I am such a firm believer in making the classroom environment one that is fun, engaging, inviting, and comfortable for our students. At the same time, though, I have heard veteran teachers complain that some classroom decor can be 'too much' and over-stimulating for some students. I'm not sure that I agree. I find that our students today are so accustomed to being over-stimulated that 'too little' in the classroom can actually bore our students. Any experiences? Has an over-abundance of classroom decor had an adverse effect on student performance?
I am a pre-service teacher as of right now, and I love the idea of decorating for my future classroom. Sometimes when I think about everything I want around the room though, it can seem to be too cluttered. I think when things get too cluttered is when it can be 'over-stimulating' for some students. This causes more of a distraction than a decoration or learning tool. I think finding the perfect balance between too much and not enough will make the classroom a fun engaging place with little distractions.
I am not a current teacher, however I will be a first year teacher in the fall. I agree with you wanting to have a fun, engaging enviornment for students, I also strive for that. I have heard about how teachers shouldn't have a classroom being over-stimulating or overwheming as well. One thing I have learned through my years of college is that try not to decorate too much before your students are in the classroom. Have the students help decorate, make rules, hang their photos, etc. This will help them feel like it's their classroom too.
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