Trapped by the Table

I’ve found that preparing the physical space in a room can be nearly as important as preparing the lesson. My Sunday school class takes place in a small square room with two rectangle tables pushed together in the center. Add 8 chairs filled with fifth graders and you’ve used up all the floor space. I’ve been struggling with feeling trapped in by the tables. Kids like to act, to move around, to work in groups, and so do I.

For the last few weeks I’ve arrived early, pushed the tables to the edges of the room, and created an oval of chairs that includes an open space in the center. Ah, what a difference! The group can move. We can stand up to read parts of the story, we can rearrange chairs to work in groups. There is a more casual, connected feel to the space—it’s less like a classroom and more like a meeting room.

This is not a huge insight, I know. But it took me a while to feel the freedom to rearrange the furniture to serve our group better. Have you every felt stifled by the arrangement of your room? What have you done to make your space more comfortable for learning and growing in faith?