Since we devote thirty-five hours of each week to sitting at an uncomfortable school desk, shouldn’t we at least be sitting in a comfortable environment? School shouldn’t feel like prison, and decorated classrooms help with that.
Mrs. Robertson, for example, has a Marvel-themed classroom, with superhero posters on every available surface, and even a Marvel periodic table. She has LED lights up around her whiteboard, and keeps her overhead lights off during class. Her room has a calm, welcoming atmosphere that works around the harsh school lighting and worn furniture. One hardly notices the chiseled messages in the lab tables, because she has worked so hard to create a nice space for her students.
Ms. Ficklin also has a nicely decorated classroom. She has quoted tapestries hanging from the back and side walls, covering the less-than uplifting, off-white school walls, and inspiring her students. Her bulletin board is filled with classic literature references to COVID-19, and it is so fun to discover the meaning of each throughout the year as we read classic novels. For example, her AP English class is reading the Crucible, and can now appreciate the poster that says, “I saw Goody Proctor without a mask on!”.
If you’re talking about English teachers with great classrooms, you can’t forget Ms. Huffine. With blue accent walls, pom poms hanging from the ceiling, and inspirational posters, her room is welcoming and uplifting.
Mr. Rogers is thinking along the same lines, with an inspiring classroom filled with Page spirit. He has a painted mural along his front wall, with a pirate head and the quote, “Don’t tell me what you can’t do, show me what you can do.” Along his back and side walls he has quotes drawn on printer paper from each of his students, creating a colorful, inspiring community board of sorts. Lastly, Mr. Rogers’ desk is decorated with bobble heads, medals, and pictures, all sorts of things that help his students get to know him.
Joining the club of teachers with awesome classrooms, Senora Woomer’s trailer is decorated with flags from Spanish-speaking countries, and huge chalkboards with grammar rules and inspiring quotes. Mrs. Dockery-Wright has similar subject-based decoration, as well as colorful instructions of the board, and paintings on the ceiling tiles. Both teachers make the most of their small rooms, creating a colorful learning environment.
Thank you to all of the teachers at Page who go above and beyond, creating a comfortable environment for their students, removing the institutional feeling.
Photo Credit: Author
