Teacher classrooms double as cool spots
Some days students can’t help but have their minds wander towards the walls in the classrooms. And for days like these Steve Johnson, history teacher’s, classroom is the perfect place. Full of postcards from students, posters from school events and newspaper articles containing his name, Johnson’s room is always entertaining.
“I think [my classroom] represents the students that I taught and am teaching right now by displaying their work, where they went to college, some of their exploits, photographs and accomplishments.”
Mr. Johnson started his “decorating” process 25 years ago when he first came to Newbury Park High School.
“I am pretty clueless about decorating and I figured that if I combine my students work with historical posters and other items of interest that it might to out to be kind of interesting. For the most part, I think it has,” Johnson said.
Other days student may need to go to a classroom where they can calm down and relax. Tiffani Coull, history teacher, has a clean, organized classroom where she makes sure that the room feels more like a home than a classroom.
“My goal is to create an environment that is inviting for the students and for me. A place that you can walk into and you feel calm, you feel happy, and you feel like everything has its place,” Coull said.
This last year Coull had to change rooms, but it didn’t stop her from making it feel like her own.
“Because I spend the majority of my day in here, and I just want it to feel less institutionalized and more happy. I feel like the students appreciate it and I feel like they realize the work I put in, and so they are willing to give that back in a way,” Coull said.