The architect walks in and wants to know
how I like my sparkling new classroom.
I tell him the high ceilings and natural light
from the wall of windows is wonderful.
And to be able to open the bottom ones
for fresh air— what a concept!
I’ve spent the last twenty-five years
teaching in windowless rooms,
which is like doing submarine duty.
But I have to ask, why did you put the door
in the front of the room?
Teachers like the door to be in the back.
If a student needs to exit
to the office or restroom,
everyone is facing
the opposite direction.
Now, every time the door opens,
students are distracted.
Those with learning disabilities
struggle with concentration.
And why did you put a bench with cubbyholes
across the entire back of the room?
Because that’s what we did
at the new elementary school,
for the students to store their backpacks.
At middle school we have lockers
lining the hallways. For security,
we don’t allow backpacks in the classroom.
I could have used the extra space for bookshelves,
which I had to leave behind.
And why is the Internet and phone jack
on the back wall next to the cupboards?
I can’t put my desk and filing cabinets there,
because they block the doors and pullout drawers,
so I can’t open the storage.
Of course, I can’t put my desk upfront
in the opposite corner from the door,
because that’s where the table goes
to access all the outlets
to run my front computer,
DVD player, overhead projector,
microphone amplifier, and quad
sound system.
And that’s why my desk can only go one place—
the far-back corner. The problem is
I’ve had to run a cable and a cord
across the entire back wall
to plug-in my computer and phone.
The next time you design classrooms,
please show the plans to the teachers.
