What if...not everyone "gets" what this project is about...

Recently I saw this article shared on Facebook and I thought the message here was very interesting…go give it a read…I’ll wait…

Click here for the NEWS ARTICLE

It brings up what I feel is a very good point AND I realize you may be surprised to hear me say this considering all I have been collecting and making for my room.

Let’s talk for a minute about what Project Wonderland IS and what it IS NOT.

Project Wonderland IS an effort to step away from traditional, pre-packaged therapy.

Project Wonderland IS NOT about making the room “pretty.”

Project Wonderland IS about learning in a space that feels natural enough to call home but unusual enough to spark creativity.

Project Wonderland IS NOT about clutter and busy-ness.

“But Mary, you’re going to FILL the room with CRAZY furniture and knickknacks! How on earth do you think anyone can focus in there???”

First of all, no. I'm really not.

Secondly, let’s take a closer look at what that article is talking about and what I am striving for:

The article says this is not so great for learning…and I agree!

Holy info, Batman! Even as an adult, as a parent, as a fellow educator – these walls are overwhelming! When you really look closely at them, they are lovely – organized, even! But step back and look at all that information that is crammed in there. If I were to walk through this room like it’s an art gallery taking in each section of bulletin board one at a time giving all the little stars and every cupcake a good read, I’m sure I would get a lot out of the experience. But this is not how we function in a classroom. Usually, we take in the big picture and it is a BIG, cluttered picture with no clear message.

So this article is encouraging more of this:

Or, let’s translate this to therapy space, shall we?

Truly, if I had to choose a space to spend my day in, I would choose the sparse rooms all day long!

BUT

I’d like to invite you to meet the original source of inspiration for this project: Ron Clark Academy!

Website: http://www.ronclarkacademy.com/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/RCAAdmin

If you click on only one of these, choose this one:

Hope King’s classroom: https://youtu.be/mCEH0_aE9kg

Seriously, go visit these links! They'll open in a separate window...I’ll still be here…

This school thinks outside the box in SO many ways – from their fundraising to their classroom themes to their teaching techniques and they are widely lauded for it!

I feel these classroom environments inspire creativity and express to the students that they are valued in these rooms. If you came to me and said, “Mary, you’re going to need to spend 6 hours a day for the next 180 days mostly in this room” and you opened the doors to reveal something like this, I would feel privileged to get to spend time in such a whimsical space. I would think “wow, they did this just for me?” These images on the walls and the themed collections of furnishings, and decorations are not there to help the teacher stay organized, they’re not there to remind me to memorize hundreds of facts – they’re there to bring joy, comfort, and inspiration. They’re there to motivate me. They tell me that my teachers are all in and maybe it’s worth it for me to be all in too.

No, my room will not be this intricate and will not be anywhere near this size. No, I do not plan to dump thousands of dollars into it. No, I do not have a mural artist at my beck and call (okay, I do have at least 2 amazing artists in the family but I will not be begging for any murals!) But I am going to do my very best to collect and assemble a small space that many of my students will visit for 20-30 minutes at a time once or twice a week where communication can broaden, ideas can blossom, and my students can form bonds with each other and with me. I want them to know I am on their team and that I’d do anything for them – including, but not limited to turning a third of a portable classroom into a fun space for conversation and personal growth.