American students spend the majority of the day in school, which means bouncing between classroom to classroom.

Studies have shown time and time again that student engagement correlates with the quality of their environment. As an educator, however, it can be difficult to brainstorm ideas for class decor while juggling everything else. Worry no more! Check out the list curated below to discover the Top 10 Ideas for a Successful Classroom.

10. Student Feedback

Since this classroom is for the students exclusively, wouldn’t it make sense to ask them what they want? Talk to your students and ask them what they’ve experienced in other learning environments, what they like and did not like, and try to incorporate their suggestions into the design of your room.

9. Pick a Theme

Themed rooms are not just for elementary school! Classroom themes can be appreciated by any age, depending on the style. For example, history classes could have walls covered in photos of important figures or places, or a Spanish class could feature imagery and decor from Latino culture around the world

8. Color Therapy

Also referred to as “chromotherapy,” color therapy is the utilization of color to affect a person’s mood or behavior. For a classroom, it is recommended to avoid aggressive colors like red or black, and instead go for colors that soothe, calm, or invigorate like blues, greens, and yellows.

7. Inspirational Posters

When a student’s attention and eyes wander, it is good to inspire them to say on track with posters motivating them to succeed. Students can run out of steam throughout the day, so why not remind them of their excellence and boost morale with posters around the classroom.

6. Plants

Unfortunately, many classrooms lack windows or access to fresh air. Research shows that bringing the outside in with plants not only improves productivity, but relieves stress as well. Consider tucking species like Peace Lily or Spider Plant in the corners of your room for an instantly cozy effect.

5. Class Wall

A class wall is a designated space that can be used to showcase students’ birthdays, class activities, and other learning projects. A class wall also fosters community within our classroom and brings students together.

4. Flexible Seating

More and more teachers are adopting a flexible seating arrangement in their classrooms over the standard row-seating for desks. Not every teacher is able to remove the desks from their room, but every teacher can move desks around to create a more collaborative learning environment. Bunch desks into small groups for collaborative learning sessions for a successful classroom activity.

3. Make Organizing Fun

Give each student their own organizational pocket or cubby. Plastic drawer towers can be used for grouped desks so that each group has their own organizing caddy.

2. Work Station

Every classroom, no matter the design, can benefit from having a work station for creating, collaborating, or even just working alone.

1. Avoid Clutter

Visual clutter can be as much of a barrier to classroom success as physical clutter. While it is easy to get carried away and utilize every possible mode of classroom improvement–try to avoid doing so. Too much clutter distracts students from learning and can actually hinder their progress. Be very selective when choosing your classroom design ideas.

Try some of these ideas for a successful classroom out and see how your students respond to the fresh, new changes to their room.

by Catalogs.com Info Guru Lauren DeJesus-Glasgow