Some classrooms have all the charm of an unmade bed. They remind me of the messy bedroom of Ricky, my childhood playmate. His mother told me with a twinkle in her eye of the day they bought Ricky a hamster, which he kept in a cage on his dresser. At first, she said, the smell was terrible, but eventually the hamster got used to it. On the flip side, some classrooms have gone to the other extreme with little decor.
Students enter a lifeless, sterile world that is as devoid of inspiration as a hospital ward.
Bulletin boards stand barren for months on end, there are no plants to add warmth, and display tables have not showcased student projects since September. Such insipid surroundings point to a teacher who would rather spend his evenings leafing through the TV Guide than his teacher's editions. A student sentenced to a lifeless learning center for nine months may be bored into poor grades and restless behavior. Rework Your Seating Chart. Besides room decor, another area that affects learning is the arrangement of the classroom, particularly student desks.