“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!

Sometimes Sweating The Small Stuff Makes All The Difference

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

Hey,

I have a story for you today. It's about what happened in my 6th period Chemistry class today.

6th period is the very last of the day at our school, which is ideal for teaching abstract chemistry concepts. Especially today, because the temps hit 80s and all my shorts-and-T-shirt-clad students really wanted to be there.

What could be better on a warm sunny Monday when you are well rested, because the weekend afforded you the opportunity to catch up on all that sleep you missed the week before?

Not much. Physics maybe. Or Calc. Yep, definitely Calc. Teens are so sensible.

It happens to be my largest hour - all 36 seats filled with teenagers. Except today (and at least a few other days I can remember) two of those seats were empty…

Emma and Lexi, who are good friends, were still standing up and talking after the bell rang! If this was the medieval times or the 70’s they could probably be whipped for it. But the year being 2016, I needed an alternative approach…  

I have no idea why I did what I did. It is something I’ve never done before. No plan, just complete and utter spontaneity.

I just walked up to them, big smile on my face. I did not think of it then, but I know now that I was happy to see them. I said: Hi Emma! I want to take this opportunity to invite you to your seat. And I showed her the blue seat of her desk. I looked at Alexis and showing her the desk she usually sits at said: Look how blue and pretty yours is.

I was not being sarcastic. Yes, it was said half-jokingly to keep the mood light, but I was being sincere. I think it caught the two girls, and the rest of my class by surprise. In defense, Emma started saying that the bell just rang and they were about to sit down. I asked if she thought I was going to yell at them. She said she thought I might. I would not, but still…

All the time we were talking Emma, Alexis, and I were smiling. And then, something I didn’t expect happened. As I was walking away from where the two girls sit, I started noticing other students smiling too. I cannot tell how many as it was a split second realization I’m only processing now, but more than usual - definitely more than ever during 6th hour chemistry. And I’m sure there were a few more smiling on the inside. And then I realized:

THEY WERE INTERESTED AND ENGAGED.

I have overreacted in situations exactly like the one I just described in the past, exerting authority to gain compliance. I remember myself (and cringe as I do) not quite yelling, but raising my voice to the level of strict stiffness, giving a mini lecture on the expectations, and reiterating what the syllabus says. And, while the “strict and stiff” approach worked in those moments, it always left me uneasy. Uneasy, because it was unnatural for me to do. And, it unnecessarily involved other students, which in turn probably led to some checking out.

Oh well… We live. We learn. We can choose to grow.

The strict teacher approach just added unnecessary stress to my life. It drained energy I could have used to influence my students in more positive, profound, and permanent ways.

The time of the preacher teacher is over. I just took a while to catch on. But I’m leveling up.

Giving up control may be one of the hardest and easiest things for a teacher to do. Hardest, because it seems risky and scary to do as the visions of all hell breaking loose abound. But it’s really easy when you realize that control is just an illusion…  

We cannot control others. We might be able to get someone’s body to comply. However, the mind, heart, and soul roam free. This is how they were always meant to be. Free to choose. Free to see the world as they please. Free to engage or dissociate, acknowledge or invalidate, and accept or repudiate.  

Choice is key. It allows the shift from the compliance-based classroom to the collaborative one. And, I’m not talking students working in groups here. What I’m getting at has to do with teachers and students willingly, excitedly, and passionately working together. Mind, body, heart, and soul.

I am not 100% there yet. I don’t know how long it will take. But I’m leveling up.

I now understand why being myself and unconditionally embracing the imperfect, scattered, awkward, but real person that I am is so important. It brings about a lightness that allows moments in which I see the world through a new lens. It’s a lens that does not magnify the imperfections and transgressions of my students, but rather helps me focus on who they are and embrace them as they are: perfectly human.

But the lens has to be cleaned and refocused from time to time. I realize that being aware, slowing down, and responding with insight and thoughtfulness takes constant practice. Decisions often have to be made in the split-second flashes of life. We tend to rush from one thing to the next leaving little room for insight. We get tired. We are affected by strong emotions. The evolution programmed the human brain for survival. Instinctively, we watch our back taking our attention off what’s real and really important.

We are human. But we can level up.

I do not know how often these moments come, but they have increased in frequency after I started reflecting through writing, paying greater attention to the nuances of life, and “sweating” the small stuff. Such a moment of clarity affected how I interacted with two students earlier today. And, it in turn affected many others who witnessed the exchange. I am 100% convinced of this. I know, because I set myself up to succeed this morning. And it worked!

But, the only reason that I am able to realize it now is because I am writing this. Funny thing is, I sat down to write a different post tonight, but I just kept struggling with the beginning! I suppose I was reflecting on the two articles I’ve read today related to it and somehow stumbled upon the memory of that 6th period moment. The plan was to make an infographic, but my mind had to catalogue this first. Why? You tell me. I’m glad it happened though, delay and all.

So I came to the realization that sometimes paying attention means reflecting on what has happened earlier in the day - observing things we haven’t spent much time processing as they happen or finding them hidden in our unconscious and giving them a second look.

This is how we level up - learn a lot about ourselves, others, and the universe.

So… Pay attention. Sweat the small stuff sometimes to find your Zen. Surprise with kindness. And smile. Always smile.

PS. This morning, I told my principal I want my room to look like Starbucks.

Me: I want my room to look like Starbucks next year.

Her: Who’s gonna pay for that?

I smiled.

For the record: My room’s gonna look like Starbucks next year. That’s a promise.

PS2. If you want to donate a slightly used couch or something to the cause don’t be shy :)

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. 
 
You Have The Power. Use It Often.