The Effects of School Environment and Design on Self-Directed Learning
By Trey Lackey, Guide at The Forest School: An Acton Academy and Mixed Methods Researcher at the Institute for Self-Directed Learning
Abstract
There is a substantial amount of prior research on how the design of the school environment can harm or benefit the ability of learners to thrive physically, emotionally, and academically. However, this literature has been mostly focused on traditional school environments. Learner-led schools, such as The Forest School: An Acton Academy, often have different assumptions and values which inform choices and constraints for classroom design. This paper targets the gap in research coverage by studying the learning experience of learners at The Forest School, which has undergone a move from a traditional school building to a newly constructed campus. Thirty learners ages 8-18 were given Q&A-style interviews, and thematic analysis was performed on the interview data. Central themes in the interviews included the geography/organization of the learning environment; presence and access of learning materials or distractions; nature and the environment; how the physical environment affects social dynamics; and how the physical environment affects emotional/physical needs. From these results we can draw several recommendations for classroom design, many of which are analogous to results found in larger analyses such as Barrett et al. (2015)’s study of public schools in the UK.
Introduction
There is a large body of scientific research already published about the effect of the school environment on students’ achievement, mood, motivation, and efficacy. For example, the ‘outdoor classroom’ concept–where lessons are given or schoolwork is done outdoors in some instances–has received a lot of attention, and there are many results pointing to its benefits. (Largo-Wight et al. 2018) shows that giving lessons outdoors results in a much lower need for behavior redirection, and also results in decent improvements in mood. A much larger analysis (Barrett et al. 2015) shows a wide range of benefits when classrooms are structured with certain broad principles in mind: Naturalness, Individualization, and Level of Stimulation.
However, as they point out themselves, these studies are limited by their analysis of more traditional school models. In their concluding discussion, Barrett et al. recommend some ‘soft data’ studies of different types of buildings and school types. But such studies have yet not been implemented for other school types, such as those centered on self-directed learning. Aspiring creators of new schools and leaders of already-existing schools have a vested interest in making design choices that have evidence behind their efficacy, so they need to know whether similar results hold in alternate school models.
Here is where our input is valuable. The Forest School is much different than traditional public schools in several ways. Most importantly, it’s organized based on a self-directed learning (SDL) model. Because the presentation of curriculum is radically different, and lectures where all learners face in the same direction toward an instructor speaking at length are not the expected presentation of material, the organization of classrooms is radically different as well. At The Forest School, autonomy, self-direction, and self-reliance are essential values. It is “learner led”, meaning that learners set and plan their own goals, and they decide what subjects in the curriculum they want to work on at any given time. Topics of learning can be as broad as the desires of the learners who occupy the school, so their learning needs can equally vary.
Vocabulary at the Forest School is also different, in order to invoke values that are important in an SDL-centered school. Rather than classrooms, we have ‘Studios’, rather than students we have ‘learners’ or ‘heroes’, and instead of teachers we have ‘Guides’. This vocabulary is used throughout this report for consistency with the data, as the learners interviewed use this vocabulary themselves and it will appear in some selected quotations.
Different principles for what learning should look like imply different constraints for the design of the learning environment. We designed this study to research how the learning environment of an SDL-centered school can be adjusted to maximize the ability of learners to thrive there. SDL-centered school models are also growing in popularity, and so there’s a growing need among school leaders for knowledge about how environmental factors affect learners in an SDL context. Learners also can greatly benefit from these results because they can use them to be more reflective about their choices on where and how to work. More carefully considered learning choices can maximize the depth and quality of learning. We’ll take a look at solving this question through thematic analysis of learner narratives about their experience at two different school buildings. One, their previous school building, was already existing. It was built with traditional assumptions in mind about what happens at a school and how, and built with a specific idea of what architectural choices should be made based on those assumptions. For the new school building, many of the design choices were made by the learners themselves. These design choices were made with a different set of assumptions and goals in mind—’how can we construct a school so that it maximizes the ability for learners to self-regulate and direct their own learning?’ We will see how these different design choices affect learners’ experiences as well as their ability to regulate, plan, and achieve their learning goals.
Data
Thirty learners ages 8-18 were interviewed in a question and answer format. Questions were asked about their experience and preferences between the two main school buildings we’ve had most recently. Questions pertained to a number of factors about their school environment, and how these things affected their ability to self-regulate and achieve their chosen learning goals. These included questions about:
Their general opinion about the old school building vs. the new one
Their evaluation of what kind of places they work and focus better in
More narrow questions about what features of the school environment affect their workflow and focus, like furniture, organization, and climate
Questions about their workflow strategies
Questions about choice: where do you typically choose to work, do you work inside vs. outside; if you had more choice would you work in a different place?
They were also asked about what they thought were benefits and impediments to their productivity, and asked to give their recommendations to prospective school leaders. The interview questions asked are listed in an appendix at the end of this paper. The audio of these interviews was recorded and uploaded into transcription software, and the text transcripts were the object of study for thematic analysis.
Methodology
Once the data was worked into a format that’s feasible to analyze (text transcripts), the next steps were coding and discovering themes. While automating the process of thematic analysis is possible to some extent, it is generally deprecated in the coding stage, since this obscures researcher subjectivity. In this study coding was done somewhat ‘deductively’--based on prior research and our own research goals (cf. Nowell et al. 2017)--since there is already quite a bit of literature on the topic of how school environment affects learning for schools with more typical structures. What’s especially interesting is how these effects might be different or similar for independent schools with very different assumptions and structures.
Analysis
Four broad themes arose from our inquiry into learner experiences of their environment at The Forest School: (1) The geography of the Studio, (2) Presence of and access to help and distractions, (3) Nature and the outdoors, (4) Emotional wants/needs are essential for learning.
1. The Geography of the Studio
‘Geography’ here includes all the facts about the size and shape of the Studio, how it might be navigated, what kind of structures are placed where, and so on. Even in traditional classrooms, where all desks/tables face the same way, have basically the same shape, and almost all instruction emanates from basically the same place, there are still a number of high-stakes choices for learners about where their learning happens. ‘Do I sit in a chair or at a table?’ ‘In the corner, at the front, or right in the middle?’ These choices can affect the quality of their learning, their feelings about it, and several other things. In The Forest School, there are several more options available, and different constraints for learners, and several thoughts they have about these options and constraints.
One of the most commonly discussed facts about Studio geography is whether the floor plan is open or closed. Benefits and drawbacks of each were brought up by several learners. An open floor plan feels “welcoming”, bright, and “free”. Learners have ‘room to breathe’. Learners have a better view of the whole Studio, don’t feel like they’re in a crowded group, and find it easy to gather for whole group discussions and team assignments. However, a large open floor plan allows cliques to form: there’s room for small, close-knit groups to remove themselves from others. Another issue is that in an open floor plan it’s difficult to feel like you have privacy, or your own personal space. If it’s easy to see everything that’s going on in your Studio, then maybe it’s easy for other people to see everything that’s going on with you.
In contrast, a small, closed floor plan can feel ‘cramped’, ‘crowded’, and difficult or confusing to navigate. One learner said that he always felt curious in the old space: “In fact, he felt "too much curious about the old building," explaining that "because there were all these random doors...[there were] all kinds of different places to go". For him, the old Studio was almost maze-like. Some learners argue on the other hand that if a room is small, then there’s little option other than learners to be together, so a small and closed floor plan encourages collaboration. For individual, focused work, learners also typically prefer to have their own personal nooks, cubbies, and alcoves. In either case, learners prefer to have a Guide visible. They say this makes them feel more secure, keeps the Studio more structured, and reminds them that they’re in a school rather than just some other building to hang out in.
This hints at the idea that most learners had about the purpose of different room designs: Studios, like other rooms, are built with a certain purpose in mind, and different parts of the room can be designed for different purposes using mobile furniture and flexible space designs. The optimal design, as they say, is a Studio with a large open area for collaborative work, and several small ‘nooks’ available for personal work time–when you need to focus and “lock in”. Both learning contexts are common and essential, so they should be catered to in the design of a Studio or classroom.
2. What’s Present and What’s Accessible?
These questions were also at the forefront of how learners thought of the way their Studio was structured and designed. Here learners think about how easy it is to find, use, or interact with: things that enable and promote learning, and things that impede learning and promote distraction.
Resources for learning include the obvious things, like pencils, paper, and other tools. However, in the story told by the learners, things that are necessary for or facilitate strong learning also include noise-canceling headphones, comfortable and stable furniture, or more abstractly, certain types of space. Distractions and impediments to learning include conversations, movement of people, loud noises, and clutter.
Learners have a varied response to the presence of general chatter and conversation in the Studio. One learner said ‘when I hear people talking, I want to listen in because I think I might be missing out on something’. Another said in a very opposite way, ‘when I hear people talking and messing around, it motivates me because it reminds me I can do better’. Another said that if they see a bunch of people around, sometimes they ‘imagine conversations in their head they might have with those people’. This last quote illustrates an important point: it’s not enough that distracting things aren’t happening right now. If it’s even possible for them to happen with what’s available, this is enough to negatively impact learning.
Contrary to what they often say, it’s important to learners that guides are present and visible. As a younger learner says, “Stuff like in this building is like, we don't have two rooms, so we don't have to get, like, one guide in here and one guide in there. We have one big room, so we don't have to, like, do one guide here and then one guide over here.“ In the old building, their Studio was separated into two rooms. As they point out, this constrains where guides might be placed, or where they might go. This means that if a learner was in one room versus another, they may have less access to help or feel less accountable. By contrast, in a large, open Studio, adults are almost always visible.
Similarly, a cluttered or messy Studio was often said to negatively impact learning. One reason why is that it negatively affects motivation (which we’ll discuss in more detail later), and another is that clutter just produces a lot of sensory stimuli. Simply put, if there’s lots to look at, learners are going to pick a lot of those things rather than what they need to work on.
Learners also had several things to say about positive examples of things being easily accessible. One said that one of their favorite things about their new Studio is that all the pencils, paper, pens, and other resources are helpfully organized in a large closet makes it much easier to work, because they don’t have to spend a lot of time searching for resources. Others said that although people don’t always get to sit where they want (bean bags for example being a hot commodity), there’s more than enough furniture for everyone, so no one needs to spend a lot of time finding a seat.
Access to specific kinds of furniture is also important for learners. Some noted how they prefer sitting at large tables, because then they can lay out all the resources and tools they might need for their day of school work ahead of time. Others wished for a larger number of ‘study cubbies’: small, individual workspaces like a half-open cubicle that might have a table inside them and can typically seat at most two people. They found that these were the places where they usually got the most work done. Others also mentioned similar individualized workspaces that fill a similar role. As a general category of furniture, we could include any small, enclosed workspace, like a soundproof meeting room. Even a reading area or Studio library could fit this category if it is enclosed—The Forest School’s Upper Elementary Studio (4th-5th grade) has a working area enclosed by bookshelves that seats just a few learners.
In summary, decluttered, organized Studios are important for productive work. Distractions should optimally not even be visible, or easily accessible. Learners should always know where to find resources for their learning, and they should not have to spend a significant amount of time acquiring them or setting them up. Learners often feel disheartened by messy or dirty workspaces, and in the interviews they frequently mentioned wearing headphones or taking other actions to remove distractions from their working area. When their workspace doesn’t feel taken care of, they don’t feel like it’s a ‘place to get work done’. Educators can address these issues by keeping supplies in a centrally located closet or cabinet, or even having small amounts of supplies conveniently placed at each workstation. On the learners’ part, they should invest in headphones and other tools for managing their exposure to distractions and noise, and spend time organizing their workspaces before they get started.
3. Nature and the Outdoors
One thing that was discussed positively by almost all learners about their new space was their ability to see and interact with nature. One of the interview questions was “Do you ever do your work outside?” and if the answer was yes, “When do you do that?” The most common answer was ‘whenever it’s possible and the weather is comfortable’. When it’s not possible, learners still have other ways of appreciating nature.
Many made note of the large number of windows. While not everyone was a fan of this, most said that they appreciated the windows because a lot of natural light came into the room. A couple learners said that synthetic lighting, especially fluorescent bulbs, often gave them headaches and their discomfort prevented them from working optimally. Others simply enjoy the natural light: it improves their mood and puts them in a state where they’re more willing to get a lot of work done. Many learners said that sometimes in their Studio they have the internal lighting turned off and simply read and work by the sunlight. Although as one pointed out, if the light is too bright then it makes it difficult to see, so sometimes curtains are needed.
Most Studios at The Forest School are equipped with a large garage door, and another way that learners interact with nature regularly is by leaving the garage door open. Learners enjoy being able to experience the outdoor climate while still having access to the benefits of being indoors–easily accessible school supplies, furniture, and so on.
The outdoor courtyard is also used frequently for breaks, P.E., and other activities. When other Studios are doing these things, learners generally disprefer working outside due to the noise level.
In summary, learners see many emotional and physical benefits from working outside, in nature, or near it. It improves their mood and comfort level, and so allows them to manage their motivation and work more effectively. In their list of priorities, the choice to work outside is pretty high–one learner said that a recommendation he’d have for anyone creating a new school is that learners always have “the opportunity to be able to go outside whenever you want and just be able to work outside and enjoy the nice weather, because I got a lot of work done being outside.”
Guides should consider at least occasionally using an outdoor environment for launches, core skills, and other signature learning experiences when feasible. Learners may also consider stepping outside for their work; sometimes it’s actually quieter outside than inside the Studio. Simply sitting next to an open door or window can also be beneficial.
4. Emotional Wants and Needs are Essential for Learning
Psychologist Abraham Maslow famously theorized that people’s physiological and emotional needs must be met before they’re capable of effectively working towards and achieving their goals, and really developing as people. Learners at The Forest School express similar sentiments, and discuss their learning environment in a similar way.
When learners choose where to work, and design their workspace, issues like comfort and ‘coziness’ are often a high priority. As mentioned before, some learners find synthetic, fluorescent lighting unpleasant, which affects their ability to work productively. Many learners have similar feelings about the furniture in their Studios. In the previous school, much of the furniture was older, and so learners found themselves preoccupied with the possibility of their furniture breaking, and they found it uncomfortable. Some chairs were wobbly or unstable. If they’re spending their mental energy and focus on getting stable furniture, this is all the less they’re able to spend on their school work. Newer furniture is more comfortable, less distracting, and also benefits the emotional state of the learners.
Much of the benefit of a new space and higher quality materials for learners is emotional. When they’re in a newer space, they feel happier and more motivated. A well-designed space feels ‘homey’, ‘cozy’, and comfortable. When learners are more relaxed, they’re able to focus merely on the task at hand and not be preoccupied with the things around them.
Aesthetic preferences are also important for the quality of a learner’s experience at school. The previous building had a pretty standard aesthetic design, with white painted brick walls in most parts of the building. Words used by learners to describe the aesthetic qualities of their previous school building range from simply ‘dull’, ‘boring’, and ‘uninspiring’ to ‘horrifying’: One learner said “[The old building was] horrifying…It's like a cinder block room and then another smaller cinder block room, and then it's a whole open space for middle school to just travel straight through. I didn't really feel like that was really the best working environment for me, personally.”
One other learner even said the design of the old building reminded him of a jail. On the other hand the vast majority of learners enjoyed the colors and designs of their new Studios. There was however a single learner who did not enjoy the aesthetics of his new Studio, particularly the color scheme. He said the color scheme of the paint on the wall was “so grotesque that [he] can’t even concentrate sometimes.” It’s not optimal if one learner feels this way about the appearance of his Studio, but if many or most feel negatively about the aesthetics of their Studio–if they feel it’s ‘grotesque’, ‘uninspiring’, or even ‘horrifying’—then this poses a serious challenge. They may be too distracted to produce high quality work, or be too demotivated to see their work as worthwhile.
Discussion & Synthesis
When learners evaluate their learning space, they have both practical considerations about what in their space makes work more or less feasible and manageable, as well as personal, emotional considerations about what kind of space they want to occupy. Both of these have a strong relationship with their ability to accomplish their academic goals. Learners at The Forest School described these considerations in a way that closely resembles results in previous research of more standardized school environments. Like students at public schools, their considerations appeared to be related to the schema described in Barrett et al. 2015: Naturalness, Individualization, and Level of Stimulation.
For ‘naturalness’, Forest School learners almost universally described an interest in doing some of their schoolwork outside when comfortable or possible. They prefer natural light to synthetic lighting, and often leave doors open to make the indoor environment more similar to the outside one. They value having ease of access to green space.
For ‘individualization’, learners want their workspaces to be comfortable, cozy, and ‘homey’. One common wish for the new school is that it eventually has more of a personal character; although they had many criticisms of the old school building they often said it felt more like ‘theirs’ and felt more ‘lived in’. They often mentioned ideas for decorating their Studios with posters, old work they were impressed with, and even sometimes suggested things like string lights. They preferred to choose their own furniture and preferred to choose where to get their work done.
For ‘level of stimulation’, learners often described problems managing the presence of a lot of clutter or mess. They found it difficult to get a lot of work done when they were surrounded by a lot of peers being active or noisy. Some said the mere presence of their friends, whether they were speaking very much or not, could be distracting. It was common in the interviews for learners to say they liked using enclosed, private/personalized workspaces in situations where they need to really focus and get a lot of work done. They also said they think there should be many more spaces like this.
In summary, the environmental factors discussed by Forest School learners that affected their learning were similar to the findings for public school students. However, because Studios at The Forest School are beholden to fewer constraints about where and what kind of furniture can be present, what kind of subjects can be learned and discussed at school, or what kind of learning goals are relevant, there is more freedom to implement improvements and solutions. In any case, leaders of all kinds of school environments can benefit from recommendations for how their classrooms should be constructed to maximize strong learning.
Recommendations for Practice
Based on these results and their alignment with previous literature on the effect of school environment on learning, we can make several recommendations for what a classroom should look like and how it should be structured. These recommendations are given with the goal of maximizing self-regulation, success in day-to-day academic goals, and overall motivation and mood. As we understand that educators and school leaders are often restricted by their budgets, curricular goals, class sizes, and various other external factors, many of these recommendations require little to no expense, and are often not radical changes to the learning environment. Even small revisions to the organization and appearance of a learning environment can have significant positive effects on learners. In fact, we can also include recommendations for learners themselves, in addition to those for guides and other educators in SDL environments.
9 Recommendations for Guides and Other Educators
Comfortable seats/outdoor time shouldn’t just be an incentive/reward—it has a positive effect on both learners’ ability to achieve their goals, and has a positive effect on behavior. Increased autonomy and decision-making with regard to seating and outdoor time can be a valuable incentive but it should be available to some extent for all learners, and not just during breaks, but actually during work time.
Maximize the use of natural light in Studios/classrooms by keeping small and large windows accessible (not covered up). If windows or external doors can be opened during work time, then that’s a strong choice. At The Forest School, there are vertical garage doors that learners often keep open during the day if the weather is fair. Consider using curtains to manage brightness only as needed.
Placement of furniture affects workflow. Many learners prefer small, enclosed spaces for focused work time, or are not at a place in their learning journey where they can manage social interaction and work at the same time. Placement of furniture can affect this when it’s organized so that some parts of the Studio feel more ‘closed’, and others feel more ‘open.’
Along similar lines, be intentional about whether space is intended for individual work or collaborative work. Many learners have well-thought out ideas about what kind of workspace is the most successful for them. Many also have evidence to back up those ideas–take their claims seriously! If they have strong evidence that a workspace allows them to be most effective, then you may want to consider allowing them usage of that kind of workspace.
Make sure supplies are easy to access: things like paper, pencils, erasers, etc. may be placed in bins or boxes directly at workspaces, or may be located in a closet or cabinet that is centrally located and open for use by learners.
Cleanliness, clutter-freeness, and organization are essential. Complex and chaotic visual stimuli typically have a negative effect on the ability of learners to work effectively. They’re distracting, and the presence of clutter or mess can even be demoralizing to learners. When they feel that their space is not clean and respected, they also usually don’t feel like it’s a space for work to happen, and they don’t feel a lot of motivation. A notable consequence of this is that wall postings should be limited and carefully considered in Studios. While many educators have an instinct to put inspirational posters, information, and other things on the wall, these often merely serve as distractions. However, a dedicated space in the Studio for previous work to be admired and appreciated can be a major benefit for learner motivation and confidence. Other wall postings that can be beneficial are rules, processes, systems, and deadlines; an inspirational or thought-provoking ‘Question of the Year’; or other big hero accomplishments.
Classrooms/Studios should be compatible with a ‘modular’ design. There are many different modalities in which learning can happen–learners can collaborate, create things, or do personal research. It should be possible to modify the learning space or parts of it to enable the different learning modalities.
Create a comfortable and motivating environment. Invest in stable, comfortable furniture to enhance learners' physical comfort and focus. Ensure the Studio has an inviting and aesthetically pleasing design. Allow learners to personalize the space within reason.
Be visible! Ensure educators are visible and easily accessible to provide support and maintain a structured learning environment. Stay Socratic—so that the onus to learn remains with the learner—and be ready to redirect, build a bridge, or provoke critical thinking. But be visible as a resource.
8 Recommendations for Learners
Pay attention to how you perform in different kinds of workspaces. Some may be better for certain kinds of work or may be better for your ability to focus. Make wise choices to maximize learning.
Select workspaces that suit the task at hand. Use open areas for group work and small, enclosed spaces for individual, focused work. Take advantage of outdoor spaces for working when the weather is nice, as it can boost mood and productivity.
Prioritize working in spaces that are comfortable and conducive to personal well-being. Adjust lighting, furniture, and other environmental factors to suit individual preferences.
Keep your workspace clean, clutter-free and organized. Try not to let things get cluttered over the course of the day, and if you know what you’ll need for your work, go ahead and lay it out before you get started. Take time to organize learning materials and plan out tasks before starting work. This helps in creating a structured approach to self-directed learning.
Set goals: Regularly set and review personal learning goals to stay focused and motivated. Use the flexibility of the learning environment to tailor approaches to achieving these goals.
Wear headphones! Preventing things that distract you from happening 100% of the time is unrealistic. For example, construction, landscaping, or other city noises outside of the school can’t be avoided. We also can’t control noise and chatter from our peers. But as a learner, you have options to block them out if they can’t be prevented.
Reflect on how you respond to distractions like chatter from your peers. Does it bother you so much that you’re unable to work? Does it tempt you to do unproductive things? For the distractions that you can’t block out or avoid, you can think of them in different ways. Some learners say that when they see others being unproductive it inspires them to do better. The presence of distractions can remind you that the choice between doing the wrong or right thing is real.
Provide feedback to guides and school leaders about what works and what doesn't in the learning environment to help continuously improve the space. Your input is valuable and can really help!
Bibliography
Barrett, Peter, et al. “The Impact of Classroom Design on Pupils’ Learning: Final Results of a Holistic, Multi-Level Analysis.” Building and Environment, vol. 89, no. 1, July 2015, pp. 118–133, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2015.02.013.
Choi, Kyungah, and Hyeon-Jeong Suk. “Dynamic Lighting System for the Learning Environment: Performance of Elementary Students.” Optics Express, vol. 24, no. 10, 26 Apr. 2016, p. A907, https://doi.org/10.1364/oe.24.00a907.
Largo-Wight, Erin, et al. “Nature Contact at School: The Impact of an Outdoor Classroom on Children’s Well-Being.” International Journal of Environmental Health Research, vol. 28, no. 6, 26 July 2018, pp. 653–666, https://doi.org/10.1080/09603123.2018.1502415.
Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic Analysis: Striving to Meet the Trustworthiness Criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847
Appendix: Interview Questions
What three adjectives would you use to describe the old building?
What three adjectives would you use to describe the new building?
What are some things you like and don’t like about the new building versus the old building?
Do you think you work better, worse, or about the same in the new building vs. the old one? Why? What evidence do you have?
In what way does the layout of the space impact your ability to get into flow and get work done?
In what way does the furniture in the space impact your ability to get into flow and get work done?
In what way does the look of the space—the quality of materials, the interior design, the natural light—impact your ability to get into flow and get work done?
If you could choose to work anywhere in your Studio, where would you choose to work?
Do you ever work outside in the courtyard? When?
What would you say most affects how well you work in terms of environment? Loud vs quiet? Clean vs cluttered? Dark vs. light? Something else?
Describe how you get into flow. Where do you sit? What’s in your line of sight? Do you use headphones? Do you sit around peers?
When you think about the Studio environment, what helps you focus most?
When you think about the Studio environment, what is most distracting?
If you were consulting a school leader who was designing a new school, what are the top 5 things you would advise them to do in order to create a Studio where learners could focus really well, and work really well?
About the Author:
Trey, a native of Coweta County, Georgia, graduated from East Coweta High School before earning both a BA and MA in Linguistics from the University of Georgia. With a minor in Mathematics, he has dedicated his career to integrating the study of diverse cultures and languages into education. Trey is passionate about mathematics tutoring and has been actively involved in initiatives like Mathcounts at UGA, promoting excitement and engagement in math studies and competitions across various schools.
Believing that understanding diverse needs, goals, and histories is crucial for helping learners achieve their full potential, Trey consistently incorporates this knowledge into his approach to mathematics education. Outside of work, he enjoys cooking, hiking, and exploring the outdoors.
