Furniture

When it comes to one's classroom, furniture is grab-bag.  Schools may or may not have made standard purchases - say, a bookshelf for every classroom.  You may or may not inherit hand-me-downs that originated at someone's house - for instance, there's a Mexican pine dresser that's done duty in at least three classrooms at my school.

After a few years, you get so used to this that when someone suggests that perhaps schools should be provided with the furnishings they need it seems a novel idea.  Anyway, when this came up last week we decided on the following list for the primary classroom:

• Kidney-shaped table.  Key for small group instruction, not replaceable by cleverly arranging desks.
• Magnetic Easel Whiteboard.  Preferably with shelving, for all whole-class instruction, minilessons, and similar.
• Ample Bookshelves.  Many of these should be at child-accessible levels so that children can select and return books with ease.
• Large (12' by 15') Rug.  For whole class instruction, story time and the like.
• Tech Table.  For technology, with drawers appropriate to material storage.
• Correctly-sized lightweight chairs.  Students should be comfortable and the chairs should be easily moved, so that you can have fewer (one per kid rather than one per seat).
• Teacher Chairs, At Least Two.  One for the kidney-shaped table and one for the rug area.  I understand that the New York City public schools got every primary teacher a rocking chair.  That would be neat.

Other additions?