27 Ways to Optimize Your Classroom Design for Better Learning

As summer draws to a close and teachers begin preparing their classrooms for the new school year—desks perfectly lined up, bulletin boards flawless—it’s important to remember that good classroom design is about more than making things picture-perfect or color coordinated. Well-considered classroom design choices should impact learning and have a purpose, such as helping students develop skills like organization, planning, and prioritization.

“Teachers often re-create the same classroom year after year without assessing whether their design guides students’ learning,” write learning specialist Andrew Ayers and reading specialist Amelia Glauber. “Good classroom design supports the acquisition of not only content skills but process skills. We believe that when students are aware of the purpose of the process, they are more likely to internalize these processes.”

To help teachers—new and veterans of the classroom—unpack the reams of information about optimal classroom design, we consulted dozens of studies and asked our community of experienced educators to share the best strategies they’ve discovered through trial and error. Drawing from rigorous research and the hundreds of teacher insights that were shared with us, we pulled together this list of 27 classroom design tips that support learning, boost engagement, and help build a sense of belonging.

LIGHT

Dim the fluorescents: Many teachers abhor fluorescent lights—and so do their students. Dimming overhead lights, or turning them off entirely if other light sources are available, “helps my students regulate better,” reduces stress, and “calms hyper students” while mitigating “complaints about headaches,” according to educators. Because installing dimmer switches isn’t always an option, teacher Teresa Monfort said she “covered all the fluorescent lights with cloud cloths, and it gives a muted cozy glow to my room.” If you opt for light filters, make sure they’re fire safe and comply with school and district safety codes.

Try area lights: Dozens of teachers told us they switch off the overheads and strategically use floor or table lamps instead. “I have three of those five-light floor lamps with soft white bulbs,” says elementary educator John Thomas. “Turn off the overhead fluorescents and they’re perfect for those times students will be ramped up.” For an extra touch of coziness, hang a few strings of fairy lights. To avoid spending your own money on these items, check local freecycle or buy-nothing groups for options. 

Let in natural light: If you have windows in your classroom, make the most of natural light. “I like to turn off the classroom lights and open all window blinds,” says educator Julie Flamenquita. “Natural light is so much calmer and peaceful for kids to work in.” The research supports this: A 2014 study found that students who are exposed to more natural light in class outperform their peers in reading and math, and a 2021 study links daylight exposure to higher exam scores. Of course, there is such a thing as too much light. The same 2021 study found that excessive brightness and glare can impede test scores. To help, “we put up a ‘crystallized’ window film over the lower portions of our windows,” says teacher Cathy Stone Reaney.

WALL SPACE

Support executive function: On a whiteboard in the back of her class, high school teacher Jill Parliman Kibler writes out a five-week schedule. “It includes everything I could squeeze on the date: class deadlines, sports trips, holidays, etc. I would refer to it almost every day we had class; it really helped students get oriented.” Younger students, meanwhile, benefit from a daily schedule rather than a weekly one, helping them “know what to expect and learn the daily routine quickly,” writes teacher Keri Lynn. By modeling how to plan ahead and keep an updated calendar, teachers help students develop important executive function skills, setting them up for academic success, say psychology professors Angela Duckworth and Ethan Kross.

Show routines: In her kindergarten classroom, educator Lynn Taylor Durand has “step-by-step picture prompts posted for all routines,” which helps her “teach routines explicitly and review procedures often.” Research confirms that visual aids can effectively boost students’ ability to understand and follow classroom rules. For instance, in a 2023 study, a simple color wheel that could be set to red, green, or yellow helped first-grade students understand the current “work mode” they should be in (like green for quiet seatwork, for example), reducing teachers’ need to repeat instructions by about 75 percent.

Stay focused and relevant: Judiciously hanging visual aids is a smart move, research suggests: Too many posters can be distracting, but selectively choosing high-quality and  academically relevant ones can boost student learning. “I hang anchor charts with vocabulary and refer to it with a laser pointer,” says educator Carolina Halley. “My children love being able to look without asking!” Meanwhile, displaying student work is a solid choice: “Classrooms and hallways that feature the products of students’ intellectual engagements… are found to promote greater participation and involvement in the learning process” and can even help students better remember what they’ve learned, a 2015 study suggests. To that end, “every new unit, [my students] create a poster that shows their understanding and put them up on the bulletin board,” says educator Erin Kathleen. “And they actually refer back to them, especially in math.”

Make thinking visible: Math professor and researcher Peter Liljedahl suggests hanging several dry erase boards around your classroom or placing them on stands around the room. As small groups of students solve difficult problems on the boards, they make their thinking visible to you and to their peers. You can conclude the activity with a gallery walk, suggests fourth-grade math teacher Jean O’Connor.

Display essential (and other) questions: Posting essential questions related to units of study reminds students of the bigger picture, writes instructional supervisor Amir Taron Ayres. “I post the essential questions for each unit on a dry erase board—and, amazingly, they actually refer to them!” says educator Emma J. 

Posting student questions, dozens of teachers told us, is a strategy that works across grade levels. Kindergarten teacher Lauren Moore’s students use flash cards to write down questions related to what they’re studying, then pin the cards to the class “Wonder Wall.” By seeing what their peers wrote, students build on each other’s curiosity, and Moore uses the questions to inform lesson planning and guide in-class discussions. With her high school English students, educator Cathleen Beachboard designates a portion of the wall for “sticky notes with questions, strategies, and insights.” If students feel shy about sharing questions publicly, consider providing a question box to preserve anonymity.

LESS IS MORE AND OTHER CLASSROOM REALITIES

Declutter regularly: When it comes to classroom decor, experienced educators agree: Keep it simple. “Resist decorating for a theme or aesthetic,” advises Lynn Taylor Durand. “Every single thing in the room should be used by students, made by students, or guiding students.” Similarly, when teacher Erin Ramsey realized her wall displays were getting overwhelming, “I started taking everything down… and created a much more minimalist space. I have gotten so many comments from kids now about how it feels homey or calm in my room.”

A 2015 study confirms that visual clutter overwhelms students’ “still-developing and fragile ability to actively maintain task goals and ignore distractions,” and students with autism and ADHD can be particularly overstimulated by flashy, overly busy displays. “As a rule of thumb, 20 to 50 percent of the available wall space should be kept clear,” the researchers report.

Opt for calming colors: For the same reasons—distraction and overstimulation—researchers in a 2022 study on classroom design and children’s attention recommend avoiding bright, clashing colors in wall paint and classroom decorations. Instead, tone things down with a mix of more neutral colors, or even a single neutral color accompanied by occasional splashes of brightness throughout the room. Several teachers in our audience say they favor “calming colors like blue and green,” and avoid bolder tones like red and orange.

Communal supply shelves: For many teachers, a good chunk of instructional time is lost to students’ forgetting supplies and searching for replacements. To help, “have a supply shelf to share communal items like crayons, colored pencils, scissors, rulers, glue, and paper,” suggests elementary teacher Kimberly Lane. “This makes it less obvious if someone forgot something or didn’t have necessary supplies to begin with.”

Designate a charging spot: Classrooms can quickly become a tangled mess of wires as students charge laptops and other devices. “Have a designated laptop charging table,” proposes Alyssa Coop-Vickstrom. “Even though it’s morphed into tableS, it keeps all the chargers together, and everyone who needs access to an outlet can access one.”

CHILL SPACES

Calming corner: In her classroom, educator Trisha Smith has a “calming spot where kids who are experiencing big feelings can unplug for a few minutes to get back in their ‘thinking brain.’” The space includes “a white noise machine, headphones, fidgets, etc.” Similarly, in 2018, we reported on a Tennessee elementary school in which every classroom has a designated “peace corner” for students who need a moment to self-regulate—equipped with stuffed animals, coloring pages, and paper to write about what they’re feeling. As Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris, a researcher and former surgeon general of California, told us in 2020, “The science suggests that… opportunities to de-escalate and give a child the time and space to allow their adrenaline and cortisol levels to come down”—even for 15 minutes—is an effective way to “support the orderly functioning of the school environment.”

Reading nook: Teachers (of any subject) can create a “cozy, inviting reading corner,” suggests Heather Cummins. “I have a loveseat and three padded chairs. Thrift shop it all!” Encourage casual literacy for students who finish early or need a break; “I teach history but also have a classroom library that I’m slowly working on,” comments Leigh Ann Harris, where “students can grab a book and take a brain break when they’re done with their classwork.”

SOUND

Stay instrumental: Several teachers in our community report that students are calm and focused when soft background music is playing. However, a 2021 study finds that listening to music with lyrics relies “on the same cognitive resources as vocabulary learning,” and it can therefore disrupt students as they read or process speech. When students are engaged in high-effort cognitive tasks like writing, research, or solving complex math problems, consider sticking to quiet instrumental music or turning the music off entirely.

Quiet the squeaks: One of the most annoying noises in the classroom is the sound of chairs scraping against the floor. “Recycled tennis balls on the bottoms of the chair legs” can “cut the screeching noise by 95 percent,” says teacher Laura Coulter. They’re easy to cut open with a serrated bread knife, says Coulter, and educator Amy Swartzer adds that tennis coaches are often happy to give away used tennis balls.

Reduce overstimulation: Classrooms can get super-noisy. There’s the chatter of kids, of course—but “what about the thumping of the air-conditioning, whistling ceiling fans, the hum of the fluorescent ballasts, and gurgling plumbing?” writes educator Ben Johnson. These sounds can overstimulate students, especially those with special needs; consider offering noise-canceling headphones, suggests social work supervisor Clementina Jose, or seating these students away from the door, the AC unit, or other noisier areas. Several teachers in our community say that playing white noise can help drown out distracting sounds and boost focus, which research supports; Autumn Sundt recommends the sound offerings of myNoise.

VENTILATION AND HEAT

Open a window: In a 2015 study, researchers found that the carbon dioxide concentration in classrooms can reach six times the level linked to significant declines in higher-order thinking. There’s an easy fix: Leave classroom doors open for a while, and if you have windows and outdoor temperatures aren’t too hot or cold, open them for air flow. To reduce distraction, “put a curtain over the door,” suggests seventh-grade teacher Victoria Jean. “The boys’ bathroom is right outside my classroom door, and it became visiting hours, but the curtain actually did a great job of minimizing that issue.”

Purify the air: A 2022 study also found that particulate matter like dust is linked to decreased test scores. If possible, see if your school or district admin will spring for air purifiers. Especially DIY-minded teachers can even build a purifier with “a box fan, four HEPA filters that you can get at any hardware store, and duct tape,” notes educator Max Guttman. Several teachers in our community noted that they appreciate the calming white noise generated by air purifiers.

Stay cool: Heat can hinder learning. In a 2018 study, researchers found that a one-degree Fahrenheit rise in temperature is correlated with a 1 percent decline in PSAT scores. For classrooms without air-conditioning, it can help to set up a couple of small fans around the room. In one Reddit thread, a physics teacher shared a surprising tip: Open the windows, then point a fan out the door to “draw the cooler air from outside into the class.” Alternatively, when they’re not in use, turn off larger heat-producing electronics like projectors.

SEATING

Is there a “best” seating arrangement?: Well, yes and no. The trick, teachers say, is to arrange desks and tables with specific learning activities in mind. The research agrees: A 2020 study concludes that the most important consideration in deciding on a seating arrangement is “the nature of the task and children’s individual characteristics,” such as gender or whether a child prefers to work solo.

Teacher tip: Consider angling desks so they’re facing away from the door. “This has made a HUGE difference,” comments educator Sherie Lee. “Kids no longer look into my room to distract my students, and now the principal can walk into my room without feeling like she’s interrupting my lesson.” Additionally, once the desks are arranged, sit in a few seats yourself to make sure there’s an unobstructed view of the board.

The seating L: When high school teacher Jay Schauer wrote about L-shaped seating arrangements for Edutopia in 2024, it quickly became one of our most widely read articles of the year, with hundreds commenting and trying it out in their classrooms. “L-shaped seating pods of four or five desks let everyone see the board but still be in groups,” Amy Swartzer notes. “It allows me to maneuver around” from group to group, adds Renee L. Albright—and unlike with other group work arrangements, “students are not facing another student, which is so distracting,” says Christine Marshall.

Seating circles: To increase involvement and focus, educator Tyler Tucker changed his room from small groups of desks to a big circle. “It got everyone more involved, improved behavior, and doesn’t allow kids to hide.” Many teachers chimed in to support circle layouts—though some note that they prefer a semicircle, with the teacher in the middle. And when Heather Reading-Maffioli let her students pick the layout, “they chose a semi circle amphitheater style all facing the board. They like that they can all see but still have the flexibility to make groups when they need to.”

Circle seating also supports Socratic seminars. Fourth-grade teacher Ricky Clark, for instance, has a half-dozen students cluster in a small circle in the middle of a larger circle to debate a topic. During the exercise, the rest of the class (seated in the large circle around the small group) takes notes on students’ performance, which they later deliver as critical but encouraging feedback.

Groups of three: In his classroom, Glenn Gougler opts for “desks grouped in threes with groups consisting of three ability levels as much as possible. This allows students to easily help each other before asking me.” Tiffany O’Donnell’s classroom has the same arrangement, and she mixes up the groupings every morning so that students can “partner and team with new classmates every day.”

A WELCOMING SPACE

Bring in plant life: In a 2020 study, researchers found that adding potted plants to high school classrooms helped students feel more focused and positive. “I keep a ton of plants in my room that students help me water and transplant—allowing students to take part in the classroom as part of a community,” says Chelsea Lower Nastasi. Green thumbs are not required: Several educators in our community recommend pothos plants, while “I had good luck with a snake plant (surprisingly), a bunch of spider plants, a money tree, a bunch of succulents, and umbrella plants,” says high school teacher Leah Dyan.

Make it personal: Photos can show students that they belong. “I take a picture of all of my classes the first week and hang them up,” says music teacher Karin Llyr, while Lynn Taylor Durand posts photos of students working, hanging out with their friends, and cleaning up. “I have a pet wall,” says educator Lacey Dodge Perry, suggesting a fun riff on typical “family wall” photo boards. “Students and staff send me pictures of their pets, and I print them and put them up. When they’re having a rough day, they come in and just look at all the amazing animals!”

The magic of rugs: “Large area rugs changed the mood of my room immediately,” says teacher Olivia Karr. “I’ve used them in both middle and high school. Students say it feels more like home, and my classes are considerably calmer than others.” Meanwhile, when educator Heidi Fauske found a rug she loved—with calming shades of blue, gray, and black—she decorated her whole room with the same color scheme. “It’s very calming and cohesive, like a living room in someone’s house,” she says.

Karr and Fauske are tapping into a fundamental research insight: A seminal 2015 study by Peter Barrett in the UK found that “personalization factors like flexibility and student ownership account for over a quarter of the academic improvement attributed to classroom design.” In other words, when classroom design choices make kids feel comfortable, challenge conventional classroom layouts, and foster a sense of “ownership,” they can support and improve learning outcomes.