A New Splash of Color in Room 320
Green, orange, and blue chairs roll around the now bright and exciting room 320. Maneesha Mankad, a Community High math teacher is lucky enough to teach in a pilot classroom, where new furniture was supplied to encourage learning.
“What I like a lot is that it lends itself more to being able to talk, being able to discuss, being able to learn from each other.” said Mankad, “I think that’s the best way to learn.” Mankad describes herself as a believer in students working together.
“Anybody who knows me at all knows that I want the kids talking to each other and working together,” Mankad said.
One of her favorite new additions to the classroom is low-to-the-ground stools that can easily slide around the area. She believes that these will encourage collaborative learning, as well as kids helping each other and interacting with people from different tables.
Many of Mankad’s students enjoy the furniture and appreciate the comfortable atmosphere it brings to the classroom.
“I like it, I think it’s kind of crammed, but I like the couch a lot,” Mary Grobosky, a junior in one of Mankad’s classes said. “It feels like less of a classroom, and more of a hangout space.”
“I love the whiteboard table,” Chava Makman-Levinson said. “It’s so cool to do problems on it, and if we finish early, we can play tic-tac-toe which is always a fun break. It helps take away the stress of doing a hard class.”
Mankad has heard many students describe the colors added to the room as making them feel very happy. Mankad’s is the first of many classrooms at Community that will be given this furniture.
Mankad believes that the new furniture can make the learning environment more similar to those of institutes of higher education.
“That’s how you learn in college: a lot of collaboration, a lot of leveraging other people’s skill-sets, knowledge, and expertise,” Mankad said. The notion that the more colorful and fun space could lead to a better learning environment clearly has teachers and students alike excited.
There are two pilot classrooms in Community, Maneesha’s and Tracy’s, which will likely soon receive the same treatment as room 320. It’s very possible the students of Community High will enter dozens of colorful new classrooms like Mankad’s in the fall.
Jordan De Padova is a senior who splits his time between both Pioneer and Community High School. He is a Managing editor going into his third year on staff who loves to listen to, talk about, and write about music. Jordan owns 4 pairs of white Reebok shoes and is most proud of his position as “Line Leader” in Mrs. Gerhart’s 5th grade class. In the future he hopes to scuba dive and produce a Billboard Hot 100 song, but as of right now he’s enjoying Mock Trial and giving free rides.
Ruby Taylor is a senior, and is currently in her sixth semester on Communicator staff. She loves all living things with every ounce of her being... except she hates creepy crawly crustaceans. She works as a barista at Argus Farm Stop, Mock Trials (yes it’s a verb!) at CHS, and reads Reese Witherspoon’s book picks in her free time. She is an INFP and her favorite word is cozy. She is a Gemini, but if you really want to understand her, recognize that she is a Pisces moon. She loves rain and the arb and her friends and taro milk tea.
