First of all, in my ideal classroom there are about twenty students. I want my classroom to support writing and to be a kind of writers’ workshop for students, so size is important. In addition the focus of my ideal classroom would not be on standardized testing; therefore, timed writing would have no place. I would include both formal and informal types of writing and, of course, there would be deadlines (due dates), but the idea of needing to write something that is ready to be evaluated in an hour or even less has very little real word application. I want my students to see their writing as authentic.
Another aspect of having student view writing as authentic is to make sure there is a great variety in the types of writing they are asked to do and in the reading they do. I would incorporate as many writing genres and styles as possible including visual texts. Students today live in an increasingly visual world and it is important that they be able to read these texts as well as produce them.
Finally my ideal classroom would be a comfortable place for students to be. I would have a room with windows (unfortunately this is just a dream for me), and students would have comfortable places to work and feel free to be where they feel most productive to write regardless of whether that place is at the computer or on the floor. Now that I think of it, my ideal classroom will have laptops for everyone so that they do have freedom of movement. The idea of comfort would also extend to the classroom’s emotional environment and all of the students would be supportive of one another and everyone would, of course, always be engaged and happy!
