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I would love to have an instructional kitchen!

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I would love to have an instructional kitchen!

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I love teaching with food. It's such a great way to explore new things and work through math and science concepts.

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It would be cool if the design somehow honored the creek. I don't know, curvy or something. Maybe it could have a few layers of blue.

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from cozy to small group to BIG group.

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They work so hard. Their kitchen should be friendly and efficient.

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Every child should have an individual space big enough for a winter coat, a full backpack, and personal items.

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The kids need to learn how to grow food and a quiet place to reflect. Can it be fenced for safety?

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A science lab that is adjacent to the garden.  (Also a great place to be next to the educational kitchen to cook the goodies from the garden.) Also a large greenhouse. 

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A science lab that is adjacent to the garden.  (Also a great place to be next to the educational kitchen to cook the goodies from the garden.) Also a large greenhouse. 

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Space to eat outside - again, fenced for safety

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Reading nooks...an indoor treehouse perhaps? 

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Reading nooks...an indoor treehouse perhaps? 

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Natural light is great. Can the blinds or shades be inside the window to keep them dust free and less likely to be broken?

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Save the central floor space for students who need to be close to see easily.

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I would love to see wide steps big enough to sit with outlets in the risers. I can see presenting to an audience on the ground or even better opposite risers so the audience can see as easily as the presenters.

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All doors that have to be propped open should have mounted door stoppers so we don't have to hunt them down.

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All doors that have to be propped open should have mounted door stoppers so we don't have to hunt them down.

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Perhaps a space that could be used for collaboration during non-lunch times.

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Schoolyard Blog | Teacher Resources | School Specialty

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Learning Spaces School Specialty *

K-12 leaders often take the design of their school cafeterias for granted. As a result, these spaces tend to feel very institutional and uninspiring.

That's a big mistake. School cafeterias are places where everyone comes together during the school day. This represents a key opportunity to inspire school pride and a sense of community among students-and the design of the space can help foster this spirit.

School cafeterias can also become more functional by supporting informal learning activities when they're not being used for food service. Here's some advice for creating school cafeterias that are places students want to spend time in, leading to a stronger sense of community and more opportunities for learning.

Lose the institutional look and feel.

Students are subconsciously comparing your cafeteria to their favorite retail food chains when they're dining, and too often the cafeteria comes up short.

Consider replacing traditional picnic-style seating with seating you might see at a restaurant of café, such as booths and café-style tables made of more comfortable materials. These would make the space more inviting, giving students another place to gather and collaborate on their studies.

Think creatively.

Take inspiration from other food-service venues in designing your cafeteria. How can you increase food-service revenue while making your cafeteria an attractive place to be? Could you create a food court or use self-service kiosks to lend a more modern feel to your dining programs, while also increasing the options available for students? How about a cafe-style section with coffee and pastries?

Power the space for learning.

To make the space functional for learning or studying, consider how you can make electrical outlets readily available for students to plug in their digital devices. For instance, you could embed outlets in the floor, or choose tables and bench seating with outlets built into the furniture.

Breaking the Mold

When Strongsville, Ohio, built a new middle school a few years ago, one of the most innovative features of this new building was its two-story cafeteria. The space is designed like a café, as administrators sought to re-create the kind of food court environment that students like hanging out in when they're not in school.

The centerpiece of the design is a 61-foot-long, candy cane-shaped booth that runs through the middle of the cafeteria. Built by a custom booth manufacturer, it's the largest piece of booth seating that the manufacturer had ever created for a school.

By breaking the mold on school cafeteria design, Strongsville has created an attractive and versatile space where students want to congregate-while also increasing the opportunities for learning beyond the classroom.

To learn more about creating a continuous learning culture through smart learning space design, download our free guide: "Learning Beyond the Classroom: How to Make Every Space a Learning Space."

Download the Free Guide

Christina Counts, PhD

Dr. Christina Counts is a proven leader with a successful background in transforming learning spaces. Dr. Counts has worked in education for over 17 years with experience as a classroom teacher, district instructional leader, school administrator, and digital and innovative learning designer. As the Director of Design and Development for School Specialty, Christina leads a team of professionals that not only offer complete turnkey modernization solutions for schools, but also design and deliver professional development to support districts making the transition to a flexible, collaborative, student-centered learning space.
Read more by Dr. Christina Counts->

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Designing School Cafeterias to Support Informal Learning Opportunities

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K-12 leaders often take the design of their school cafeterias for granted. As a result, these spaces tend to feel very institutional and uninspiring. That's a big mistake. School cafeterias are places where everyone comes together during the school day. This represents a key opportunity to inspire school pride and a sense of community ...

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Multiple outlets preferably on the floor.

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Multiple outlets preferably on the floor.

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A built-in calm down corner. (taken from Mrs. Chadwick's great idea ;)

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A built-in calm down corner. (taken from Mrs. Chadwick's great idea ;)

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A front entrance that does not allow visitors to enter and walk down the hallway without stopping in the office. The office should be the first point of contact for any visitor and should have a waiting area for parents. The main office needs natural light and a well designed reception desk. Large copy room, mail room, storage for supplies, large health room and break room.

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It would be great to have more color on the classroom walls. Nothing too bright or distracting, but calming cool colors/an accent wall would be nice.

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A place where a teacher can take their entire class outside for a lesson without distracting the learning of the younger grades downstairs. Some shade over it would be awesome too! Maybe even a whiteboard.

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Tables of 4 or round tables that encourage relationship building.

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Repurpose pieces of our building history (like the gym floor) and allow space for us to display our history so our community members who come into our new building still FEEL like it is the Swift Creek they are a part of.

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A safe, spacious classroom with cubbies that are big enough for their supplies. Also, a corner where we can have a calming corner with sensory items. The lights should also be sensory friendly (not so bright). There also should be a big, handicapped friendly bathroom. The doors should also be safe for those who are elopers (if there is a way).

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Several outdoor learning spaces, one in the sun for chilly days. 

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Several outdoor learning spaces, one in the sun for chilly days. 

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Permanent writing and/or display boards that can be used in outside learning spaces. Flexible seating and writing spaces.

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Spaces where more than one class could use the media center for research or projects while not hindering regular library flow.

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Outside eating space in the sun and one in the shade

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Outside eating space in the sun and one in the shade

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Outside and inside

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We always have supplies on hand for students in need (backpacks, school supplies, some clothes, food, snacks, etc..). We also meet with small groups. It would be amazing to have ample storage space as well as a medium size meeting space within the student support wing.

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Is it possible to provide our PTA with a little more space than is typically allotted? They are a HUGE part of our school and how we function and we want them to have the space they need.