Exceptional Spaces: Diverse Learning Environments in a Public High School

Across differentiated course levels, teachers create distinct learning environments through their interactional dynamics, rule enforcement, and pedagogical techniques. In this study, I compared students’ experiences in “regular” classes with those geared toward “exceptional learners” in a large public high school. I found that teachers emphasized rigid rule enforcement and rote learning in regular classes while creating spaces characterized by flexibility, collaboration, and permissiveness in classes intended for exceptional learners. These patterns held both in classes intended for students perceived to have exceptional academic abilities (Advanced Placement classes) and in those perceived to have exceptional social needs (a grouping known as “the Block”). These findings show how labeling shapes the organization of work in schools, demonstrating the sociospatial dimensions of academic differentiation.