The Third Teacher

This past year I learned about the third teacher.  Simply put, the third teacher is the learning environment.

My understanding is that the third teacher is rooted in the Reggio Emilia approach of learning.  In this learning approach students learn and develop from interactions with their parents, adults and peers, and the space around them.   

Over the past two weeks Ms. Marrella and I have been observing how the students move, work and play in the classroom.  After some thought, we decided to reduce the space our own materials used, in an effort to increase the learning space of the children.  Though it wasn’t easy at first, we did decide to take the teacher’s desk out of the classroom.  We made this decision after noticing that we rarely sat there.  Furthermore, it was unfair of us to have a large permanent desk taking up a lot of room when we have been telling our students to share the classroom space.  

Space with teacher desk

Space without teacher desk

Once the teacher’s desk was removed, we were able to redesign the classroom layout and create new pockets of space.  Our classroom has transitioned again.  With the third teacher in mind, we have a variety of spaces for large and small group instruction.  We were conscious not to clutter the classroom.  We intend for furniture to be moved and reconfigured for inquiry projects and other small group investigations.  We have tried to create active and quiet areas for students to work in and explore.  Finally, materials are easily accessible for students to use and develop independence.  

Below is a video about the third teacher.