One of my philosophies of teaching is that the classroom itself should be a calm and organized place. I have so much respect for my fellow teachers and the amazing things I see them do on a daily basis, but one thing I notice again and again when I go into other teachers' classrooms is how much stuff there is. We seem to like to cover our walls with posters. Every available surface is being used for something. I admit it…I used to be guilty of this as well. I was lucky enough to have several fabulous mentor teachers early on, and one of them gave me some great advice. She told me that kids who are overstimulated don't learn well. Think about a situation you've been in where you were feeling sensory overload. Were you able to concentrate or focus? Were you at your best for learning? Yeah, me neither. Yet, we fill up our classrooms with visual clutter. Take a look at everything you have on your walls, your counters, everywhere. What do you actually need? What do your students need? Get rid of the rest of it. Seriously. It will feel weird at first. And then it will feel fantastic.
Here's a partial tour of my room:
I do put place mats on the table groups for decoration. I also have two plants in the classroom and a lamp. Are these necessary? Do we need these? Strictly speaking, no. But these things do convey a sense of "homey-ness." I also try to stick with a simple color scheme throughout the room, as if I were decorating a room in my own home. You'll notice there are no store-bought posters though, and very little on the counters.
Part 2 of the tour coming soon!
