Wall decorations and learning environment

So many things happened today, it's crazy. There are so many things running through my mind right now.

First of all, there is one week left in the 1st semester. That alone means a lot. It means there are student presentations all week. It means I will be working on grades this weekend. It means we are half way through the year. I can write more about this, but I think I will save that for Friday.

Today I substituted one period for a middle school language arts class. This was my first time subbing for a teacher in the middle school (our school is middle school/high school). I do teach a middle school section and there are other teachers that wear both hats, but it all occurs in the high school building. Today I realized that the middle school building and the high school buildings are two different worlds.

As a new teacher, I am trained to survey a classroom and notice the set-up (seating arrangement, doors and windows, teacher's desk, etc.). One thing I noticed in the middle school building and other middle school teacher's classrooms is that the walls are covered with posters, student work and things of that nature. Unfortunately, you don't get that as much in the high school classrooms.

Decorating the classroom creates a comfortable learning environment for the students. Posting student work on the walls makes the students feel as though the classroom belongs to them; which it does. This raises the comfort and safety levels students feel when they come into the classroom.

Now, I have always thought about how I am going to decorate when I get my own room. I think I would have fun doing that too. Honestly, I don't think I would decorate my classroom very much only because I am not very creative. I am more about being organized. Once my room is organized the way I want it, then I will work on the decorating part. Also, I would need some students work to post on the walls.

Anyways, a well organized and decorated classroom will make students feel more welcomed and comfortable creating a better learning environment.

Goal for tomorrow: create a scoring rubric for the Small Business Project.