George Lucas Educational Foundation
Edutopia

Learning Environments

Learning is enhanced by the space where it happens. Discover how to make a difference by optimizing seating arrangements, classroom decor, and even building design.

  • At Playtime, Open Fields and Trees Beat Seesaws and Monkey Bars

    New research suggests that natural elements like mud, sticks, and trees might unlock the imaginative power of play—beating out purpose-built spaces like the neighborhood playground.
    Stephen Merrill

  • 10 Common Flexible Seating Myths

    An elementary teacher who has been using flexible seating for over a decade responds to the concerns he hears most frequently from other teachers.
    John S. Thomas

  • Quiz: Setting Up Your Classroom for Success

    Take our inaugural back-to-school quiz on the ins and outs of setting up your classroom for the year.

  • The Sensory Room: Helping Students With Autism Focus and Learn

    Imagine a safe space where students with autism can go to calm their bodies and then get back to the business of learning.

  • Dos and Don’ts of Classroom Decorations

    What you put on your classroom walls can affect your students’ ability to learn.
    Youki Terada

  • 8 Proactive Classroom Management Tips

    New teachers—and experienced ones too—can find ideas here on how to stop disruptive behavior before it begins.
    Youki Terada

  • Flexible Classrooms: Research Is Scarce, But Promising

    An ambitious study of 153 classrooms in the United Kingdom provides the best evidence that flexible spaces can boost academic performance.
    Stephen Merrill

  • 7 Outstanding K–8 Flexible Classrooms

    K–8 educators from across the country give you a peek at their classrooms—and explain how they managed the transformations.
    Stephen Merrill

  • A Student-Driven Approach to Experiential Learning

    See how a Reggio Emilia–inspired elementary school in Australia fosters student interests to spark curiosity and joy in learning.

  • Flexible Seating and Student-Centered Classroom Redesign

    How a visit to Starbucks inspired a change to flexible seating—and then some changes in teaching philosophy.
    Kayla Dornfeld

  • Designing Flexible Seating With Students

    A veteran elementary teacher shares what he’s learned from eight years of building a student-centered environment.
    Tom Deris

  • High School Flexible Seating Done Right

    Interested in switching to flexible seating? Get funding ideas, helpful tips, and how-to photos from the pros—your fellow high school teachers.
    Stephen Merrill

  • Building a 21st-Century Learning Space

    A community raised $6 million to construct an innovative 30,000-square-foot facility complete with makerspaces and learning labs.

  • Reflections on Shifting to a Flexible Classroom

    A middle school teacher shares the benefits of giving students voice and choice in their learning environment.
    Brooke Markle

  • 7 Teacher-Tested Hacks For Elementary Classrooms

    Teachers post great ideas on Instagram for everything from keeping your room clean to getting kids moving. We’ve collected a few, plus hashtags you should follow.
    Samer Rabadi