Teachers decorate classrooms

     Everyone decorates their personal spaces with knick-knacks and items that please the eye or make them happy. Rooms that are empty and blank tend to feel that way. The same goes for rooms that are overfilled. It is general knowledge that decorations increase connections between people and spaces. Here at HAHS, certain teachers prefer to decorate their classrooms to the nines every year. As a student, walking into a fresh and vividly adorned classroom can provide a refreshing learning environment. But how do these teachers decide to decorate their rooms?

     Mrs. Geske goes by a personal rule of nothing too flashy and everything should be neutral to an extent. Her room is always decorated for every holiday: tablecloths, knick-knacks, wall decorations, etc. Just after the 2022 Christmas season, she took down all of the holiday adornments. She described feeling a bit sad that the holiday things are gone and that the room feels a bit empty.

     There is one teacher here at HAHS that does not teach in a classroom. Mrs. McCarthy cannot decorate the space to the full extent she would like to. In the past when she had a classroom she hung inflatables from the ceiling and had student artwork on the walls that matched the yearbook theme. Mrs. McCarthy also used to have many personal pictures and items in her old classrooms, but now she works in a public space, so some of those things are near the printer. In the same manner, as Mrs. Geske, Mrs. McCarthy also decorates for the holidays. Samantha Gruber does some holiday and book displays in the library. 

     Recently a mathematics teacher, Mrs. Herman, had her room remodeled. She described her decor as being both math and personal interest centered. Unlike some of the other teachers, Mrs. Herman has a theme to her room which is “bringing the outside in.” Mrs. Herman loves her classroom, “I am so very grateful to be one of the teachers who has had a classroom renovation project. The new furniture, paint, and re-configuration of the room have really enlivened the physical space. The colors are somewhat “beachy” and the furniture allows for very flexible groupings.” Having her favorite colors in the classroom also makes her mood even happier. 

     Whether we consciously know it or not, the environment and embellishments around us set the mood for our learning and living backdrop.