Less is More in Classroom Decor

My perspective on classroom decor is gradually shifting to a “less is more” type of attitude. For the past 4 years, I have been sold out to a full spectrum of colors splashed all over my classroom walls. I’m beginning to learn, though, that no matter how “cute” the room is, clutter is distracting and organization is compromised when the focus is solely appearance and not functionality. That gradual realization in combination with my organizational tendencies, which my husband may good-heartedly refer to as compulsions, have made way for more simple and inviting classroom design ideas. As I approach the coming school year with this gradually developing attitude, there are 3 things I’m choosing to focus on in order to keep things simple and maximize student space and growth. These include purging excessive and unused materials, finding practical and efficient storage for everything I own, and intentionally designing classroom space to promote functionality and student learning.

Get Rid Of It!

Every teacher knows that at the end of the school, it’s time to face the music. How many things have we kept stored away in drawers and boxes this year and never touched? Will it be time to say goodbye or store them away again along with the new additions we accumulated this year? The phrase, “...buuuuttttt I might use it next year when…” is directed toward each forgotten item as we sift through our bins. It’s a real problem. As my less is more attitude begins to take hold, I lean more and more toward the idea of purging the nonessentials. If something is ineffective, unused, or even a little outdated, it’s gone End of story. I just simply don’t have the space for junk. Of course, I take many of these things to the “give away” table in the teacher’s lounge first, but let’s face it, some if it is just trash. At the end of this year, I decided that I was going to put in some extra time organizing my things so that when I return to my room in August, I can direct my efforts more efficiently toward decorating the classroom appropriately, making the room as functional as possible for the students. Ultimately, what I found in my cleaning was that I had a substantial amount of random items at the bottom of plastic tubs and stuffed in my wardrobe closet that I never even knew I had and could have used. Unfortunately, many of those things (extra staples, paper clips, stickers, file folders, page protectors) were the things I chose to spend my school allotment on just a few weeks before. Bummer, right? I also found other items that were left by the previous teacher - and maybe her teacher’s teacher from 1990, that would never be used again. Yikes.

“Everything Has A Place”

I finally decided enough was enough. Another one of my phrases, that endearingly drives my husband nuts at home, is “everything has a place.” This rings true in my classroom, too. There is rarely an item out of place unless there is a purpose behind it. It’s important for my students to know the expectations in my classroom and that includes where to put their things and where to get things they need. I also feel that I am a more effective teacher when I know where my things are. I can design lessons much more effectively when I know what materials I have to work with. To make this phrase a realization, I knew some time needed to be dedicated to cleaning things out, recording exactly what materials I have, and storing them in places that made sense. Here’s what I’ve done over time:

• Removed my teacher desk and replaced with a small self-assembled teacher desk from target
• Set aside ONE and ONLY ONE bookshelf for my teaching materials. (This keeps me from storing workbooks I’ll never use and strategy books that have long since been replaced by new research)
• Organized each shelf of my wardrobe (my big portable closet) by theme: office supplies, craft materials, extra student materials, etc.).
• Set aside one bin for overflow office supplies and labeled it as such.
• Doubled my crate seats (colored storage crates with ply-wood cushioned seats fitted on top for student seating), as themed storage bins (one for index cards & sticky notes, one for dry erase boards and markers, one for craft supplies, etc.).
• Transitioned my classroom library, organized by genre, into separate clear bins with lids. (This way, at the end of the year, I just add the lids, pack ‘em and stack ‘em).
• Organized each subject’s units in a plastic 3 drawer bin so that when it comes time to teach a particular unit, I pull out the drawer and have everything I need all in one place (*this idea compliments of my wonderful mentor, Laura).

Teacher Desk
(you can see how much less space it takes up back there in the left corner of the second picture)

Unit Drawers

A Few Book Bins

(I sincerely apologize for the blurry pictures - they were the only ones I had access to at this point, and since my classroom is locked up for the summer, I can’t go and retake them for better quality. Please forgive and anticipate better ones in the future!)

By doing each of these things, I eliminate extra things laying around and maximize space for student activity, application, and learning.

I’ve gotten my entire storage system down to the following:

• one large plastic bin for decorations
• one large plastic bin for extra office supplies
• 1 bin for social studies games
• 2 crates for social studies activities
• one large wardrobe
• one filing cabinet
• one rolling cabinet
• one small bookshelf for my teaching binders
• 4 crate seat storage bins
• 6 three-drawer plastic bins
• a few extra bins for things TBD

...and that’s it!

Blank Canvas - A Metaphor for Learning

In a day in age where ADHD is so prevalent, kids don’t need anymore distractions than they already have on a normal school day. I see so many classrooms (mine used to be one of them) whose walls are covered with posters, charts, colors, words, words, words, and more words. Kids and adults alike walk into these rooms and naturally think to themselves, “What should I look at first? What’s the most important? Oh, look at that! No, wait. Look at that!” Having said this, I know there is certainly research to support the use of anchor charts made during lessons and posted as a means of promoting recall, or as something that students can refer to down the road. But how many things do we hang up on our walls that we never draw our students’ attention to, never use, and only put up because we have them or because they make our room look decorated. Sometimes, I think we see this as setting the tone for “learning,” but in my opinion, for what it’s worth, it really sets a tone of confusion and overstimulation. It’s overwhelming and intimidating. I believe that a simpler room invites learners to relax and sets the tone for learning in a more authentic and inspirational way, implicitly and metaphorically suggesting to students that there are no limits. We’re starting fresh this year, unbound by the markings on the wall.

The philosophy behind this opinion may also shed a little more light on this somewhat controversial idea. I feel that blank bulletin boards and minimally decorated walls literally leave space for student ownership. The more that the students take ownership of the room, the more likely they are to buy into your style and use the space to their advantage. I’ve had years where I set up bulletin boards in advance with high hopes of developing grand routines, without first taking time to analyze the dynamics of the new group or taking time to hear their ideas. You can probably guess what I’ve discovered. Most of those “grand ideas” never really come to fruition; moreover, when they do, they rarely stick. In contrast, the few boards or charts I’ve set up after the year is under way, with practical motives, or in response to a good discussion or suggestion, are the ones that catch on. So, to achieve a more simplistic look and “feel” at the outset of the year, I plan to decorate my classroom to look a bit like a quaint and quiet living room. I will incorporate a simple color scheme, and only decorate my bulletin boards with fabric and border, leaving the majority of space vacant for practical application.

The following is an article that provides some insight into this particular part of my plan. I read this article earlier last year and honestly, it really offended me. I’m always skeptical about people, even psychologists, who do “research” but are unattached to a real classroom. Naturally, I approach articles like this with caution. But, after a year’s reflection, I think this research may actually have some merit. It’s certainly worth considering.

http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/heavily-decorated-classrooms-disrupt-attention-and-learning-in-young-children.html

As you prepare and plan for next year, and if you agree with anything I’ve said here, remember to purge, organize, and keep it simple!

By the way, I know that every teacher is different and that’s what makes a school successful, so if you don’t agree with any of this, you just keep on doing your thing. Whatever works for you and your kids is the right thing. I’m just a suggestion offerer :)