It’s been about 16 years since our school morphed into a full-blown comprehensive school where eighth-grade students apply to one of our 17 programs. They receive all of the other academic courses necessary to graduate, including AP courses. We have students that graduate in our top 10 and go on to Ivy League schools, while others join the workforce.
Due to high demand—1,300 applications for every 500 seats, per grade level—our school has grown tremendously over the last few years. We’re a bit short on space and some teachers are sharing classrooms, which leaves no real “downtime” for them in those classrooms. As soon as they wrap up a class, another teacher may need the space.
Previously, our teachers’ lounge was outfitted with six-foot-long tables, regular chairs, and linoleum flooring. We wanted to update the lounge for teachers and to make the space more inviting for them. It needed to be more of a place where they could come to sit back and relax.
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We’re in the planning stages for three new buildings right now, but in the meantime, we wanted to upgrade our teachers’ lounge and create a space where instructors could eat lunch, socialize, do their planning, and use hard-wired computers. Here are five steps we took to achieve our goal:
- Focus on versatility. We know that some teachers don’t even eat lunch, so avoid limiting the space to dining. Some of them just want to go in there and have a place for a workstation, so make sure you plan out a versatile space that accommodates different uses. The space had to be functional enough for teachers who came in to write their lesson plans but comfortable enough for those who wanted a brief respite for lunch or a snack.
- Get the timing right. We carved out a couple of months for the installation process and decided to handle the installation over a school break. That way, teachers wouldn’t be without a lounge while school was in session.
- Choose a good design partner. MiEN provided an array of different table, seating, and color palette choices for us to choose from. They presented a variety of furniture types that helped us lay the foundation for a very modern, flexible, and inviting space for teachers. The furniture is extremely functional and includes power stations for computers and devices, making the lounge the perfect place to hold professional development sessions and other events.
- Install technology and power stations. A lot of times the Chromebooks that the teachers use are limited when it comes to outside resources. So, we have several hard-wired computers in the teachers’ lounge, where instructors can go during their prep time and use them to develop lesson plans.
- Open up the doors to others. Even if teachers do have space in their classrooms, some of them don’t want to eat in there so they come to the lounge to have lunch and socialize. Our custodial and maintenance staff also enjoy the space and use it to take breaks and have a meal. So far, we’ve had very good feedback from everyone, and we look forward to creating a similar space in our new buildings.
Our new teacher’s lounge serves as a “safe place” where teachers can go to unwind and discuss what’s happening at school and in their personal lives. We know that teachers need to vent and support one another. At this point in the post-COVID environment, any common space where they feel like they’re allowed to be with their peers can only be beneficial to their mental well-being.
