Mav Newspaper,

I need help decorating my room!

—Mr. Duncan

Three year winners of the Better Homes and Gardens Stylemaker, Lauren and Robert provide 13 great tips for decorating a room. 

Find Your Style

Think about your passions and things that interest you. What is something cool or funny from your life that you’d want to share with your students? You could even take your teaching style and present that throughout your classroom.

Room Function Needs

What storage do you need in your classroom? How much workspace do you need for students and yourself?

Thrifting for things like shelves can provide character to a room. This also can present opportunities for classroom bonding to take place. Say, for example, students work together to paint or add their favorite book quotes to the said shelf (or whatever piece), that builds community and brings character to the classroom. 

Check the Layout

Make sure that the decor fits the actual room size. If you have pictures above the cabinets like most teachers, make sure the dimensions of the physical decoration fits the space.

Keep a budget

Budgets are important. Since this is a classroom environment, I would assume the items should be fairly affordable or free. Some viable options are: student-made art pieces, thrifted finds, or even a good garage sale. 

Brainstorm 

Many minds come with many more ideas. Maybe take a chance to brainstorm and ask students or teachers about some suggestions they may have. Then, start building a wish list. Finally, get to decorating!