Why I don't focus on the "pretty" when preparing for a new school year....

During the course of obtaining a teaching degree, we learn about the importance of the learning environment and how it has a direct impact on student success. Every summer I watch Teachers on Facebook and Instagram and Twitter post about what decor and theme they will be using in the new year. In fact, that's all I ever really see from August-September. But, is the decor really what is conducive to an effective learning environment? The obvious answer is no. Is it nice to have pretty things in your room? Yes. But, for some kids, this may be over-stimulating when teachers go over-the-top with their decorations. When I think of all the time teachers spend over the summer on decorating, I shudder. There are so many more valuable ways that teachers could spend their time that would have a positive impact in the classroom. 

If I am not spending weeks establishing a new decor theme in my classroom, what do I do to optimize the learning conditions in my classroom to provide an environment conducive to student success? 

1. Clean, organized space with minimal distractions. Anchor charts are built with students and not pre-made. Walls are mostly bare, with some inspirational quotes in vinyl to encourage and motivate students. We build our decor together through text annotations, thought logs, Z-charts, and sketchnotes that we create in class.

2. Cool, calm colors to stimulate a relaxing environment. Students have access to comfortable seating/standing options, so they can choose to work in the way that best supports them that day. 

3. Books. I teach literacy, so let's be realistic. I have books. Lots of books. Is this an area that needs to be better organized? Yes. I am working on it this summer. I literally had books stacked all over my classroom. I know I had 2-3 students that were overwhelmed by this because there was no sense of organization. So, I am focusing on bringing in more bookshelves and organizing and labeling books to help students that need it. 

4. Failures are celebrated and mistakes are a true part of learning. Through discourse, it is the norm to identify how thinking can differ and to learn to acknowledge and accept other points of view. Revisions are a normal part of our learning structure. Students learn that they will revise their work one or more times. It is not a condition of failure, but rather a condition of learning. 

5. Safe. The classroom is a safe place to share our thinking, our faults, our experiences without judgment. There are multiple ways for students to share about topics that are important to them. They can share with me verbally, write a note to me, journal, blog, or communicate digitally. No one student is ever made to feel their thoughts and opinions are not valued. 

6. Respectful. Students are respected. Their voices have an impact. I acknowledge their impact and show them that I want to hear their opinions and thoughts. Even if I may not always agree. Or if others disagree. It can lead to some stimulating, yet respectful, discourse in the classroom. This allows students to understand that they do have something to add to the learning in the classroom and that learning cannot happen without their engagement in the lesson.

7. Goal-setting is integral to students tracking their academic progress through self-monitoring, assessment tracking, and feedback forms. Students reflect on scores and feedback so that they can make the desired changes necessary to show improvement. 

8. High expectations push students to engage in higher-order thinking skills and extend past the imaginary mental boundaries they have set, so they can access the content at maximum levels of comprehension and application. Not trying is not an option. Our mantra is that something is better than nothing because when we try something, then we can receive feedback to lead us in the right direction. Doing nothing gets us nothing. 

I do not have rules in my classroom; however, I am aware that classroom management has a high impact on student learning. I set the stage at the beginning of the year that the only things required in my classroom are to be respectful and kind. Not a rule, but let's have integrity and do what is expected of us at all times. I hardly ever have to reprimand students for behavior. When they feel respected and like they are a contributing member of the learning environment, then they are more likely to give their absolute best in the classroom. 

So, do I spend months over the summer stressing out about my decor? No. Do I think about it some? Of course! But, it is not my primary focus. I want to maximize learning for my students, so I focus on increasing my own pedagogical knowledge in the summer, so I can return a stronger teacher with higher-content knowledge and application skills. Let's face it, teachers are the indicator of student learning, not the pictures on the wall. And, while the physical environment is important and should reflect a space that is comforting to be in, it does not have the largest impact on optimizing learning. Find balance and focus on the social-emotional environment within the classroom just as much and not just the physical environment to provide a space for students to learn.