Blog

It is back to school time, and teachers across the country are spending hours preparing their classrooms for their students. They spent the summer scanning Pinterest and hitting party stores, but how do these thematic learning environments affect our classroom culture? I spoke with Metcalf Laboratory School teachers, Kim Carthans and Amy Schumacher, about how they intentionally establish their learning environment to build a positive classroom culture.

3^rd grade teacher, Kim Carthans, believes that the time spent establishing her classroom theme at the beginning of the year pays off because it develops an “instant connection, through common language and experiences.” She has used the superhero theme for several years because it connects to her own passion. She has found that by infusing her interests into her teaching, students are more engaged and excited about learning because she is as well. Harnessing her own energy for a topic, helps to create that memorable experience for her students. While the room is filled with capes and superhero symbols, she is clear that it is more about the purposeful lessons that go with the theme that engage and excite the students to build community. While she wants her students to walk into her themed classroom and feel at home and as if they belong there, she is intentional with the lessons being taught on the essential expectations she holds for her “superheroes.”