Product Description

For educators, working and teaching in a harmonious classroom environment not only makes sense, it can improve the quality and meaningfulness of their instruction. Feng Shui for the Classroom translates ancient Chinese interior decoration concepts to the school, providing teachers with strategies and suggestions for improving harmony and positive energy in their classrooms. The text gives suggestions for arranging the ideal classroom in such a way that the chi, or energy, can move freely. Key features of the ideal classroom are minimal clutter, many plants, calming sounds, and mobiles for movement. A room map, called a bagua, dictates the placement of color, furniture, and learning centers in the classroom. Feng Shui for the Classroom is appropriate for teachers of all grade levels who want to transform an impossible classroom arrangement into a focused learning environment.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #639015 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781569761748
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Review
"A good resource for anyone who works with groups of children." -- The Trentonian

"Engaging new book." -- Teacher Magazine

"The perfect solution for teachers of all ages . . . to enhance the overall atmosphere of their classrooms, without breaking the bank." -- San Diego Family Magazine

"This source will help many develop a new approach to both their professional and personal lives." -- VOYA

"Will help teachers transform an impossible classroom arrangement into a well-managed learning space." -- NEA Today

"You can de-clutter your classroom and yourself by reading this book . . . It is quite magical." -- Gifted Education Communicator

Review

About the Author
Renée Heiss is a child development teacher at Northern Burlington County Regional High School in New Jersey. She lives in Tabernacle, New Jersey.

Customer Reviews

A Feng Shui gem!
I ordered this book thinking that I would get some ideas for my classroom. What I got was a book chock-full with wonderful suggestions on how to de-stress, organize, and improve my 3rd grade classroom. I especially like the workbook-style pages at the end of each chapter. Now for the fascination news: after trying a few adjustments, my students appear to be calmer and more eager to pay attention. Maybe this is a temporary change, but I would like to think that it is permanent. I can't wait to try more of the ideas in this excellent book.

Author response
I am the author of Feng Shui for the Classroom and I would like to respond to J. Crown's comments. Yes, I reiterate that cleaning is essential to feng shui rememdies, but not because teachers are so sloppy. It is because they are so overworked by educational systems that require them to teach to the standard or the test, that they rarely have time for classroom housekeeping.

Space cleaning is indeed a ritual best practiced by those who are purists in feng shui. My book deals with the basics that any teacher, whether spiritual or not, can embody to improve the educational atmosphere in the classroom.

Finally, regarding the designation for the northwest corner. This is traditionally designated as the "helpful people" and "travel" corner of the room. How better to interpret that than to say it governs cultural diversity? It is about being treated fairly and honestly.

And do teachers need strength, power, and leadership? Only if they consider themselves educational dictators. The true teacher is a facilitator of learning, a person who identifies student needs and responds to them, a person who draws power from the students rather than directing it toward them.

The teacher who uses feng shui in his or her classroom has taken the first step toward modeling organization, kinship, and intellectual stimulation in the classroom.

Feng Shui for Elementary Classroom
For my new elementary classroom, most of the ideas suggested worked very well. It helped me design a room with little clutter, and the colors in different areas work well at "tying" an area together without competing with the rest of the room. The author has a nice chart to make this easy to do.

Everyone who has come into my room notices that it is tranquil and peaceful. My class is a special day class for students with learning disabilities, ADHD and/or autism, and I think the uncluttered room helps them focus and concentrate.

I also feel peaceful and tranquil when I enter the room. It helps me, too! Plus, it's aesthetically pleasing.