The age old debate Portables vs. Classrooms
By Kaitlyn Buttiglieri
While many people criticize portables as classrooms, these learning environments are not what they are portrayed to be by stereotypes. The classroom has been the symbol of educational learning for quite some time, however, it might be time for that to change. As schools become more and more crowded, counties have turned to portables as alternative classrooms. These alternatives often originated as temporary accommodations, but many schools have been unable to regulate their numbers and have kept these portables for permanent use. Portables and classrooms both get the job done as places of learning. The use of portable classrooms in our school has grown in recent years as the need for them has increased. Both forms of learning places have their own advantages and disadvantages, yet the portables could be the new favorite of teachers and students.
First off portables have plenty of positive sides that are often overlooked as their faults are the first thing that comes to mind. These negative qualities could include smell, weather effects, muddy shoe tracks, lack of cleanliness, and further locations. The disadvantages of portables are usually the only thing seen when portables are present. On the other hand though, advantages of portables can include a multitude of things that classrooms don’t possess. The advantages of portable classrooms could include larger learning spaces, isolation from commotion, change of scenery for students, and a change of learning environment for both students and teachers. Many students at our school even prefer portables to classrooms. Sophomore Valentina Lopez who has two portable classes says, “Honestly the commute is quite equal from my portable classes as it is for my commute from the 400 building to the 600 building.” Having to travel so much in a school day can be a lot for students to handle, but in the whole scheme of things commuting for portable classes is not as time consuming as it seems. The students of Timber Creek High School often change their answer of classrooms being their favorite when they further consider it. Portable classrooms have different sides upon closer inspection and should not be dismissed so easily.
On the other hand, classrooms have a more traditional approach to the classroom setting. The advantages of classrooms could be the easy access, central location, less weather effect, and often better wifi connectivity. Classrooms are less space consuming as they can be stacked together while portables have to be spread out. The disadvantages of classrooms however can include smaller spaces, less scenery, and very uniform environments. Students of TC feel heavily that the atmosphere is startlingly different between the two places of learning. Sydney Israel, a tenth grader, feels that, “The environment is different in the portables than in the classrooms.” The feeling of a learning environment is very important to a student’s learning, meaning that it should be one of the most considered aspects in classrooms. Students of the school also agreed that classroom or portable, their favorite class would not be affected by the location. The classroom is a place for learning first and foremost but the students comfort is something that is important in schools.
It should be noted that portables as classrooms are more favorable than the average classroom. The learning environment of young minds can affect their futures so it’s important to listen to what they have to say. The increase of portables in schools may not be such a bad thing as students grow to prefer this classroom setting. While regular classrooms are still the smarter and more efficient place of learning, portables should not be dismissed as they are a great alternative to work alongside the classrooms.
