The World’s Most Innovative Classrooms

College students who dream of becoming teachers after graduation often envision their future classroom and the children they’ll be teaching. From arranging desks to designing bulletin boards, creating a safe classroom environment that will engage and excite students is perhaps a teacher’s greatest responsibility.

For many teachers, however, that task isn’t as simple as pulling more construction paper out of a supply closet. All over the world, teachers and administrators are finding new and creative ways to reach the needs of children in their community.

For one such group of students, even getting to school was nearly impossible. Across the world in Bangladesh, heavy monsoon seasons often bring an average of 8½ feet of rain each year. The excessive flooding makes it difficult for students to make it on foot to a village school.

Architect Mohammed Rezwan has found a solution to keep these kids in school—by bringing the school to them.

Rezwan has designed large flat-bottom boats that stop at villages and pick up children waiting on the banks. For three hours aboard this boat, the students receive education in math, writing, reaching, English and Bengali.

The boat then returns these students back to their villages and moves on to pick up another group of children. This innovative new learning environment allows more students in this community to receive an education that would otherwise not be possible.

Closer to home, an Alabama teacher at Boaz Middle School is getting her students interested in science through aquaponics. (That’s growing fish and plants together, in case you were wondering.)

Ms. Adams’ class of 18 has a waiting list of nearly 50 students eager to take part in this hands-on learning style. The classroom has been converted into a greenhouse/aquarium, teaching students how fish and plants function together in an ecosystem.

In keeping and caring for these fish and plants, students in this innovative classroom are learning important problem-solving life skills that will go with them throughout their education.

Both of these examples show that great learning can come from anywhere in any style. With the help of passionate educators, students all over the world are reaching their full potential and moving on to impact their larger communities.