A stereotypical classroom probably would include boring bleak gray walls, a chalkboard, some desks in orderly rows, and a few cheesy inspirational posters, but not all classrooms fit this description.  The classrooms of several teachers at Bowie are designed to fit their own personality and their uniqueness.

Some teachers at Bowie have decided to take it upon themselves to decorate their rooms very uniquely and to ease the students minds and also to show more about themselves.  One specifically is English teacher, Vicki Hebert, who has designed her room in such a way that both the students and herself enjoy.  

“I chose to decorate my room because I am ADHD, and as a kid I was always going out the window instead of paying attention in class,” Hebert said. “And I figured this way, kids can either go out the window or stay in the room.”

When you first walk into her room, you can really see what she likes, enjoys and believes.  The things in her room represent her and that is something that she aimed for when she was decorating her room.  Hebert hopes to inspire her students and show them that there are things out there for them to see and experience, all with the decoration in her classroom.  Which means that the way her classroom was decorated means a lot to her and she hopes it will also mean a lot to the students in turn.

“I hope that it spurs their imagination and I also hope it makes them interested so that if they see something they like they find out who that artist is and they go and look and see if they like other stuff by that artist,” Hebert said. “Or just so they get an awareness that there is art out there and that it really does relate to them.”

Some students may feel overwhelmed or distracted by the number of decorations, this may affect some students learning in a negative way. But also it might make them feel more comfortable and “at home” in a classroom.

“I really love when teachers take the time to decorate their rooms and make it more of a fun and relaxing place to be,” junior Jessica Stewman said.  “Because I know that, especially junior year, high school is a stressful place to be, so it definitely makes the learning experience a lot better and school a more fun place to be. I love the little lights that teachers put up, those are my favorite decorations.”

Throughout her room, Hebert has decorations that represent her and also some for fun that she enjoys.

“I love Matisse’s seated Riffian,” Hebert said. “I saw it at the Kimbell live and I love how with just a few lines and a few colors, Matisse is able to express both the strength of the man and the strength of his beliefs. The use of primary colors tells us he is not that complicated, but the designs and decorations tells us that he is more than what he seems.”

Students who have Hebert have their own opinions about how her room is decorated and how it affects them.

“I think that the way Mrs. Hebert’s room is designed does not affect learning in a negative way,” junior Cooper Laake said. “But it does reflect her unique personality.”

Students at Bowie really enjoy how some teachers have taken the time to personalize their rooms in a way that makes the students feel comfortable, and they have agreed that that is an important part in a teachers room.

“If I was a teacher I would definitely decorate my room,” Stewman said.  “I think that it can make students more interested and also give them something to pass the time with if they finished their work, they can look around the classroom and always find something to look at.”

The way that Hebert’s room is decorated does not just give the students an idea of her favorite things, but it gives them an idea of who she is and what she really stands for.

“Of course I have that picture of my daughter and her wife up there, it doesn’t get any more sentimental than that,” Hebert said.

One wall of her room is covered in posters of musicians that she enjoys or that are important to her.

“I also have my music posters on the wall that have defined me,” Hebert said.  “Because I know that kids music defines them too, but I’m not into the music y’all like.”

Even students notice these posters and think that they really pop in her classroom even though it is filled with so many other things.

“I think that the most prominent decorations in her classroom are all of the music posters,” Laake said. “ And the most interesting one out of those is probably the Jimi Hendrix poster.”

According to a study by The New York Times, sometimes a decorated teacher’s room could either distract the students, or make them feel more interested and immersed in the learning and about what the teacher thinks.  The decorations in a classroom can have different effects on students but for Hebert, she has a simple phrase to sum up all of the decorations in her classroom. Which in turn describes how she plans to keep developing her room in ways to help the students.

“Way too much is almost enough,” Hebert said.