OPINION

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By Nina Zeballos

It’s a block Wednesday, and you just sat down in your seat. The clock reads 8:30 a.m., and you sigh; this is going to be a long math class. You lean back in your seat and try to get comfortable. In the early morning, it’s hard to pay attention to the example problems of derivatives up on the board. The bright, buzzing fluorescent lights reflect off of the three whiteboards that surround the room. Desks are lined in perfect rows, not a corner out of place. You recall a time in Lower School when your classroom reminded you of your living room, a place of comfort and ease, but that time is long gone. Seventy minutes pass; it’s time to go to history.

The classrooms at Collegiate, specifically in the Upper School, lack liveliness. Each room is nearly identical and possesses the same sterile ambiance. I find that a learning environment can change my performance in the classroom. When approaching tough subject matter, my surroundings can be comforting and a reminder to relax. For example, the physics room, N107, could be more comforting to the students when they work, as it is one of the most challenging subjects. Instead, the classroom is constantly freezing, while the lights shine down. Students are subjected to a repetitious environment in many classes, which is why it is important to provide some variation when it comes to classroom atmosphere.

According to Rita Pin Ahrens, the director of education policy for the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, “Students need to be in classrooms that inspire them.” To be frank, I don’t find any inspiration in the plain walls of my Spanish classroom, P125. I find less and less excitement throughout the course of the year due to the repetitive nature of school. I think that if we implemented small details in the classrooms, such as vegetation and flora, our learning experience would flourish.

Redecorating and rearranging the classrooms can definitely be impractical and costly. If there were plants, a caretaker would need to be assigned. It can’t be the jobs of the teachers to make sure they have a class lesson plan and that the class plants remain alive. It is also unrealistic to have teachers bear the weight of decoration. Instead, students should put forth the effort in order to change something that mainly affects them.

On my way to physics, I pass one science room every day that has been festively decorated. That classroom is lined with holiday lights and decor. Some of the overhead fixtures are turned off, yielding a lower intensity of light than the rest of the classrooms on my hallway. I have wanted to replicate that environment in my other classrooms. 

Seeing a decorated science classroom motivated me to try out something new for my physics classroom. I recognized that physics has become a subject that my peers, along with myself, ritually agonize over. I find it hard to look forward to going to class because of the stark feeling the classrooms in the science building gives off. I always leave the building relieved to get a bit of sun. I knew that holiday decorations would be the breath of life our classrooms around campus need.  

I decided, along with some of my peers, to decorate our physics classroom in lieu of the upcoming winter holiday season. We determined, to no fault of our teacher, that the atmosphere was dull, and got permission from both educators that teach in N107 to redecorate. Many of my classmates have expressed similar sentiments to my belief of our learning environment. However, we wanted to approach this with respect to our peers who identify with different religions, given that our decorations have a Christmas theme.

Newly decorated physics classroom. Photo credit: Nina Zeballos.

I asked Maia Zasler (‘23), a Jewish student at Collegiate, her thoughts on possible Christmas decorations around school: “I would not feel excluded with the addition of Christmas lights in classrooms, and by extent, the spread of holiday joy in general. I feel like the inclusion of a menorah in such environments displayed just for the sake of ‘diversity’ could be interpreted as tokenization of a religious minority. However, I believe that does not pertain to this potential situation. A menorah has the capacity to contribute to the fun and warmth that people associate with the holiday season.”

With more vibrant classroom environments, students could begin to form an association between something many love, the holidays, and something many are less enthusiastic about, school. This bond will boost student morale and enhance engagement and eagerness to learn. We can improve student life at Collegiate if we improve the classroom atmosphere.