The Decoration Arms Race in Elementary Classrooms

• 08/06/24

By Dr. Robert Dillon & Dr. Ellen Moskowitz

In recent years, the pursuit of the perfectly decorated classroom has taken a serious toll on teachers' well-being. The competition to create visually stunning and intricately decorated classrooms has become overwhelming. It is leaving many educators feeling stressed and over-burdened by the unrealistic expectations that come from the viral images of classroom “perfection” on social media.  While designing a classroom that engages and enables all students is essential, this rarely lines up with the fixation on perfection through decoration.  Overly decorated spaces can distract teachers from what truly matters: meaningful connections with students and effective teaching.

The hyper-decorated classroom was born of the social media era, and it typically features meticulously coordinated themes, elaborate decorations, and expensive supplies. These classrooms, often inspired by images and videos on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok, are designed to be aesthetically pleasing and visually impressive. They get likes and positive reinforcement because they look good, but they do little for learning. The time, effort, and financial resources required to achieve this level of perfection is pressure-filled and unsustainable, especially for new teachers. It is essential that we support our early career teachers by encouraging them to invest their time and energy to learn their curriculum, understand school culture, and adapt to the developmental needs of their students instead of using so much time on classroom set-up and decoration that has limited impact.

The best and most effective learning environments follow the research. They prioritize flexibility and functionality over decoration. They are built on a coherent color palette, maximize natural light, and provide space for movement and agility for a variety of types of learning. In addition, effective classrooms support collaboration, creativity, and quiet reflection and support the needs of all students.

Here are some strategies that school leaders and teacher mentors can use to help reduce a portion of the pressure: the pressure that comes from colleagues and supervisors.

1. Set Clear Priorities: Communicate that instructional quality and engaged learning are the primary criteria for evaluating teachers, not the aesthetic appeal of their classrooms.
2. Provide Professional Learning and Support: Offer support on effective classroom design that emphasizes how to design based on the research, what brain-friendly classrooms look like, and how to maintain flexibility and adaptability as the school year progresses.
3. Encourage Collaboration: Create opportunities for teachers to share practical and cost-effective design ideas that enhance learning without requiring extensive and expensive decoration efforts.
4. Promote Equity: Ensure that all teachers have access to necessary materials and resources, reducing the need for personal spending on classroom decorations.
5. Highlight Effective Models: Show teachers that many different types of classroom designs, with similar research-based principles, can support learning without heavy decoration, out-of-pocket money spent, or huge investments of time.

For new teachers navigating these pressures, consider the following:

1. Start Simple: Begin with a functional, uncluttered classroom. Focus on essential elements that support learning and gradually add personal touches.
2. Seek Feedback: Involve students in the design process. Allowing them to contribute ideas can create a sense of ownership and ensure the space meets their needs.
3. Prioritize Learning: Remember that your primary goal is to facilitate learning. An inviting classroom is one where students feel safe, respected, and engaged.
4. Avoid Comparisons: Resist the urge to compare your classroom to those you see online. Every classroom and teacher is unique, and what works for one may not work for another.
5. Bring Your Space to Life with Student Work: Allow your bulletin boards to be a story about students’ hard work and the beauty of the learning process.

It is worth noting that the decoration arms race can impact teachers at all stages of their careers. Here are some strategies to support all teachers struggling to find balance between design and decoration.

1. Offer Flexibility: Recognize that teachers move classrooms and may not be able to reuse all their decorations. Encourage a flexible approach to classroom design that can be easily adapted to new spaces.
2. Validate Efforts: When evaluating teachers, focus on their instructional practices and student outcomes rather than the appearance of their classrooms. This helps shift the focus back to what truly matters in education.
3. Promote a Healthy Culture: Cultivate a school culture that values well-being and professional growth over competition. Encourage teachers to support one another and share strategies for creating effective learning environments that are focused on the work of students and their learning journeys.

While a visually appealing classroom can enhance the learning environment, the decoration arms race can wear down teachers and most importantly detract from the primary mission: educating, connecting, and inspiring students. We need to shift more classrooms and their design from the beginning of the year to student-centered design instead of aesthetic perfection. Educators can foster effective learning environments that promote both teacher well-being and student success by steering clear of the decoration pressures of social media, avoiding blame and shame set by images that glorify perfection. rejecting the unrealistic standards around classroom design that don’t follow the research or impact learning.

We encourage educators to use their time and resources wisely- invest in your students, your curriculum and your relationships.  If you do feel the inclination to share on social media, share how your classroom is built, decorated and designed for efficiency, student independence, and flexibility.  Encourage other educators to break the pattern of decoration perfection in pursuit of a classroom environment that perfectly meets the needs of your students.

Dr. Robert Dillon is an author, speaker, and Chief School Designer with International School Designs. Dr. Ellen Moskowitz is the Director of Professional Learning at Cappaqua Central School District in Chappaqua, N.Y.