Thursday, June 6, 2013

Classroom Envy

We've been out of school two weeks (!) and I'm already toying with my classroom in my head. Actually, not just in my head. I went in today and threw away accumulated junk for two hours. I'm sure the custodians will be cussing me, but I felt a lot better. I had accumulated so much clutter over two years and it just. had. to. go.

Yeah... it was kind of like this without all that big city class... ;)
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Oh, and I also had to make room for all of my new stuff that I swiped from Amber while she cleaned out her classroom. I'm a vulture like that.

Lest you think I'm a horrible person, Amber got a totally awesome principal's job. I'm not swooping in stealing her crap against her will. Miss you already, Amber!
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In addition to purging my classroom of crap, I've also been thinking about my classroom set-up and, in particular, my classroom décor. Not gonna lie... there is an itty bitty part of me that kind of wishes I would have taught elementary school strictly because I love looking at the lower level classrooms! I stumbled upon The School Supply Addict's Amazing Rooms to Check Out. It gives me a serious case of classroom envy. How great do some of those rooms look, seriously?

This leaves me with a quandary... how much decoration is too much in a high school classroom?

I didn't decorate my classroom my first year of teaching because I was in way over my head. I didn't decorate my classroom my second year because when I was hired I was told that the job would only hold out for one school year. Happily, the job held out last year too, but I still didn't decorate. I'm finally feeling comfortable enough to try to make my classroom my own.

Obviously I don't think I'll be doing a jungle or under-the-sea theme soon. Would it be a total faux pas, though, to maybe cover my plain gray bulletin boards with fun fabric? Or to put a potted plant somewhere? Or figure out some kind of curtain to hide those really annoying windows into the library?

Something else I'm seriously considering... getting rid of my monstrous desk. Seriously, I kind of hate it. Not only is it a detestable, dented hunk of metal whose drawers do not open unless kicked, but it's a catch-all for all my crap... stuff that just needs to be immediately sorted and filed or thrown away. I would have to leave something in the back of my classroom for my computer/printer/etc. because of the way the room is set-up, but I spend almost the entirety of my day in front of the classroom. That's where I teach, where I assist, where I monitor. I'm thinking I would like to have a kidney table or something in the front of the room. Right now, I literally use a student desk throughout the majority of the day. Hummm... decisions, decisions.

What do you think? Is it okay to jazz up a secondary classroom? Teachers, are your classrooms decorated? Do you have desks? Do you have grody NYC trashcans overflowing with junk you've accumulated over the year? I want to hear about it!

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