If the Walls Could Talk: What Your Classroom Says About Learning

At EduShift, we believe that learning environments aren’t just backdrops to education, they’re powerful, silent partners in the learning process. They shape student agency, signal what matters, and influence how young people feel about themselves as learners. In our Contemporary Learning Framework, we describe effective learning environments as multi-modal, reconfigurable, human-centred, and deeply connected to the natural world. When we ask, "What is your classroom really saying?", we’re inviting a deeper reflection on how physical design mirrors your educational values.

In a time of transformation across education, reimagining our classrooms is not just about furniture or decor. It’s about aligning space with the kind of learning we want to enable; learning that is student-led, collaborative, purposeful and future-focused. So what messages is your learning space currently sending? And how can we become more intentional about what our spaces say to students, staff and families?

Let’s explore.

Spaces That Reflect Purpose

Classroom design has long been a subject of research, but in contemporary education, it’s not just about optimising for academic achievement. It’s about designing for learning experiences. At EduShift, we begin by asking, What kinds of learning do you want to see more of? Then we consider, How can your space invite that in?

Take, for example, a classroom designed for agency. Is there flexible furniture that students can move or reconfigure? Are there areas where learners can choose how and where to work? If your pedagogy values collaboration, are there visible, shared workspaces? And if reflection is key, is there space for quiet thinking?

These questions map directly to our framework’s emphasis on multi-modal and easily reconfigurable environments... spaces that flex with the learning and empower student choice.

The Language of Learning Zones: Caves, Campfires, Watering Holes and Mountain Tops

Drawing on David Thornburg’s influential learning archetypes, we encourage schools to think about four types of learning spaces:

• Caves: Quiet zones for reflection, reading, independent work and calm.

• Campfires: Spaces for storytelling, direct instruction or group discussion.

• Watering Holes: Informal zones for collaboration, peer learning and idea exchange.

• Mountain Tops: Showcase spaces where students present, perform or celebrate their learning.

A contemporary classroom might not have separate rooms for each of these, but it can absolutely be designed to allow students to move between these experiences. A soft chair by the window becomes a cave. A cluster of stools around a central table becomes a watering hole. A whiteboard or projector corner becomes a mountain top.

When these zones are intentional and clearly supported by your routines and expectations, your classroom begins to speak in ways that students understand. It says: Your thinking matters. Your voice belongs. This is your space, too.

Biophilic Design and the Nature of Learning

There’s growing evidence that physical environments influence emotional regulation, focus and wellbeing. Light, air quality, acoustics and temperature all play a part in learning readiness. The Contemporary Learning Framework calls for environments where light, CO₂ and temperature are maintained at optimal levels, and where students are able to access natural elements in their learning environment.

This is where biophilic design comes in. Design that incorporates nature, greenery, views of the outdoors or even natural materials. A classroom that seamlessly connects with the outdoors through flexible access to verandas, gardens or bushland not only supports wellbeing but also fosters curiosity, stewardship and grounding.

Ask yourself: Can students feel the rhythm of the day, the change of season, the beauty of the world outside the window?

Beyond the Four Walls: Shared and Scalable Learning Spaces

One of the most exciting possibilities in contemporary learning design is breaking free from the traditional “one class, one room” model. When physical environments are designed to enable multiple classes to leverage the area simultaneously, new forms of collaboration and interdisciplinary learning become possible.

Team teaching, cross-age projects, specialist integration. These require space that adapts. It also sends a strong message: learning isn’t confined, and teachers are not alone.

Design as an Act of Leadership

Redesigning classrooms isn’t about Pinterest boards or big budgets. It’s about strategic alignment. When space reflects pedagogy, it becomes a powerful tool for professional culture, student engagement and learning transformation.

We invite you to reflect:

• Does your environment reinforce the kind of learning you most want to see?

• Can students and staff move fluidly between focus, collaboration and celebration?

• What cues does your space give about who leads the learning?

If your answers prompt curiosity or discomfort, you’re not alone. This is where EduShift works with schools to map current practice, co-create future-focused environments, and align everything, curriculum, pedagogy and space, around a shared vision.

Let Your Space Speak With Intention

The best classrooms don’t just look contemporary... they feel human-centred, inclusive and alive with possibility. And most importantly, they evolve. Spaces should grow with your students, your staff and your learning goals.

So next time you walk into your classroom, pause. Listen. What is your space really saying?

If you’d like to explore how your school’s environment could better align with contemporary practice, we’d love to work with you. Reach out at edushift.com.au or connect with us on social media.