How does your classroom grow?

What type of classroom decor do you prefer - bright, pastel or boho?

Personally, I prefer bright and that was one of the bonuses about being a teacher 20 years ago.  Your classroom could be your own and decorated to your own taste, as long as you had vital visual support displays, vocabulary and children’s work included.  In fact, one head teacher once told me that he wanted to see my classroom ‘dripping with display!’  I loved the bright colours and still do, especially in the primary setting.  I’m the same with children’s books and support materials but  I guess that’s my own preference and we can't all be the same.

       

Fast forward fifteen years into my teaching career and we were then told that classrooms in the same year groups have to be mirrored, so that the learning looks consistent across the year group.  I must admit, I’m sure that this was just for inspection purposes but we went ahead and played the game.  Fortunately, I was often partnered with another member of staff who loved bright and colorful just as much as me but it was the beginning of taking away a teacher’s individuality.  It was frustrating at times but we coped.

Now, the theme seems to be boho and natural aesthetics to avoid over stimulation.  I understand this to a certain degree but not when it then becomes the whole school.  Suddenly, you find yourself walking through a mass of brown and green with other colors slowly dwindling away and being frowned upon.  Schools look more like office establishments rather than vibrant, exciting places to be.  Is that catering for every child, I ask myself?  What about the children like me, who prefer a sea of colour?  Has it just been my personal experience, or is there a happy balance in most schools?

This is one thing I enjoy now about being a teacher creator - I get the best of both and I’m free to design both bright and natural tones of display, from whole classroom decor, to smaller bulletin board accessories.

                       

After being amongst natural tones for a long time, the first decor I created was a bright Candyland theme that I would’ve loved to have had in my setting.  With three color themes to choose from, I took great delight in designing everything from alphabet charts, classroom labels, birthday displays, days and weeks and much more to bring a sense of engagement and childhood to the classroom.  I’m so glad I did because many teachers across the world have shown they are like me and still prefer a more vibrant theme to their classroom.  Their positive feedback from my Candyland theme decor has been greatly appreciated and encouraged me to see how I can progress with any future decor themes.

To balance things out, I decided to see how my creativity and skills would go if I designed a more natural classroom theme.  Keeping with predominantly greens and browns, I added a splash of colour and element of fun to my mini plant theme display.  

              

It has been quite popular, although not as much as the bright candyland theme but it was released much later, when most teachers would have their display sorted for the new tem.

I then took the plunge and went all natural - green and brown, with gentle pastels to encourage engagement.  I must admit, I did try printing aspects of this and made smaller alphabet flashcards and number cards with the design.

             

I’m really pleased with the outcome.  The flashcards look cute and inviting, ideally to be used in interventions or activity centers.  I believe the rest of the decor bundle to accommodate the whole classroom will look quite sophisticated and provide more of a balance than just hessian and vines and I'm excited to see what other teachers, assistants and homeschooling parents think of it.  I even laminated using matte laminating sheets rather than glossy and I think that’s going to be my preference from now on. 

I guess the opinion of classroom decor will always be a divided one, but for me, the choice will always sway towards the bright colours.  I feel lucky that I have the complete freedom to do this and create in the way that suits me, knowing I’m not alone in how I feel about it.  It’s pretty much like catering for the needs of all students with lesson planning and activities, we must also remember that if classroom decor is to be supportive and a valuable resource, we must find the balance so that we cater for all students, including those that like colour and vibrancy and those that prefer a more calming natural tone.

Watch this space to see what appears in the future and whether my preference does change the more I create!

If you want to take a greater look at some of the decor themes I have available then head over to my TPT store or click on one of the examples below.