The first time students enter a classroom, their eyes are immediately drawn to the walls. A teacher’s room decor can tell you a lot about them. Are they strict? Fun? Creative? Evil? There are so many aspects of a room that shape the experiences of the students learning within.
One notable trend we found was that many popular rooms have designated spaces for students to hang out. Mr. Sutton has a couch, Ms. Christina has a kitchen area, and Mr. Stubblefield has a puzzle and chess table in the back of his classroom. These give students a place to spend time in and out of class and a sense of community. Mr. Stubblefield even has students he doesn’t know coming into his room to play his games during passing periods and lunch.
Mr. Sutton and Ms. Christina use items from their homes to make their students feel comfortable in their classrooms. Mr. Sutton has personal pictures on the walls that remind him of his family members, and Ms. Christina likes to bring in colorful things (her giant Pokemon suit is a favorite) that brighten the space.
Posters are also a popular way of adding personality to rooms. Mr. Stubblefield wants his posters to “pique [his] students’ curiosity” and will often connect his posters to the work they do in class. Ms. Lopez, on the other hand, uses posters of the United Farm Workers, Angela Davis, and other activists to reflect the diversity of students in her room. “We have a lot of Black and Brown people here,” she reflected, “so we should see that on the walls.”
Teachers often hang student work on their walls to reflect their progress and make the room feel more personal. “I hope that it shows that I care about my students,” says Mr. Sutton, “and that I care about their work.” Ms. Lopez also has a student-created mural resembling a pride flag and values students’ ability to “leave their mark” on the room.
A classroom should be a space where students feel comfortable sharing their ideas. It should reflect the teacher and their students and create an environment for learning and growth. As students, we spend most of our days at school, and a classroom with personality is always a welcome break from the monotony.