History and Development
A Bustling Spot
At Mustard Seed School, the Shared Space began as a small area in a hallway outside the Kindergarten room. The teacher had limited space in which to operate. In order to work with a small group and provide meaningful challenges with paint, blocks, and drama, the teacher divided the class. The Kindergarten assistant oversaw the activity centers in the hallway, while the teacher led a small group in the classroom. The space, recognized as valuable by the other teachers, became a bustling spot at which children in various grades worked. When the school moved to a new building the administration committed to using a room for these creative learning centers.
The art teacher began to assist in the Shared Space in the morning and during her afternoon classes she taught clay skills, paint techniques, sewing skills, collage, composition, etc. Students had repeated experiences using the skills daily. The expertise of the art teacher raised the standard of the students’ products and added depth to the arts program at Mustard Seed School.
As the Shared Space grew, the centers expanded. The staff decided to have six centers including a drama area, a paint area, a project table, a sculpture area, a sand/water table, and a weaving area. In the following years, woodworking was added. The weaving area developed into a textiles area where many different kinds of weaving, sewing, and stitching are done. The sand/water table became a science center where children explore sand, water, oobleck(a mixture of cornstarch and water), soil, and bubbles at different times of the year. Procedures, materials, and expectations for the seven centers evolved over time.