Colorful. Fun. Lively. Or… Claustrophobic. Cluttered. Unprofessional.

Every student learns differently, so where one student may be overwhelmed by decorated walls, another may be entranced and motivated, but decorated classrooms have a net positive effect, English teacher Mercedes Foster said.

History teacher Michael Sandberg said that he believes decorations help students engage with the material and breed curiosity in the student body.

“If it gets you curious, that’s what teaching is about: creating lifelong learners and having people want to learn more,” Sandberg said.

Sandberg said that when he decorated his classroom over winter break, he looked for things he could use in lectures, items that had a purpose or related to the course material, for example T-shirts and clocks that display historical topics.

“It gives [students] a hook, so when I’m teaching about the Industrial Revolution I can pull my steam engine off the shelf,” Sandberg said.

Sophomore Emily Becker, who is a student in Sandberg’s class, said that his use of historically relevant decorations makes his class more interesting. Becker said that before Sandberg decorated the classroom, the plain walls were not as effective of a learning space.

“[Decorations] definitely change the classroom environment,” Becker said.

A link between classroom decorations and the curriculum of a class can improve the learning process, assistant principal Irma Muñoz said.

“The effort that teachers invest in putting up their decorations is very intentional, it communicates a message to students about a passion for their subject matter,” Muñoz said.

Muñoz said the administration leaves classroom adornments up to teacher discretion, beyond the board policies.

“As long as they are aligned to curriculum, student work, positive messaging, and are safe, each teacher has autonomy in terms of how they use their classroom space,” Muñoz said.

Foster said she supports the administration policy of allowing teachers to decorate their classrooms as they see fit.

“I feel very lucky to teach in a school where the teachers are treated as professionals who have the best intentions for their students,” Foster said.

Senior Casey Kama said that after four years of having class in Foster’s room, she enjoys the decorations on the walls and feels like they reflect Foster as a teacher.

Kama said that the decorations could be overwhelming, but also show a preview of lessons to come and get students excited.

“It makes you want to be more part of the class,” Kama said.

One impediment to teacher expression through decorations is that classrooms are often shared. Beyond logistical difficulties with moving classrooms, Foster said that the lack of permanence prevents customized spaces. She said she hopes the issue is amended with the new buildings.

The new H1 buildings and their subsequent decoration may prompt a shift in campus culture, Muñoz said.

“My hope is that our new classrooms and our buildings promote an environment that students are proud to be part of and that encourages high levels of achievement,” Muñoz said.

Classroom decorations provide an unquantifiable benefit to both teachers’ and students’ academic experience, Foster said.

“I’d like to think that there are things on the walls that are meaningful,” Foster said. “It’s not just jokes, there’s evidence of student activities, clubs, quotes from the literature we’ve read, things that are important to know that aren’t really teachable.”