Pinterest perfect is often at front of mind when teachers plan classroom decor. But when planning how to decorate a classroom, focusing on classroom management will provide you with a greater impact on your daily life in the classroom. 🥰
Today I will discuss:
- My pillars of classroom management, and how to decorate a classroom in a manner that reflects those pillars.
- What classroom decor is
- How classroom decor impacts learning
- The importance of choosing your colour scheme and other visuals wisely
I looooove color, and when I first started considering how to decorate an elementary classroom I looked at some research on color theory.
“Yay”,I thought, “I can include all the colours!”
However, with some observations over time I reconsidered my perspective on how to decorate a classroom.
- What is the purpose of colour in my classroom?
- What is classroom decoration?
- How do I use classroom decor, to calm the classroom environment, support the learning of all of my students, and support classroom expectations?
What are your priorities of classroom decor, and how does it impact your classroom management plan?
Thoughts for classroom decoration
Soon, I began to consider this question as I slowly explored the intersection of my pillars of classroom management, student learning and classroom decor:
- Classroom Organization
- Classroom differentiation
- Social Emotional Learning
- Classroom Expectations
- Classroom Community Building
- Overarching classroom theme (in my classroom everything came back to Genesis 2:15)
Over time I realized that there were many purposes for classroom decor, and that I needed to ensure that my choices for classroom decor reflected my classroom management style and philosophy.
The purpose of classroom decor was not for me to let loose my passion for all the cute and colourful stuff I saw everywhere.
I learned how to decorate a classroom that supported students learning.
I could still incorporate my personal style to some degree, but I needed to harness it to recognize student l
Learn more about my pillars of classroom management by downloading my free classroom management checklist.
Understanding elementary classroom decor
1) Whose Classroom is it Anyways?
I have head teachers who believe that their classroom is their home for a day, and that they wanted it to be reflective of their tastes. Children are resilient and will learn to conform.
While all of these things may be true, they may not be right. How we decorate our classrooms has a recognized impact on student learning in a variety of ways. With this knowledge we should plan our decor in a way that supports learning.
2) What is Classroom Decoration?
Simply put classroom decor is everything that impacts the “look”:
- Wall art
- Clutter
- Anchor charts
- Colour palate
and “feel”:
- Structure – including building design
- Layout
- Symbolic representation
of the classroom.
I would not have included the cord that wound its way from the projector across the ceiling of my classroom and down the wall, over my desk and finally to my computer as an intentional element of “elementary classroom decor”.
However, it did impact the “clutter” level of my classroom, and it did impact the feel ambience to a slightly lower level. The more of those unsightly impacts there were, the more the students who need visual order would be impacted
Sometimes clutter, like the cord, can’t be avoided. What is important is to address the clutter we can impact.
These factors are relevant to your decisions on how to decorate a classroom.
3) What is Classroom Style?
I am an outdoor enthusiast, and I bring my passion for the outdoors into the classroom. But that does not mean that every bulletin board border is a collage of cute and colourful graphics of animals from around the world.
However, deciding how to decorate a classroom includes bringing your personality to the table.
Instead, I expressed my style with a neutral background, green storage bins, plants, and lots of student art that connected wherever possible to the content area as it related to nature.
Because, student art is a fantastic way to decorate your classroom.
4) How Does Classroom Decoration Affect Learning and Classroom Management?
My pillars of classroom management are: classroom expectations, classroom community, differentiation, social-emotional learning and classroom organization.
These pillars are evidence based and effective, and my classroom environment needed to reflect these pillars.
How to Decorate a Classroom to Scaffold Classroom Expectations
- Post classroom expectations at the front and refer to them as necessary
- Include growth mindset posters, and refer to them often
- Curate visuals wisely so as not to be a distraction and overstimulate your students
How to Decorate a Classroom to Build Classroom Community
- Use student work like murals to use art work to create community
- Arrange furniture like desks that support collaboration with classwork and couches that enhance free time activities like reading or STEM activities.
- Use anchor charts, and shape of the day cards etc. that include a variety of images of gender, race, ethnicity, colour and ability.
How to Decorate a Classroom for Differentiation in the Classroom
- Include interactive displays that the kinesthetic students can touch, and the auditory students could learn from as they interacted with their peers and the display.
- Recognize the needs of the different learning preferences:
- Use some type of speaker to enhance the sound of your voice
- Use a combination of natural and artificial light, but have areas with lower light for students for whom too much light can be overstimulation
- Allow standing desks for kinesthetic learners and active students
How to Decorate a Classroom to Support Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
My classroom was less about posting all the anchor charts on feelings and social-emotional learning which is a lot. Instead I focused on ways to support my students in developing the growth mindset, and emotional intelligence that would serve them.
In addition to the suggestions for how to decorate for SEL covered under differentiation, the following work:
- Include space(s) for students to work quietly without distractions. At the beginning of the year I had 3 officially. By the end of the year they were so popular I cobbled together about 8!
- Include in your decor tools to communicate appropriate levels of self-regulation. In my class I had a “Zones of Regulation” poster up. It wasn’t small and simple, but it served its purpose.
How to Decorate a Classroom to Manage Your Classroom Organization
Although classroom organization is about more than the physical elements, the physical elements are an integral part of classroom decor.
- Is there a cozy place or two to read books? I had a couch, carpet, and cushions.
- Is there a quiet place, or two, like the one I mentioned in SEL?
- Are the buckets binders and tubs in which you store things labeled for both form and function (cute fonts are super fun and may look great, but are they serving your struggling readers?)
The thoughts above are not exhaustive, although they may leave you feeling a bit exhausted 😉.
Implementing Calming Classroom Decor
1) Keepin’ it Neutral
As I mentioned above, decorating my classroom was a journey, and I learned a lot from my colleagues about how to decorate a classroom.
Initially, to save money, I brought in whatever mismatched book shelf I could find. Eventually they were all painted the same white.
When I started I had the background paper on my bulletin boards vibrant colours. Then they became beige or black.
Eventually I could afford to have wooden boxes to sort the student library, so I ditched the blue plastic containers from the dollar store.
Bulletin board borders were so much fun! Then I learned that sometimes student art was best complemented by a beige or black background and no border.
Earth tones became the background for what mattered most. And this aligned with my overarching passion for the environment.
2) Minimizing Visual Distractions
I could, and did, have strings hanging from the ceiling to showcase various student work (butterflies, stars, kelp forests, ocean animals). The students loved this. It was a part of how I incorporated my personality into how to decorate a classroom. But I paid for this inclusion with minimization elsewhere. I had very little on the walls other than student artwork.
What hve you got on your walls that might be a distraction?
3) Incorporating Functional Decor Elements
It is important to consider elements that serve a learning purpose in how to decorate a classroom:
- Storage systems with labeled bins of accessible classroom supplies
- White bookshelves and a black loveseat framing a reading area
- A pine table at the front of the class for demonstration purposes
4) Providing Personalized Learning Spaces
I think this heading has been covered on repeat earlier in the post, but one more time.
Cubbies, couches, quiet desks, and carpets are all a part of how to decorate a classroom so that it serves student learning and supports a calming and effective learning environment.
How to Decorate an Elementary Classroom
When choosing how to decorate a classroom, and in all things to do with teaching, keep your classroom philosophy in mind.
How does how to decorate a classroom serve your philosophy of education?
Is it inclusive?
Does it support your classroom management?
Will it facilitate student learning?
Does it encourage positive student choices and so support classroom expectations?
LIke I said, color started out to be huge to me, and then I learned from my colleagues about the power of neutrals. There was still a lot of color visual appeal in my classroom, but the background was very muted.
If your classroom is already decorated, like mine was, just take it one step at a time. Find your balance, and see what works in your context with your students.
If you factor classroom management into how to decorate a classroom early on you will be miles ahead. Just take it one step at a time.
For more support with classroom management, download one of the classroom management supports located below.
