

Freedom is the key ingredient to social emotional well being and deeper learning. Rows and columns constrict. They hold and stifle. That is the truth. That is the reality in many US classrooms of today. But no longer in mine. Never again.

I’mma Starbucks My Classroom. Free WiFi and all.

I’mma Starbucks My Classroom. BYOC.

I’mma Starbucks My Classroom. For my students. For myself. For the future.

What will you do?

PS. I AM WRITING A BOOK RIGHT NOW. There, I’ve said it. Proclaimed it. What can I say? I got things to say. Coming to the screen near you in July/August 2016.

Thanks for reading! Check me out on BAm! Sign Up for my Newsletter on the science of learning, teaching and learning strategies, and finding inspiration in the little things. And, you can always count on me to encourage others to ask questions, look for answers, and gulp (not sip) life.

Remember: You Have the Power to Change the World (and Starbucks Your Room). Use It Often!

Crush That Test with 12 Yeses and 4 Tips

By Oskar Cymerman | @focus2achieve | BAm! Radio Network EdWords Blogger

"Test" is a loaded word. Plenty of Ed folk out there start hyperventilating hearing the word alone. Put STD in front of "Test" and some educators will roundhouse kick you Chuck Norris style.

Had my arm twisted to proctor a few Standardized Tests this year, uhm... every year. Good times...

STD Ts are a drag. So are STDs, but that's a story no one wants to hear.

"Grades" - that's another hot topic. Keep them? Kick them? I have my preferences. So do you.

Regardless, tests and grades pervade education. They'll be here a while. Good, bad, or ugly we gotta deal with them. Tests get grades. Grades get diplomas. Diplomas get jobs.

But first we gotta get tests. And then crush them.

Help students crush tests.

Here's how:

Here's the Crush That Test Checklist PDF style for your printing pleasures.

Thanks for your time! I hope you find the infographic above useful. Please share it with other teachers, students, and parents. You can access all other Brain-Based Learning infographics I created by scrolling down my ED!Blog. I will feature more Brain-Based Learning teaching tools, metacognitive strategies, and posts on social-emotional learning in my future NEWSLETTERS, so please SIGN UP if you would like to receive tips that help students become better learners and you're looking to add more weapons of mass creation to your teaching arsenal :)

If you find the information in the infographic useful, consider buying "Crush School: Every Student's Guide To Killing It In The Classroom", which is a book I wrote to help students learn more efficiently and effectively using proven research based strategies.

You Have the Power to Change the World. Use it Often.

Sources:

1. Richard M. Felder MEMO TO STUDENTS WHO ARE DISAPPOINTED WITH THEIR LAST TEST GRADE.
2. Coursera Learning How To Learn MOOC by Barbara Oakley PhD & Terrence Sejnowski PhD.

Crush School: Every Student's Guide To Killing It In The Classroom (And Teachers Dig It Too)

$16.95

By Oskar Cymerman

Buy on Amazon