ABSTRACT
A Dream Classroom environment is essential to creating a classroom where children feel safe, loved, and excited to learn. How teachers use space tells a lot about how a they will approach teaching and learning. When desks are grouped in pods, students will be encouraged to work as a team and support each other. Cozy reading corners, nooks and centers indicate that students have freedom to move about the room and are encouraged to work independently. A carpeted area for students to gather as a whole group near the teacher creates a gathering place where the teacher can get up close and personal with students to teach special lessons, conduct shared reading lessons, and have class meetings. This chapter will describe the components of the physical space of a Dream Classroom and give you the opportunity to design the space in your own Dream Classroom.
