It’s a trend, and not just on Pinterest and Instagram.
Perfect, charming, colorful, systematically designed classrooms are everywhere it seems.
Looking more like fashionable boutiques than places of learning, many are truly impressive.
They’re also a bad idea.
Here’s why:
Pressure
When you become known for your classroom’s appearance, you bring unnecessary pressure upon yourself.
You lock yourself into a prisonous state of always having to measure up, be impressive, and have the most beautiful classroom in the school. It isn’t healthy.
It’s a form of perfectionism that will eventually cause you to crack under its weight.
Time
The time and energy it takes to create, design, and maintain such a classroom, especially if you’re to keep it bright and fresh every month, is best spent on your lessons.
Good teachers sit and think before and after school. If you’re doing more physical than mental preparation, then you’re not going to be ready to teach.
Plus, you have a life outside of school to live and enjoy.
Getting away at a decent hour every day to spend with family or on your hobbies is one of the best things you can do to avoid stress and burnout.
Money
You don’t have to spend your own money to be an effective teacher. It’s not part of the job and does nothing to improve learning. Stop it, really.
Unless you’re teaching in Equatorial Guinea, or somewhere students lack basic supplies, you have all the materials you need to provide excellent instruction.
If you want to donate shoes, clothes, or living needs to students, then fine—or get involved with a charity. But making your room look like an LA cupcake shop is a waste.
Effectiveness
It’s easy to get so caught up in interactive calendars, organizational systems, and sugary mottoes that you never question whether they add anything to learning.
Most do not.
If it doesn’t save time or simplify your life, if isn’t absolutely needed, if you’re only doing it because your rival or friend or favorite influencer does it, then throw it out.
It’s causing you stress and pulling you away from being a better teacher to your students.
Excellence is Expected
It’s fine to be colorful. It’s fine to have an attractive classroom you prepare before the school year begins and maintain throughout.
If it makes you feel good, go for it.
But never fall into the trap of believing that adorable, magical, and whimsical design, cutesy creative organization, or lamps and bean bag chairs have anything to do with good teaching. Mostly, they’re a giant red flag.
To be most effective, your classroom should be pin-neat. It should be clean and lack clutter. It should have wide-open spaces and walkways to move and breathe. Empty, it should look spartan, even museum-like, in order to help students focus.
And whisper in their ear every time they enter that excellence is expected.
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This great to hear. I am more interested in my students learning than anything. This article was helpful and interesting. I am interested in what more students are learning, how they implement the skills taught, what they can do independently once the lesson is taught, can they explain how or where the answer came from, and what I need to do in small group to help those who do not know.
Thank you. I’m second generation to Martha’s living-style, but I feel the pull to be perfect in a less than healthy way; you offer us great freedom, call it permission, to be our best for students without needing to be trendy.
Spot on & wise, Michael. I am an educator with 33 yrs. experience: 10 years in the classroom and over 20 as a school counselor. Even 30 years ago, I fell into the trap of making sure bulletin boards and a seasonally-cute calendar were changed monthly. Fortunately at that time, Pinterest and TPT was not on the radar, or there would have been even greater pressure to invest time and $ into classroom decor. Quality, engaging instruction, sound classroom management and relationship building results in learning and personal reward. Your advice very well may help many teachers breathe a sigh of relief and retain their sanity!
Loved the article! I felt like my room didn’t come even close to many classrooms at my site and this article made my day. Just yesterday I was saying I was so embarrassed that my classroom looked so messy and that I didn’t have a theme or color scheme going on. I can see now that it doesn’t matter so much and the anxiety of trying to compare my room to colleagues’ rooms wasn’t being fair to myself. Thank you for posting this!
Agreed on some parts but lets not take the last bit of joy out of our student’s lives. Life in the classroom has become miserable for everyone. Please let me know what we are doing with all of this testing data. Nothing. When can we have some fun? This is how kids learn. Believe it or not.
If decorating is fun for you, go for it! This article is mainly to reassure those who may feel they are not measuring up in that way. (I used to be one of them – until I finally realized it wasn’t necessary.)
AMEN!!!!
One hundred percent agree with you Maria. I am in a room now that is 4 walls and a floor and filled with clutter! It needs to be welcoming, but not overloaded. I appreciate the color in some rooms.
Thank you for this! While I appreciate ppl that can decorate, when I started subbing, I found the most highly, prettily decorated rooms overwhelming, a bit claustrophobic, and I had great difficulty focusing. I thought, “If I can’t focus in here, I wonder how many of the kids can? Esp. ones with ADD?”
When I teach my own classes, I’ve kept things simple, and to the point of what my high school kids needed reminders of…things that they needed help with in the units we were studying.
This is the first actual article I’ve seen on this, that goes along with my thinking.
Thanks, again.
I, too, was a substitute teacher by choice for many years, and also found most classrooms too visually stimulating for me. I assume they would be for many of the students too. I never taught full time in the classroom, (now out of education entirely), but always wanted to experiment with this. Minimalist room for a month or six weeks, carefully monitoring results, against the same time period with a highly decorated environment. My guess is students would be more able to focus on learning, but I am curious if anyone has tried this in their classroom, and to what conclusions.
thanks for my chance to opine,
c
I agree. I proctored standardized testing last spring in a room that was covered (to the point that they were later told they violated fire code) with student pictures, quotations, garden vines, “inspirational posters” and all manner of things. I was overwhelmed and it was clear that the students were distracted. A student quietly asked me if I could take some of it down!
My classroom has string lights wrapped around the overhead lights so instead of the hideous fluorescent lighting, we have natural light and the gentle glow of the string lights. There is one bulletin board in the room devoted to excellent student work, and next to it a poster of the class rules and consequences. Word walls and similar resources instead live in students’ individual binders, so they always have it and can see it.It probably took about an hour to do and never again (the bulletin board, 3 minutes here and there). Simple, but special.
This is a rare moment when I’m going to have to disagree, Michael.
I have been teaching in elementary since the mid 90’s and have had a clean, well organized, and yes, “beautifully designed classroom” from day one.
I never felt outside pressure to do this. In fact, I student-taught with an AMAZING educator whose classroom was minimally decorated and appeared quite messy and disorganized. But that was her way. She knew where everything was. It worked for her.
My personality is different. I find joy in turning my classroom into a space that is neat, organized, and comfortable. I have spent money here and there over the years collecting furniture and other items. Today, I have a beautiful flexible seating classroom. My students and I spend a lot of hours in that room, so I created a space that is warm, welcoming, and organized. It’s not right or wrong. It’s just my way.
Upkeep is easy. My students have jobs and take pride in caring for our classroom. They dust, water plants, vacuum with a floor sweeper, wipe down tables and desks, keep our library books in order, keep their cubbies tidy, etc. They literally love it when they have a job. The only thing I do for upkeep is take care of my own desk area and change out the work displayed on bulletin boards (every 2-3 months). My “beautifully designed classroom” was done by me, over some summer days, when I moved into this classroom. It is not a daily burden.
While I get compliments on the look, feel, and even the smell of my classroom regularly, I didn’t design it for anyone but myself and my students. It provides us with a calm, structured environment where we can learn, and be comfortable and creative.
I agree with you Tracy. Adding elements of color or design can enhance the space where we must spend so much time. My classroom is not overdone but very inviting. Students and adults often comment, “I wish I was a student in your classroom.”
My thoughts exactly, Tracy! I love taking the time to make my classroom a welcoming and inviting space. It brings me joy, especially when we spend so much of our day there. It’s my focus before the kids get there but it doesn’t take the place of my focus on them. Year after year my students tell me how much they love our classroom and appreciate me making it a special place. I have seen classrooms that go over board for sure.
I also agree with Tracy. Honestly, this is the first article that I have read from Michael that has made me feel bad about myself, my classroom, and my teaching style.
My classroom gets compliments from students, teachers, parents, and district officials all of the time. I am repeatedly told that I have a warm, inviting, and safe vibe in my room. Students from other classes always want to hang out in my room and do work because they like the feeling that they get when they are there.
The other feeling that I got from this article is that Michael may feel that those of us that value this effort are less than because of it. I spend countless hours reflecting and building my lessons to meet my students’ needs. To say that we are wasting our time and money is an insult. If I used only what I was offered and didn’t spend my own money, then I wouldn’t be where I am today. Creating these warm and inviting spaces is important to building relationships with our students. It shows them that we care and want them to feel safe and comfortable in our care.
Needless to say, I am disappointed after reading this article. I feel deflated and judged in a negative way. I can’t say that this will make me stop reading Michael, but it does put a bad taste in my mouth.
I agree completely.
Tracy I think you are confusing a neat, organized, and pleasant classroom with the classrooms Michael is writing about. Michael is addressing teachers who feel the need to completely cover their classrooms with non-educational decor, changing every month to fit a new season or holiday, spending hours and money throughout the entire year on stuff to plaster all over the walls, cutting and crafting little decorations.
Of course you can take pride in an organized, tidy, and nice looking classroom and a few decorations don’t hurt anyone. Michael is addressing the common issue of teachers who feel the need to make their classrooms into ever-changing works of art, which does nothing for their students’ education.
Calm and structured yes. Some classrooms are so covered in posters and pictures and decorations that some students will be so overwhelmed they can’t learn easily. This article is about classrooms that are not calm and structured I think.
I agree so much. I am starting to feel judged because I decorate my classroom. I decorate it on a color and small scheme for myself and my students. We spend more waking hours a week in our room than anywhere else.
Tracy,
I’m afraid you may have misread this article.
What you’re talking about and what Michael is talking about aren’t even remotely the same thing.
You’ve done just what you should have done in creating the room you have created and in maintaining it. He is talking about keeping up with the latest trends, spending hours decorating and placing that at the forefront of the teacher’s mind and focus, and feeling the need to keep it up and continue to top last week’s/month’s/year’s decor.
I think it might, however, be helpful to take a good, long hard look at our rooms and see where we can minimize visual stimulation. While some students might develop calluses to the visual stimuli, others cannot. The fewer visual stimuli in an environment, the easier it is for the mind to calm. I like to think of visual stimuli as exactly the same to aural stimuli. It is like all the sounds around us … a certain level and frequency of various sounds can be tuned out but too many or too loud becomes taxing. Likewise, if it is completely silent … it isn’t stimulating enough but it is better and easier to err on the quiet side than the noisy side.
The external environment IS important as it allows students an easier or more challenging opportunity to TAKE IN the lesson content. However, far too many of us teachers would do better at focusing on creating more compelling lessons and acquiring the skills at how to create more compelling lessons and let the focus on the environment wane ever so slightly to free up more time and space to focus on teaching our content.
Just my two cents: the problem is not the beautifully designed classroom. It is the attitude or the pressure to do it when it isn’t really your thing or your priority. And it is anything that keeps you from focusing on the most important priorities in teaching. But some classrooms can be beautiful with a little bit of work. And some teachers are the kind of people that only feel at home when things feel comfortable, and the atmosphere/design is part of that, so it could be a form a self care to take some time for the physical atmosphere of the classroom. I agree that taking a moment to decide whether or not it is worth your time is probably necessary. I also think that too much busyness in decoration is distracting for the students. But you are always telling us to be ourselves, be ourselves with our sense of humor, etc. , I think a creative, artistic teacher ought to be able to use some of that creativity in their classroom.
I don’t think Michael is saying don’t be creative or fun, more that the pressure on social media which trickles down to the classroom can be distracting for students AND cost the teacher precious time and money. It’s something to think about and consider when making choices and could especially save new teachers’ sanity!!!! It’s also worth remembering that many of those “perfect” classrooms are those of so called “influencers” or those who aspire to be. But in the end to thine own self be true!
I teach in many classrooms at my school and love to see the differences in each of the classrooms and how they reflect the personalities of the teachers. Some rooms are highly decorated, some are minimally decorated, but students seem to be thriving in each class.
I must wholeheartedly agree with both Tracy and Julie. As an elementary classroom teacher for 29 years, I find joy in providing a comfortable, calm, nicely decorated classroom for myself and my students. While you made good points to consider, we really need to follow our hearts on this one and do what makes us feel like home away from home. A cold, sterile classroom can’t possibly be what kids would feel most comfortable and engaged in while learning.
I fully agree. I know that there is also a bell curve on functional decorations and teaching success. Too little too much. Experience and honest peer inputs will guide you into the goldilocks zone.
This is an excellent article, and I hope you post it again at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year. When I was teaching art, my art room priority was to have as much student work posted as possible. There were posters of popular artists work and examples of how to apply techniques we were presently learning. The white board presented classroom rules, assignments and anything else concerning our present progress.
However, on social media I’m seeing more art teachers, especially new ones, making their art rooms into a colorful story book page loaded with rainbows. There is no room for student work. They never ask about classroom management. Just looking for lesson plans. I hope many new teachers read this article, it will give them insight and guidance for organizing their classroom and plans.
I was about to disagree with Michael, I think for the first time ever, until I got to the end of his article where he wrote, “If it’s your thing, go for it.”
It’s my thing. Before I went into education, I seriously considered interior design. I live in my classroom 40-50 hours per week (because I never take work home) and I want to live in a beautiful space.
I decorate my room once a year, during the summer. I only change out the work on the bulletin board of student work.
Let me just say, “cluttered” and “minimalist” do not equate to “decorated” and “undecorated.” The poor students who asked the substitute teacher to take stuff down because it was too much were not in a well decorated room— they were in a mess! Michael does emphasize “neat as a pin,” and that is key. Clutter is not good design, ever.
I might be a little different here, in that I teach high school (sometimes I think the reason I can’t teach elementary is that I hate primary colors, haha!), but what I consider to be the most beautifully decorated rooms at my school are on the spartan side, super clean and organized, and comfortable, never fussy.
I do spend my own money on decorating. I’m single and my children are adults, so it is my choice. Next year I’m doing a black & white theme. I read some studies and articles about how babies do better with simple black & white mobiles and toys, as opposed to brightly colored ones. It will be simple, visually stunning, but not distracting.
I would never judge another teacher on their design skills and, maybe because it’s high school, I am not aware of anyone who feels pressure to do more, or better.
I enjoyed your informative article and the astute reader comments. Thank you all. I feel it is essential to incorporate student work as a primary component of my classroom vibe and decor. I like the concept of imperfect perfection. The creativity of making something your own in your unique way is to be celebrated.
Bravo! Well said!
I once had a principal who praised a teacher for coming in over the summer to set up her room in a Pinterest worthy style. He gave her a gift certificate for teacher recognition. I was offended. She had time (no young children at home), money (more than I could ever spend on classroom decor), and skill (she was very good with arts and crafts). I felt that recognizing her for this was a slap in the face to other teachers who lacked any of those three things, which are not required to be an effective teacher.
Thank you! I am not a fan of this trend either. It is hard when a competing co-teacher spends oodles of money to make her classroom look amazing, but her lessons were lackluster. My principal thought this person was such a creative and caring teacher because of how her environment looked. My husband was out of a job at the time, so I had no resources to put into the classroom. It was hard to compete and made me look bad (in the eyes of my principal). The struggle sucks!
I am now retired, but one example of this sticks in my mind. I was an older teacher, with second graders in a modestly decorated classroom. The other second grade teacher was right out of college, and her walls were floor to ceiling covered in laminated Carson-Dellosa posters and decorations. And these were tall rooms; I don’t know how she even got them up there. One day she mentioned to me how much calmer my students were than hers, and all I could think of was that I would be crazy in that room, too. As the years progressed, I still liked my room to be neat, but I valued empty spaces and simplicity more.
I feel it is about design (as in identifying needs and developing solutions) and purpose. I agree that in many cases it is simply about aesthetic in which case the points made in the article certainly apply. However I do feel that time invested in a well designed classroom that offers visual clarity and genuine learning opportunities that compliment what is being learnt in lessons can go a long way indeed. Like many things it isn’t a one or the other issue but should be a result of careful thought.
Not too little, not too much. A spartan class is boring and decorations are colorful and exciting. IF the eye has where to rest. And yes, I change my quote every week. The kids add their own and share them at home.
I’d like to add to my previous comment: I do not believe there is an inverse correlation between a well decorated room and good teaching. My room is beautiful and, according to students, parents, admin, and fellow teachers, I am an excellent teacher. A teacher can have no decor and be a poor teacher. Second, let me again say that wall-to-wall stuff on the walls is NOT good design. “White space” and balance are key elements of design. Third, you can have a nicely decorated room without spending money. I spend mine because I can and I enjoy it, but if I had kids at home or was broke, I wouldn’t, and I’d still have a great looking room. Last, no teacher should be judged by their classroom decor, either positively or negatively, unless the room is such a mess that it’s a fire hazard, trip hazard, or presents an environmental hazard (i.e., mold, allergens). Let freedom reign! 😀
It also puts pressure on other teachers to spend money to keep up. School systems will never provide enough funds for teachers as long as they are spending their own money. Just stop. If teachers didn’t spend any of their own money parent would see how rooms would look and provide more money.
I m a classroom teacher and i do believe a nice looking classroom is important…as teachers we spend a lot of time in the class and when not in it…we think about it i mean lessons and ideas to make class lessons more interesting to the students to keep them engaged in learning etc…
My classroom is clean and very inviting so kids know when they are in my class..its not a nornal space…its a special place thats made for them to enjoy and be in …also as a teacher i spend a lot of my time in class so i want it to be nice and pleasant…i have seen other classes where its messy and totally boring…and those teachers are just there for the job…the money…i m sorry no one cares..if thats how they want to live their lives so be it…but not me…so make a nice classroom…for you and your students…our job is not normal and very stressful…having a dull looking class is such a turn off…btw i have a design degree so maybe thats why my thoughts might not match others…but invest time to make the classroom nice..simple is also ok…make the classroom design to match the kids …dont do Kinder things if your kids are grades 1 or above…
As a teacher it all starts with you…and your classroom…
Love this. … “To be most effective, your classroom should be pin-neat. It should be clean and lack clutter. It should have wide-open spaces and walkways to move and breathe. Empty, it should look spartan, even museum-like, in order to help students focus.
And whisper in their ear every time they enter that excellence is expected.”
I struggle to keep it pin neat, but while I have art on the walls, it is high up. The classroom itself, lacks clutter although clutter constantly tries to sneak back in. I think clutter does lead to problem behavior. It is a crazy idea, but a sense I have.
A couple of years ago, I took a class called the 40 hour work week. That drills down on what is important. Perhaps it is because I am 63, but you can wear yourself out.
I have been in classrooms that I thought were too bare, too institutionalized, but I have been in classrooms where it was a fire hazard, or overloaded with too much stimiulus…for me.
What works for one kid, may not work for the kid right next to him, but it HAS TO WORK for the teacher. Do what you want.
Mrs K
I’m with DebbieDoesHistory on this one. Thank you Debbie for saying everything that’s been on my mind since I read this article!
I am usually reading your articles and shouting “amen” and “absolutely.” In fact, I’ve often wondered how I can anonymously share them with some of my fellow teachers. This one, not so much.
Decorating is my creative outlet. Organizing is my gift. I have a beautiful, but not gaudy, organized and highly functional room and I am proud of it. Yes, everything matches. Yes, there are inspirational sayings and fun themes. Dare I say Pinterest worthy. My students frequently comment on how it makes them feel happy when they come into my classroom.
I am also a good teacher. I don’t think a beautifully decorated classroom and being a good teacher are mutually exclusive. I enjoy decorating, I enjoy finding a bargain on things that add character and comfort to a space. I do this on my time, when I need to feel inspired or energized. It’s my getaway from schoolwork which I, like most teachers, do a lot of. I would imagine it’s the same for those who enjoy spending their free time writing, exercising (I wish this was me), or collecting things.
Organized, clutter-free, safe, mentally soothing, those are the goals. Using those as guidelines, we will all differ in what makes our space work for us and our students. Different spaces are good because our students are different. Hopefully, if we all agree on the goals, they will move from classroom to classroom where some invoke peace, some make them energized, and some make them feel inspired. Most importantly, in all rooms, I hope they know that they are loved and that they matter.
Thank you for all of the wonderful words of wisdom and thought provoking ideas!
Thank you for your kind words!
I think there is some truth here, but t think the reality is somewhere in between. I think there is a certain amount of judgement here I hope you didn’t intend. I have been teaching 43 years as an art teacher in countless classrooms and many schools. I have seen the full spectrum of classrooms. A classroom doesn’t have to be the state fair but it doesn’t have to be the sterile DMV waiting room either. I could tell you stories!
As an elementary art teacher, my room is more decorated than most but it is students and my own Art examples that are the “decorations”…I can literally walk around the room and point to elements of Art examples or ideas for students to try if they are stuck. Nothing is matchy matchy…it is not neat as a pin though but k-5 students know where every supply is and can go get what they need when they need it.
This sounds like sound advice for everything in life: avoid excess, including avoiding excess! A colorful variety of everything that traditionally hangs on classroom walls and bulletin boards, plus a specified, contained space for the everchanging “unusual” is, as Goldielocks would say, “Just right.”
I agree that paying attention to “orderliness” is “in order” in a classroom. It not only makes things easier to find, it is conducive to orderly thinking and to teaching the students how to run an orderly home/workplace/business once they leave school. It’s a lifelong skill that is as important as anything else the student needs to learn.
I earned a degree in Elementary Education in 1970. I left the teaching profession after eight (8) years. I did so for several reasons. One of which is called “teacher burnout.” I’m one of those people who puts my heart and soul into everything I do. Looking back, I can see that I did work too hard at making the classroom look nice, but it was not at all an over-stimulating environment. I tried to create an environment that was orderly and neat. Most importantly, a classroom that would make the the children know that they were there to learn. I spent a little money on greeting cards for kids which I cut and posted on the bulletin board in between educational cardboard posters that I printed by hand. My mother told me that I “put the cart before the horse.” How insightful mothers are. While I do not regret the time I spent to do this, it reduced the amount of time I could have spent on monitoring my children’s daily progress in reaching educational goals. I was frustrated because I could not exactly pinpoint what they grasped and what they did not grasp. I wish I had stayed on top of their daily home assignments. I wish I had developed a diagnostic test to administer to them when I met them in September so that I could see “where they were at” so that I could adjust my instruction to meet their needs. As we mature and look back we all wish we had done things differently. That’s just the way life is.
Thank you for this excellent article and sharing the insightful comments that followed, A Grateful Teacher, Chris
I think there are TWO sides to the idea of a “beautiful classroom.” I LOVE decoratong my classroom. I spend a LOT of time there and so do my kids. I love a beautiful space to work in. It is not necesscary but it brings us joy.
Organization is good for my brain and can teach kids systems. I am also ADD and a beautifully designed/organizedclassroom helps me stay focused.
It allows me to observe kiddos, inspire deep thinking, and create more beauty to add to my classroom. I enjoy the process of creating a beautiful space.
I agree with the overall message of the article. I can understand the pressure there is, particularly for newer teachers, to design a room that is Pinterest and Instagram worthy.
I don’t agree with the tone of the article.
“Good teachers sit and think before and after school…”
“…making your room look like an LA cupcake shop is a waste.” Kind of harsh, no?
There is an implication that teachers whose rooms look like these are not good teachers; or at least not as good as the teachers who don’t waste their time on it.
Teaching is so hard these days. We should be lifting up other educators, not judging them by the look of their classrooms. Young people are certainly not breaking down the doors anymore to become teachers. The same message could have been delivered with more kindness and empathy.
This is a matter of opinion ,choice, and learning style. I say a clean, neat and attractive classroom is great when it reflects the learning objectives and standards for teaching and learning. Students can learn and retain a concept just by reading it on a bulletin board.
Agree that the message could have been a bit less ‘snarky’, and to each his own. Good points about clutter and time wasting though. That said, a well-designed decorating theme can be used over and over, SAVING time; it can help organize important activity centers, character lessons, info, etc. Lighting is an issue in some facilities, the EC department teachers at my school use subdued lighting, art teachers use bright lights and window light. A teacher that knows their students might make adjustments that help the ambiance for learning. The message to beware of time wasting is apprecited though.
Phew! Thank you
You should see some of the rooms in my school! 😂 I teach elementary. My room is comfortable. I have lots of flexible seating that was paid for by DonorsChoose finders.
No theme, no Anchor charts hanging everywhere, which kids aren’t reading anyway.
Great advice!
What do you think about having a “cozy corner” or “calming corner” (i.e. rug, bean bag, fidget toys, coloring sheets) in your classroom as a welcoming time-out space? I’ve heard a lot about using these to help students with anxiety or other behavior issues take-a-break.
I put a lot of thought into my classroom design, and as I read through it, I kept thinking, “But it saves me time and energy; it gives me peace and that imbues the room and the students.” Then I got to your recommendations, and there’s my design philosophy – neat as a pin, museum-like, empty with room to breathe. The time I take to maintain that is worth every minute. When I mentor new teachers, my advice is always to visit classrooms and feel what they’re like when students are in them. Also visit a Montessori and/or Waldorf school to see how beautiful simple is.
When I came across your article I was like uh oh…Im about to read why my Pinterest worthy classroom is wrong. But after reading it all I can say is I don’t agree with any of it, in the nicest possible way of course. I’ve been teaching for 27 years now and am considered a very good teacher. The time I spend creating a learning environment that I’m happy with doesn’t take away from my life or that of my students. I don’t feel any ‘pressure’ from anybody to create a classroom I’m proud of year after year. I do it because I want to, because I can, and because it makes me feel good. The time I spend on it is my time…my time to use how I choose. And the money? Yes it costs. I’m lucky that I work in international schools though, where salaries are generally higher, but I also spent 19 years in public education in Australia. I didn’t spend as much money, but I still made it look just as amazing. Really my main point is that we all have our ways and do what we do for the benefit of our students – it’s not a reason to tell me that what I’m doing is wrong because of your own reasons. I could quite easily write an article knocking classrooms that don’t go to the lengths I do, but why would I?? Btw I’m not offended by your article at all, we all have an opinion. Seeing both sides of that opinion is what makes us adults, and good educators.