The Class of Classrooms By Asha Lipman

I staged interviews with 2 beloved CAPA teachers, Mrs. Citron and Mr. Bràs, these teachers are very well known for their cozy, comfortable and well organized and decorated classrooms. So I decided to go straight to the source and ask them to give me a breakdown on how and why they decided to create such infamous atmospheres. 

Mrs. Citron, an inspired creative writing and English teacher, has a room of warm tones and colorful pops, with a bench and a rocking chair in her corner, with throw pillows and stuffed animals in a basket nearby.  Mementos of students past and present surround her as well as photos of her own . When in her classroom during lunch periods you can often find her doing her own work on her laptop as students chat around her, offering her own 2 cents to conversations every now and then. “I love this sitting area next to my table because the kids come here to eat lunch. I like that it’s a  comfy spot for the seniors if they need to pop in and it’s the first thing you see when you walk in my classroom.” That’s certainly true, as someone who's been in her class during lunch periods many a time, the revolving door of seniors and students who come in to give her a quick hug and a chat is a testament to how much her classroom and her teaching has touched those she’s taught.  

Her reasoning behind such a cozy environment is reflected in the way she approaches her relationship with her class. “I think students need to feel safe and welcome to be able to take academic risks, to be able to have mutual trust with a teacher…..I think if you do nothing what does that communicate to the students?” Ms. Citron is a prime example of practicing what she preaches, and if you ever need a calm space or an interesting conversation, her room is the place to go. 

Mr. Bràs, World History and Spanish teacher extraordinaire, brings an excited, ready-to-learn energy to everything he does, including the decor of his classroom. His room is the perfect quick and easy guide to all things Mr. Bràs. Student history projects and activist quotes, jerseys of his favorite soccer players, flags of his native Puerto Rico, and my personal favorite, his turtle shrine (his favorite animal is turtles and it’s a common student gag gift.) “My favorite part of this classroom are the parts that remind me of  my teaching trajectory. There are things I have selected to put here that represent me, and it’s the parts that I want to share with my students. The rest of my classroom are things that either remind me of my classes or projects that have literally been gifted to me.”

  Hearing him talk about the importance of classroom decor I was reminded of being in his class, hearing him use metaphors and scenarios to help simplify a concept for his students, “It’s incredibly impactful because it’s like, imagine not thinking that the way your room looks impacts the way you sleep. This is what you're surrounded by. I try to make my room colourful as I said, packed up but also make it feel safe.” Safe is definitely accurate, I’ve never felt anxiety or discomfort in his room and I’m sure others will say the same. These teachers are beacons of hope and comfort for the students of their school, and their rooms reflect that exactly.