Classroom Redecorating: It’s Not As Difficult As You Might Think

To breed success in the classroom, you want your classroom to look and feel great. A comfortable and exciting environment is far more interesting for pupils than a drab old room. As a teacher, it will also make your day more enjoyable working somewhere that feels good.

All teachers want the best for their pupils, that goes without saying. But, what if the classroom you are working in is actually holding your pupils back? Of course, part of the issue is down to school budgets and funding – no one’s expecting you to decorate a classroom out of your own pocket. But, if you can help it, you should try and insist on upgrading old, tired classrooms. If your classroom has a sense of aged boredom around it, read on for some tips for redecorating and sorting out your student’s study space. It’s not as difficult as you might think!

Classroom Design Is Important

So, you want the best for your pupils. You want them to grow, develop, and become well-rounded young individuals while in your care. A lot of this falls on the teacher, as it is often seen as their responsibility to help mold their pupils, coaching them through education and life experience. However, classroom design can have a massive impact too.

It has been shown in multiple studies that a well-designed classroom can have a hugely positive effect on your pupils’ development. One study showed a 16% increase in students’ test scores and morale after a simple classroom redesign. This is a hugely positive effect, showing just how important the environment you provide your pupils is. 

Everything from the comfort of the furniture, the light levels, what’s on your wall displays, to the color of the room can make a huge difference. And, as mentioned, these changes don’t have to be expensive or hard to create. Let’s take a look at some of the easiest and most important things you can do to improve the environment of your classroom for the students.

Store Things Smartly and Avoid Clutter

One of the worst things for productivity is a mess. Think about your work, if you are surrounded by distractions or mess it can be much harder to concentrate. However, with smart school storage solutions, you can make a quick and easy difference in this matter. By buying individually designed cabinets for all different kinds of educational materials, you can make everything look and feel a lot neater in your classroom. 

For example, art supplies are often messy and come in all shapes and sizes. It’s not easy to store card, paper, paintbrushes, paints, chalk, pens, and more in a simple locker. Instead, a well-designed art storage cabinet makes all of this much easier. The same goes for a variety of other materials, such as laptops, tablets, or other gadgets. These need to be safely stored whilst also not taking up lots of room. Look into smarter storage solutions and you’ll soon find your classroom feeling a lot neater and more productive.

Show Off Student Success

When it comes to decorating, a nice tip is to display some of your pupils’ excellent work on the walls. To keep it looking nice, you could choose one single wall or area to rotate different pupil’s best pieces of work. This helps boost morale and gives your kids something to aim for. Try to keep it rotated and show off all your student’s work throughout a term. 

Meanwhile, avoid keeping graded work on display. The last thing you want is to create a culture where children are looking at their poorly-graded work every day. Instead, promote excellence to help them strive to be their best.

Include Visual Aids

Of course, to teach, you need to be able to show your pupils what they need to know. Often this is done through screens or smart tablets, but it’s still great to display visual aids on the walls. This is dependent on the age of your class and what specialty you teach. For example, for the younger groups, keep the alphabet and simple math times tables on the wall for quick reference. With older groups, more specific materials can be kept on display such as the periodic table, maps, or art.

Think About Tech

Tech can be expensive for sure, but if your school can afford to invest, technology can greatly help improve concentration and interest levels in a classroom setting. Whether you use a smart projector, smart screen, or individual tables for individual pupils, these things can make a difference. Interactive learning has been shown to boost exam results, productivity, and information retention in pupils of all ages. 

Comfort Counts

Pupils’ comfort has often been forgotten about or ignored throughout the history of schooling. Traditionally, simple desks and chairs were used for many, many years with no thought for the students’ comfort. However, it should be of the utmost importance.

Think about when you sit to work, write, read, or do anything else productive, you make sure you’re comfortable, right? Being comfortable helps you concentrate, and it’s the same for your pupils. They should have chairs of the appropriate height, with plenty of lumbar and back support, while their desks are also at the right height. Having to slouch down or reach high to focus on their work is a distraction and one that is easily avoided by simply providing the right furniture.

Let There Be Light

Natural light is always a winner. Assuming that your classroom has windows – keep the blinds open! We are all in need of natural daylight. It helps our brains wake up, stay focussed, and boosts our energy levels. Sitting in a dingy room with old tube lighting is not as effective. If windows are not available, consider warm LEDs or other clever lighting solutions to mimic natural light in the room.

As you can see, getting a classroom right is an important thing, while none of these tasks require a huge amount of effort. Consider seeking a little budget to make some of these changes in your classroom and watch how the room improves as the grades improve. It will be worth it.