As students age, they are inevitably bogged down by more homework, more responsibility, and more stress, yet they鈥檙e given less visually stimulating classrooms than in their early school careers.
Why is that?
Classrooms for older elementary and secondary students often lack enough color or stimulation for students to remain engaged. Studies have shown the can impact their attention and learning. A colorful, welcoming environment can assist in making students feel welcome in the classroom, which may be sorely needed. Only 38 percent of students said their school was welcoming, according to a
Education Week spoke with three teachers who shared their ideas for enhancing the classroom environment on TikTok. For Jaclyn Richie, Brittany Hagan, and Tia Trapasso, creating a classroom environment to welcome students each and every day is an important part of their teaching philosophy.
鈥淢y main goal [is for] the classroom to be a place that the kids like being in,鈥� said Trapasso, a 5th grade English/language arts teacher near Worcester, Mass. 鈥淚 try to view the classroom through their eyes and ask what is going to feel most inviting and functional for the day to day.鈥�
鈥楾hey deserve a decorated classroom, too鈥�
Richie, a high school U.S. history teacher in New Iberia, La., said every student鈥攅ven high schoolers鈥攄eserves a classroom full of color and personality.
鈥淵ou go through elementary school with your teachers full of joy and energy, then you get to middle school, and it slows down, and then in high school, it鈥檚 like a halt, and nothing fun can happen,鈥� Richie said. 鈥淭his is a place to learn, but realistically, they learn best in those decorated classrooms they鈥檝e been having for six or seven years now.鈥�
Richie said she believes the classroom is a space to make students feel at home to further induce a better learning environment. She believes students perform better when they see that their teacher has put in the effort to decorate their room.
Hagan, a 7th grade ELA teacher near Philadelphia, said students can recognize the effort taken by teachers to make the classroom a comfortable environment. In her district, there are no requirements for setting up the classrooms each year. Teachers can do what they want with the space given.
鈥�69传媒 are able to recognize that I put in a lot of effort because that鈥檚 just not how a lot of middle and high schools [operate],鈥� said Hagan.
She said that while many students likely do not take notice of the setup of her room, some comment and enjoy the calm nature of the space.
鈥淚f I鈥檓 expecting my students to sit down, be collaborative, and feel comfortable, safe, and confident in that learning environment, the one thing in my control is creating a space that allows them to do that,鈥� Hagan said.
To do this, she said she utilizes flexible seating most often as a way for students to feel more comfortable in the classroom. One of her signature seating arrangements is made from three old tires she was given by a nearby tire shop.
鈥淚 went home with a hose and dish soap and I just scrubbed them,鈥� Hagan said. 鈥淚 spraypainted mine because I like them to be cohesive with the rest of my room. [The kids] just sit on the floor inside of them, almost like a pool float.鈥�
Richie said she has a 鈥渟elfie wall鈥� for her students as a way to incentivize participation, but also as a method to help students feel welcome in her classroom.
鈥淚f a student answers a question right, engage in a discussion, help a peer, or even show [a lot of] school spirit, I will take a picture and at the end of the month, I get them printed and staple them all to my bulletin board,鈥� Richie said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a shout-out to kids who are really going above and beyond.鈥�
Trapasso, who as a student who did not enjoy going to school, recognizes the importance of making the classroom a space to enjoy.
鈥淎t the very least, I want my classroom to be a place that [students] enjoy being in, even if the idea of coming to school is something they don鈥檛 love,鈥� Trapasso said. 鈥淚 really want the space to be something for them to feel like a second home, 鈥� and hopefully, that will transfer to enjoying education a little bit more.鈥�
Carving out a space for students and themselves
Hagan and Trapasso both said they stay away from bright colors because it reflects their desire to keep the room calm. Instead, they use calming colors鈥攍ike shades of blues and pinks鈥攖o make the room colorful but not overwhelming.
Hagan said when she first started teaching eight years ago, she went with bright neon colors but quickly realized she wanted a calmer environment in her room as she would in her home.
鈥淚 spend more time in my classroom than I do at my house,鈥� Hagan said. 鈥淚 feel like a lot of teachers probably feel the same way, not because of a poor work-life balance, but because that is my job. It鈥檚 important that middle schoolers feel [at home], too.鈥�
Richie, who is entering her fifth year of teaching, said she wanted to make a space for not only her students but for her, as she is in the room for eight or more hours a day.
鈥淚 really needed a place that would bring me peace, as well as [for] the students to have fun,鈥� Richie said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 pops of colors everywhere, 鈥� and I try to keep it as colorful as I could to bring engagement from the kids and myself.鈥�
Trapasso said she tries to set up her classroom in a way that is intentional for the age group she teaches. In addition to flexible seating, she said she likes to display student work to make her students feel welcome.
鈥淚t really does show that their work is meaningful because it鈥檚 displayed in the classroom,鈥� Trapasso said. 鈥淚f they know that something is going to be displayed, it gives them a little bit of intrinsic motivation because they are more willing to put in their best effort. It also shows that they鈥檙e a part of this classroom and they can contribute to the things that we use and see every day.鈥�
The cost of a classroom
The cost of setting up a classroom can vary from year to year whether this is teachers鈥� first year, eighth year, or 30th year of doing so. In a LinkedIn survey posted by Education Week last week, 35 percent of the 1,610 respondents said they spend more than $300 on classroom d茅cor each year.
Richie, Hagan, and Trapasso said they spend similar amounts annually鈥攐r have in the past鈥攖o get their classroom set up just right. For Richie, $250 to $300 is typical for each year.
鈥淚t鈥檚 those little things that kind of just add up,鈥� Richie said. 鈥淭his year, I had a significant amount of things purchased off my Amazon Wish List, so I encourage every single teacher to do [one] because it literally saved my life this year.鈥�
Hagan said she tries to limit the amount she spends annually, but this year, she had to spend more since she moved to a new room. She also made an Amazon Wish List for donations. She said a typical year for her is around $100 to $300.
How social media can help鈥攐r hurt鈥攊nspiration
Thousands of teachers flock to TikTok and Pinterest each year to find inspiration from teachers on how to set up their classrooms. From DIY projects to save money, flexible seating ideas, and storage solutions, there鈥檚 no shortage of videos from which to draw inspiration. Richie鈥檚, Hagan鈥檚, and Trapasso鈥檚 videos are among thousands posted under the hashtag
The three teachers agreed that their motivation for sharing their experiences on social media was to further share inspiration and their techniques for setting up a classroom for older students. They鈥檝e taken a lot of ideas from social media platforms in the past and then started paying it forward.
Trapasso鈥攚ho started teaching in September 2020鈥攕aid social media was her only way to connect with other teachers for inspiration on lesson plans and d茅cor during the height of the pandemic.
Hagan said it鈥檚 easy to compare rooms on social media, but it is important to remember the reason for teaching: the kids.
鈥淭he most important thing is that your kids feel valued and cared for by you, and there鈥檚 ways you can do that without having d茅cor everywhere,鈥� Hagan said. 鈥淭hat comes from the relationships you build, and all the decorations will come after or can come with years.鈥�
