Feng Shui Your Classroom

It’s Back to School time and teachers everywhere are setting up their classrooms. Here’s a few Feng Shui tips to include in the design to help your school year ahead flow with more balance and ease.

I’ve done enough consultations with teachers in their classrooms to know that there’s usually a lot going on in a small space! A bit of strategic Feng Shui placement can enhance the learning experience for teacher and student alike. Where do you start?

Since all age levels participate in some sort of classroom experience, let’s talk about a basic Feng Shui approach that can be tailored to everyone’s particular needs. That means we’ll focus on some practical applications of basic Feng Shui Principles as they apply to the classroom.

Create a Good Feeling for All

The classroom is for teachers and students alike. Crate an academic “home” that works for all of you. Teachers set the tone for the room, and this is where their personal style can shine. Go for it!

However, it’s the students’ home away from home as well, and that is why I’ve always appreciated a classroom that’s added touches of the students’ products and accomplishments to the décor. It’s also nice to integrate something that pupils relate to into the mix.

This seems to be quite easy when teaching younger students, but for those of you teaching teens and college level students, you may need to brainstorm some ways to personalize the space for them.

Items that represent their goals within the department or subject matter can be added. School colors, mascots and other signs or objects that build community are powerful choices.

When I designed a university business school computer lab, it mimicked a professional open office setting. The undergrads could not only learn the research and investment skills the lab offered but envision themselves actually being employed and at work in the field well before their graduation and eventual employment.

1- Clear the Clutter

Clutter is perhaps one of the most stressful and harmful aspects of a classroom. Make the class room as clutter free as possible. Remove all the charts, posters and hangings that are not required. Do not keep too many books and papers in the class room cupboards. Keep them as tidy as possible.

2- Classroom Arrangements

Most classrooms have close seated arrangements. The desk should be arranged in the following manner.

Shui Your Seating. The teacher’s desk should always be facing the door with its back firmly against the wall. This is the power position and imperative to the teacher. For pupils’ desks, you need to avoid square pillows, sharp corners, and desk in rows.

Bring in nature calls. Classrooms should be arranged as close to nature as possible. They should be made to depict the natural beauty and tranquility. Use earth toned colors and plants into your class room to keep it natural. Use real plants, free form shapes, and beautiful natural sceneries to make your class room beautiful. You need to avoid furnishing like mirrors.

3- Classroom Enhancements

Avoid using fluorescent light in the class room since it gives a claustrophobic and closed feeling. Plan activities in the natural sunlight or set up excursions to natural places. This will not only make children appreciate nature but also save them from the uncomfortable glare of the tube light. Ask students to get their own floor lamps if they really must use light in the class room.

Provide soothing music in the class. Music has the power to heal the mind, body and soul. Music can also help in increasing concentration. The steady and soothing rhythm of classical music is ideal for setting the class room environment for independent reading or class work. Hence, try including music in your classroom during class room periods.

Provide water in the class room as water symbolizes flow and serenity. Feng Shui suggests that water must be present at a learning place to symbolize the flow of knowledge. You can add a small aquarium, fish bowel, water garden or a table top water fall to your class room. Besides being soothing for the classroom environment, it can also help children in enhancing their creative writing, art and research abilities.

Feng Shui can be used in the classrooms to enhance the child’s creativity and innovation skills so use Fengshui to enhance your class room and learning capacity. The next time your students start to falter, consider turning to the ancient oriental art of geomancy and try to achieve a feng shui classroom.

Six Ways to Improve Your Classroom’s Feng Shui

Does your classroom design promote harmony or chaos? Does it encourage creativity and learning, or does it dampen students’ spirits and their enthusiasm for learning? Incorporating elements of feng shui (pronounced “fuhng shwey”) into your classroom can help you create a harmonious environment that promotes creativity and learning.

As defined by Dictionary.com, feng shui is “the Chinese art or practice of creating harmonious surroundings that enhance the balance of yin and yang, as in arranging furniture or determining the sitting of a house.” There are many different elements involved in feng shui, but here are a few key ways you can work on improving your classroom’s feng shui:

1. The Location of Your Desk – You want to make sure your desk is somewhere that allows you to sit in a commanding position. This will give you the best view and most control over what’s happening in your classroom and just outside your classroom door. Ideally, your desk should be placed across the room and as far from the door as possible. If that’s not possible in your classroom, try using a mirror to help you see the door.
2. The Location of Your Students’ Desks – Make sure students’ desks all face in one direction, preferably towards the entrance of the classroom or the whiteboard. It’s also important to ensure that students’ views aren’t obstructed by large objects.
3. The Location of Classroom Bookshelves – The bookshelves in your classroom should be placed in the far left corner of the room. This should be from the perspective of the front door. Placing bookshelves in the far left corner is believed to promote learning and critical thinking.
4. The Colors Used in Your Classroom – White walls can make classrooms feel sterile and uninviting. According to feng shui principles, blue and green are two colors that can help calm students and promote growth and learning. Whether it’s painting an accent wall or choosing preschool furniture that has color options, finding ways to incorporate these two colors into your classroom will help you create a welcoming learning environment.
5. The Flow of Your Classroom – Your classroom should flow—nothing should serve as a focal point. If you stand at your classroom door and an area of the classroom catches your eye, clear the area of any mess or attention-grabbing items. When you look over your classroom, everything should be harmonious and cohesive.
6. The Light in Your Classroom – Be sure to limit the amount of time students are working in fluorescent light. Place activity centers near natural light or take students outside to do an activity. If your classroom has limited natural light, make sure bulbs are well lit and hang a painting or nature scene on one of your classroom walls to serve as your classroom “window”.