Welcome to Teacher Vintage Tennessee!
Don’t Forget the Teenagers
[Tales of High School Classroom Make-Overs]
We know that environments affect our mood. Nature can bring calm, while colors can either perk us up or make us sleepy. Likewise, a café can make us want to hang with friends, a spa can make us think relaxing thoughts, or a fancy restaurant can suddenly encourage us to dress up for a date. Hey now, the same goes for a classroom. It can either inspire those inside to be creative and curious, or bored and painfully underwhelmed.
Why not create a classroom that encourages even high schoolers to want to be there? If adults will drive somewhere just to get a selfie – you’d better believe a high schooler prefers a cozy environment with the best of us. Humans crave welcoming environments. #duh
And even with serious work to do, we can still be happy inside of these arenas of learning. Don’t be afraid of happy. Happy teachers inspire happy students, and happy students are better learners.
Think ‘play, spontaneity, and exploration!’ A creative environment cues others to activate their own inner genius. Not to mention it also gives a little TLC to our own amazing eyeballs and hearts. Heck – we spend 80% of our lives at work, why not love our home-away-from-home!!?
My name is Sarah McIver, and for those teachers out there who get up at 3-4am to prep lessons, who work until 7-8pm, who work throughout weekends, or who get home only to go right back out to grad school classes until 9pm and then come home to grade papers…I see you. This site is for you. Or maybe you don’t do any of those things, because you’re so over it. You’re over the curriculums and programs that change every year, and so you’ve decided “f-that that malarkey, I’m gonna do it my way.” Well this site is for you too. All I know is that teachers are the give-back kings and queens of our era. The idea to start beautifying classrooms came to me when I started reflecting that so many teachers spend their waking moments doing for others; I’d also like for you to remember to “do for you” too. If some of my creations or designs help you find a little Zen, selfcare, or inspiration during your day, then I’m on the right track! Go you! And continue being fabulous.