Spring Cleaning Your Classroom
There's been so much talk lately of education reform, but we neglect to discuss just how powerful a simple makeover can be. I'm lucky to work at a school that provides a patch of green, fixes the broken windows, and washes off graffiti when it happens. But I've worked at the schools that smell of urine, at the sites that lay forgotten by funding but are still expected to succeed.
According to one fashion-makeover television show, a makeover does wonders for your confidence, your pride. Another TV series -- this one about home rehabs -- says a makeover can even renew your hope in life.
Popular hosts from these reality series need to come to schools, slap some paint on the walls, and work their magic. Where is Paige Davis, from Trading Spaces, or Xzibit, from Pimp My Ride, when you need them?
Teachers need help. They need someone to clear out the clutter and piles of supplies left behind by those who inhabited their rooms long ago. They need someone to build bookcases, replacing the gimmicky gutters bought at Home Depot and stuck hastily onto walls. They need carpets -- now held together by duct tape -- replaced, and cabinets, long since stripped of paint, reborn. They need cubbies. They need shelves. They need supplies, more diverse than even Staples could provide.
Schools need desks designed to allow students to move into groups, rows, columns, and pairs. They need chairs balanced on all four legs. They need windows without webs of cracks, and faucets that turn off once used.
Students need green. They need patches of grassy squares where they can relax and read a good book. They need a tree to eat lunch under.
Schools need to be freed of police tape, freed of asbestos, and freed of the landscape of concrete and asphalt that make learning feel more like a prison than a future.
Our schools need makeovers. We talk a lot about deeper makeovers, ones that reflect true reform. But they also need physical makeovers -- a metamorphosis that allows students and communities to have some pride in their schools.
Yes, we all know that change happens from within, but we can't deny what can happen from simply improving the environment.
If you were to make over your classroom or school, how might it look? What changes have you already made? In what ways did they improve student learning and motivation? Please share your thoughts.
- Heather Wolpert-Gawron's Blog
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Comments (57)
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School Make-Overs is a Community Problem
I appreciate your encouragement to fix the clasrooms and schools. It is very important to clean up the sites where our learners spend their days. I change my walls yearly. I like to start fresh each year, and put up student work from assignments or charts from teaching. I like for new students to take ownership of the classroom, rather than coming into previous year's "owners."
My perspective is that schools are a community problem, and the community is a county concern, and the State would be concerned only if the first two were not responsible for their children. Still, improvements and responsibilities of a community are shouldered by a few teachers, trying to do their best and usually using their own money. The problems you described are too big for a teacher to manage alone: desks, grass, major clean up. Communities need to come together. And with the networking of the internet, the borders of community could reach far beyond the lines on a map. It doesn't seem that we, as a civilization, are "there," yet, though. We seem to have a foot in each century and not clear how to procede to truly impact situations that you described. Thank you for offering this need.
Classroom makeover
In my district, we have to take everything down and put it in storage for the summer, so at the end of the year, I am able to go through things and get rid of things I don't use. I have a rule for myself that if I have not used something in the past month, it must be something that is not that important to me. When we go back in August, it is the opportunity to redecorate every year.
I like having things that show my personality to my students in my classroom. Pictures of myself and my family, along with my traveling experiences and interests. It puts a personal touch on the classroom and shows the human side to the teacher.
8th grade
After reading your blog, I am very inspired to redecorate my classroom. Thanks for all the tips and additional websites for ideas. They will surely come in handy. I think it is important for student to have a sense of pride in their school.
fifth grade, general education
I have been teaching for 3 years now, and have moved spaces four times. In moving each time, I had purged supplies, but also stowed supplies that I couldn't find later. I have learned a few things about managing materials. I keep like things together and mark all of my boxes and drawers. If I havn't used it in the past year, I tossed it this spring. I liked what the two sisters said about defining the walls. I have purchased material to cover my bulletin boards. THis makes it easy to put them up and take them down, and they look great all year. I bought bright, bold colors that coordinated with the bright red cupboards and carpet I already had. I use simple, bright borders with a patterned theme. I do not fill those bulletin boards until the learning takes place though. I keep anchor charts up for Reading, Writing, Math, Social Studies, and Science. Kids love helping create these charts that stay up all year. Hope this helps.
classroom makeover
I will try to remember to send pictures. Because spring/summer/beach things are going on clearance right now, it's a good time to find some bright cheerful colors in flowers, storage boxes including the crates as well as table runners that I use on top of bookcases and placemats for little tables by chairs where my students read during independent reading! Hopefully by the end of next week I can get in my classroom!
School make over
My school was just "modernized" thanks to a grant and it has made SUCH a huge difference. When I first started teaching there three years ago, I couldn't even find the front of the school; the whole thing looked abandoned. After moving everything into the gym for storage at the end of last year, and then into a temporary portable in August, and then back into our "real" school in March, I can say that I have gotten rid of anything not deemed "absolutely necessary." One of the most memorable moments in this whole move was when I was finally able to take my 5th graders in for a tour of the new building. There was no furniture in there yet and they were just so excited to see everything. One of my students walked in, turned to me with the biggest smile on his face and said, "We go to a rich kid school Ms. Tyner!" Priceless.
Teacher's Lounge make-over
One of my schools had a wonderful teacher's lounge. It was painted in cool, relaxing tones. Had many plants to hide the stark institutional walls. Pictures (not work posters) decorated walls. I even remember that there was s ome sort of colorful border around teh top of the walls. Tables were covered with colorful table cloths.
Separate the work area, first of all. Copiers should not encroach on the relaxation area. A place to relax is what you want. A message chair would be wonderful. A comfy couch serves as a wonderful place for an exhausted teacher to kick back during an all-too-short lunch break. Think of the many teachers who get stress headaches and look for a relaxing place to hide out. How can you help? ANy efforts will be appreciated!
Spring Cleaning Your Classroom
My elementary school is being rebuilt so we are being relocated to a swing space - which means I have to pack up the classroom. I have managed to weed through so much junk that I have needlessly held onto - no longer used textbooks, old and faded construction paper, etc. The purging has been a positive experience. I waited until 3 days before school to start taking down my decorations - the kids were crestfallen - "the room doesn't even look like the room any more." It was then that I realized that the colorful, cheerful decorations matter more than ever - especially when they camouflage the oldness and dreariness of the building. I actually packed my favorite decorations and plan to put them up in my new room.
I also agree with the less is more idea - clutter makes more clutter so I'm determined to trying to keep everything to a minimum - if I can figure that out.
Send us a picture of the
Send us a picture of the finished product!
Teachers' lounge
I am a Kindergarten teacher at a small school. We completely renovated our teachers'lounge a few years back. Teachers and the office manager painted the walls a cheery yellow. One wall is painted a festive red. We added a donated, comfy, blue couch with pillows. Our theme is sort of Mexican fiesta so we renamed it the Cafe Ole. We even have a plaque on the door that says this. We added tropical themed pictures, Mexican accents and large silk plants. It really increased the number of people who eat in the teachers' lounge.
Debra Esparza
Sam Hughes Elementary
Kindergarten
Tucson