I have been taking notes immediately after any student engagements; noting how deliver teaching, information, skills , knowledge teaching. My tutor Karen Matthewman presented to me during one of our 1:1 online tutorial the teaching concept of the ‘third space’ an approach to teaching where we create a learning space that caters for the students social and physical space. This is an interesting concept as I work with the physical space-‘theatre space’ and the ‘workshop environment’ to deliver my teaching.
below are several paragraphs from articles I have found that resonated with me on the meaning of the ‘third space’:
Dr. Ilham Nasser, The director of the study and Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss,
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY “THIRD SPACE”?
‘It is important that blog posts are written by “third space” thinkers who acknowledge education is not just about mastering arithmetic and literacy, but improving community mindedness, moral reasoning, forgiveness, and empathy so that learning is a transformative process improving society as a whole by advancing each individual spiritually, emotionally, and mentally placing the human being and his or her social and emotional well-being at the center (individually and collectively) of social and educational processes is critical (Nasser, I Dr &. Miller-Idriss, C, (2023)
A third space pedagogy: embracing complexity in a super-diverse, early childhood education setting
In Britain, ‘super-diverse’ communities, where children navigate multiple cultural repertoires, are increasingly prevalent. However, Reception teachers are pressured to ensure children, aged four and five, conform to a narrow conception of ‘school-readiness’. Research demonstrates children in multicultural contexts construct a ‘third space’, bridging their home and school discourses. This research shows how opportunities for third space creation are inherently tied to the nature of physical space, and its concomitant social expectations.
The aim of this paper is, therefore, to demonstrate how different spaces, and the socially produced rules that govern them, have a profound impact on the potential for the creation of a third space. Finally, this paper will present the case for a ‘third space pedagogy’ in which teachers can harness children’s creativity in the third space and use it as a pedagogical approach.(Tatham-Fashanu, C ., 2021)
MY understanding…
The articles are challenging us, I believe, as educators to be aware of our students personal needs and social pressures – culture, language etc… that may impact on their learning. The ‘third space’ can be physical as well as a ‘mental state of expression/safety’ where the student can discuss openly and circumvent issues that will hinder their learning. A place where we can recreate, break conventions to support learning outcomes.
I will now try to be aware of students personal needs if I am made aware of their circumstances (pastoral tutor inform technicians) so that supportive action can be implemented.
Below are some diagrams that illustrate this.
Reference
Nasser, I Dr &. Miller-Idriss, C, (2023) ‘Thoughts in the Third Space’,https://iiit.org/en/thoughts-in-the-third-space/
Tatham-Fashanu, C (11th July 2021)’ A third space pedagogy: embracing complexity in a super-diverse, early childhood education setting.’https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14681366.2021.1952295
Diagram references- viewing order: