Anonymous
Post 09/18/2022 09:48     Subject: Some school classroom looks so pretty
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:As a family with ADHD, I cannot emphasize enough that CLUTTER is very distracting for students with attention problems. Teachers seem to think that more is better, but actually less is better. There is a subset of teachers that understand this in middle and high school, but elementary teachers are the worse offenders.

Chevy Chase ES has a wealthy PTA and enough funds and space to create a wellness room with walking desks, string chairs, fountains and all sorts of relaxation items. This is great, and unfortunately not possible for overcrowded schools with no spare classrooms, or low-income schools. I am ALL for sharing funds across PTAs!!!

But in terms of visual clutter inside regular classrooms, it's very detrimental to students sensitive to distractions.


There is a difference between cluttered and decorated and YOUR child may do better without the stuff, but another child may do better WITH the stuff. That's awesome CCES does that. In our area, in the Buy Nothing Group, teachers are constantly asking for stuff and most of us are happy to help with toys, rugs and other things. I love decorated rooms. It is so much warmer and inviting. My child did better in decorated rooms.

Get your child outside mental health treatment.


Let’s reframe this… seek outside mental health treatment bc your child relies on a decorated classroom to excel. (Hint: most children don’t and many find it distracting so now you’re definitely the outlier) but.. continue to go off.

DP, but do you even hear yourself? Wow, you sound awful. No, children don’t need heavily decorated classrooms to excel. A decorated classroom isn’t going to change a child’s behavior either way.


How is it awful to tell someone if their child is struggling over a decorated classroom that they should get their child outside help? MCPS will not care and if you know your kid needs help, don't blame the classroom, help them. My child has SN. We spent a fortune on outside services.
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2022 21:41     Subject: Some school classroom looks so pretty
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My daughter paid for all her comfy extras for her classroom.


Unmarried, childless teachers can afford to do this. I mentor new teachers in MCPS. I see them buying hundreds of dollars of stuff while they are also working a second job.

The yoga balls and rugs are nice, but they don’t make or break a child’s learning experience. I recommend that they instead invest in self care and if they have the energy left over, think about grad school in their subject rather than a master’s in Ed.


She’s actually married with children.



Unmarried teachers usually have roommates because they can't afford to live alone. I don't think they have a ton of extra income.
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2022 21:36     Subject: Some school classroom looks so pretty
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My daughter paid for all her comfy extras for her classroom.


Unmarried, childless teachers can afford to do this. I mentor new teachers in MCPS. I see them buying hundreds of dollars of stuff while they are also working a second job.

The yoga balls and rugs are nice, but they don’t make or break a child’s learning experience. I recommend that they instead invest in self care and if they have the energy left over, think about grad school in their subject rather than a master’s in Ed.


She’s actually married with children.
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2022 21:24     Subject: Some school classroom looks so pretty
Anonymous wrote:On back to school nights, I pass by many classroom of many grades. Some classrooms look so pretty, and there are tent, couch, yoga ball seats, stuff animal and many decors. Some classrooms are more bland with minimal decorations. Does classroom decor speak teacher’s ability or commitment or dedication? Who pays for all those extra decors?


The teacher pays for it.
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2022 21:12     Subject: Some school classroom looks so pretty
I've never seen a pretty classroom.

I've seen some interesting/humorous posters at the secondary level from teachers looking to engage adolescents.

I've seen completely unnecessary hoarder-style stuff on walls at the elementary level from misguided teachers who think they need to cover every inch of available space (plushes on the ceiling fan too, they don't seem to understand it kills the motor to unbalance it so).

But in all my years of visiting and volunteering in private and public schools (in multiple countries), no, there are no pretty classrooms.
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2022 21:07     Subject: Some school classroom looks so pretty
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:As a family with ADHD, I cannot emphasize enough that CLUTTER is very distracting for students with attention problems. Teachers seem to think that more is better, but actually less is better. There is a subset of teachers that understand this in middle and high school, but elementary teachers are the worse offenders.

Chevy Chase ES has a wealthy PTA and enough funds and space to create a wellness room with walking desks, string chairs, fountains and all sorts of relaxation items. This is great, and unfortunately not possible for overcrowded schools with no spare classrooms, or low-income schools. I am ALL for sharing funds across PTAs!!!

But in terms of visual clutter inside regular classrooms, it's very detrimental to students sensitive to distractions.


There is a difference between cluttered and decorated and YOUR child may do better without the stuff, but another child may do better WITH the stuff. That's awesome CCES does that. In our area, in the Buy Nothing Group, teachers are constantly asking for stuff and most of us are happy to help with toys, rugs and other things. I love decorated rooms. It is so much warmer and inviting. My child did better in decorated rooms.

Get your child outside mental health treatment.


DP, but do you even hear yourself? Wow, you sound awful. No, children don’t need heavily decorated classrooms to excel. A decorated classroom isn’t going to change a child’s behavior either way.


How is it awful to tell someone if their child is struggling over a decorated classroom that they should get their child outside help? MCPS will not care and if you know your kid needs help, don't blame the classroom, help them. My child has SN. We spent a fortune on outside services.


A child spends 6 hours a day in classrooms, 5 days a week. It's half of their waking hours for the younger set. Don't you think it's more cost-effective, most equitable to those with lower incomes, and generally less wasteful in general, to tone down the classrooms instead of expending more energy, time and money into fixing a problem that costs nothing to solve?

Beyond that, your premise doesn't even make sense: no amount of outside help is going to remediate the lost focus in class. My child had an IEP from K to 11th grade. He's had tutors, coaching, therapy, medication, psychiatrists, psychologists, and above all, daily support from his parents.

It would have helped if the elementary school classrooms had been more conducive to focus.
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2022 20:57     Subject: Some school classroom looks so pretty
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:As a family with ADHD, I cannot emphasize enough that CLUTTER is very distracting for students with attention problems. Teachers seem to think that more is better, but actually less is better. There is a subset of teachers that understand this in middle and high school, but elementary teachers are the worse offenders.

Chevy Chase ES has a wealthy PTA and enough funds and space to create a wellness room with walking desks, string chairs, fountains and all sorts of relaxation items. This is great, and unfortunately not possible for overcrowded schools with no spare classrooms, or low-income schools. I am ALL for sharing funds across PTAs!!!

But in terms of visual clutter inside regular classrooms, it's very detrimental to students sensitive to distractions.


There is a difference between cluttered and decorated and YOUR child may do better without the stuff, but another child may do better WITH the stuff. That's awesome CCES does that. In our area, in the Buy Nothing Group, teachers are constantly asking for stuff and most of us are happy to help with toys, rugs and other things. I love decorated rooms. It is so much warmer and inviting. My child did better in decorated rooms.

Get your child outside mental health treatment.


DP, but do you even hear yourself? Wow, you sound awful. No, children don’t need heavily decorated classrooms to excel. A decorated classroom isn’t going to change a child’s behavior either way.


How is it awful to tell someone if their child is struggling over a decorated classroom that they should get their child outside help? MCPS will not care and if you know your kid needs help, don't blame the classroom, help them. My child has SN. We spent a fortune on outside services.


Get real problems. Wow.
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2022 20:54     Subject: Some school classroom looks so pretty
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:As a family with ADHD, I cannot emphasize enough that CLUTTER is very distracting for students with attention problems. Teachers seem to think that more is better, but actually less is better. There is a subset of teachers that understand this in middle and high school, but elementary teachers are the worse offenders.

Chevy Chase ES has a wealthy PTA and enough funds and space to create a wellness room with walking desks, string chairs, fountains and all sorts of relaxation items. This is great, and unfortunately not possible for overcrowded schools with no spare classrooms, or low-income schools. I am ALL for sharing funds across PTAs!!!

But in terms of visual clutter inside regular classrooms, it's very detrimental to students sensitive to distractions.


There is a difference between cluttered and decorated and YOUR child may do better without the stuff, but another child may do better WITH the stuff. That's awesome CCES does that. In our area, in the Buy Nothing Group, teachers are constantly asking for stuff and most of us are happy to help with toys, rugs and other things. I love decorated rooms. It is so much warmer and inviting. My child did better in decorated rooms.

Get your child outside mental health treatment.


DP, but do you even hear yourself? Wow, you sound awful. No, children don’t need heavily decorated classrooms to excel. A decorated classroom isn’t going to change a child’s behavior either way.


How is it awful to tell someone if their child is struggling over a decorated classroom that they should get their child outside help? MCPS will not care and if you know your kid needs help, don't blame the classroom, help them. My child has SN. We spent a fortune on outside services.
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2022 20:51     Subject: Some school classroom looks so pretty
If you walked through two classrooms as a parent and automatically assumed the more decorated classroom meant that teacher had better abilities, I’d worry about your judgment as a human being. Maybe focus on yourself before judging others and their teaching abilities on decorations…. And people wonder why teachers are leaving….
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2022 18:36     Subject: Some school classroom looks so pretty
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:As a family with ADHD, I cannot emphasize enough that CLUTTER is very distracting for students with attention problems. Teachers seem to think that more is better, but actually less is better. There is a subset of teachers that understand this in middle and high school, but elementary teachers are the worse offenders.

Chevy Chase ES has a wealthy PTA and enough funds and space to create a wellness room with walking desks, string chairs, fountains and all sorts of relaxation items. This is great, and unfortunately not possible for overcrowded schools with no spare classrooms, or low-income schools. I am ALL for sharing funds across PTAs!!!

But in terms of visual clutter inside regular classrooms, it's very detrimental to students sensitive to distractions.


There is a difference between cluttered and decorated and YOUR child may do better without the stuff, but another child may do better WITH the stuff. That's awesome CCES does that. In our area, in the Buy Nothing Group, teachers are constantly asking for stuff and most of us are happy to help with toys, rugs and other things. I love decorated rooms. It is so much warmer and inviting. My child did better in decorated rooms.

Get your child outside mental health treatment.


DP, but do you even hear yourself? Wow, you sound awful. No, children don’t need heavily decorated classrooms to excel. A decorated classroom isn’t going to change a child’s behavior either way.
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2022 17:45     Subject: Some school classroom looks so pretty
Anonymous wrote:As a family with ADHD, I cannot emphasize enough that CLUTTER is very distracting for students with attention problems. Teachers seem to think that more is better, but actually less is better. There is a subset of teachers that understand this in middle and high school, but elementary teachers are the worse offenders.

Chevy Chase ES has a wealthy PTA and enough funds and space to create a wellness room with walking desks, string chairs, fountains and all sorts of relaxation items. This is great, and unfortunately not possible for overcrowded schools with no spare classrooms, or low-income schools. I am ALL for sharing funds across PTAs!!!

But in terms of visual clutter inside regular classrooms, it's very detrimental to students sensitive to distractions.


I couldn’t agree more!!!
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2022 17:14     Subject: Re:Some school classroom looks so pretty
I don't think it speaks to commitment or age. My grade partner and I are in our 40's and very dedicated. Her room is bland and mine is cozy. It is more about personal style and taste. I have curtains, lamps, rugs, etc. My view is that it is my home away from home. It makes me feel better.
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2022 15:30     Subject: Some school classroom looks so pretty
Anonymous wrote:As a family with ADHD, I cannot emphasize enough that CLUTTER is very distracting for students with attention problems. Teachers seem to think that more is better, but actually less is better. There is a subset of teachers that understand this in middle and high school, but elementary teachers are the worse offenders.

Chevy Chase ES has a wealthy PTA and enough funds and space to create a wellness room with walking desks, string chairs, fountains and all sorts of relaxation items. This is great, and unfortunately not possible for overcrowded schools with no spare classrooms, or low-income schools. I am ALL for sharing funds across PTAs!!!

But in terms of visual clutter inside regular classrooms, it's very detrimental to students sensitive to distractions.


There is a difference between cluttered and decorated and YOUR child may do better without the stuff, but another child may do better WITH the stuff. That's awesome CCES does that. In our area, in the Buy Nothing Group, teachers are constantly asking for stuff and most of us are happy to help with toys, rugs and other things. I love decorated rooms. It is so much warmer and inviting. My child did better in decorated rooms.

Get your child outside mental health treatment.
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2022 15:23     Subject: Some school classroom looks so pretty
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:As a family with ADHD, I cannot emphasize enough that CLUTTER is very distracting for students with attention problems. Teachers seem to think that more is better, but actually less is better. There is a subset of teachers that understand this in middle and high school, but elementary teachers are the worse offenders.

Chevy Chase ES has a wealthy PTA and enough funds and space to create a wellness room with walking desks, string chairs, fountains and all sorts of relaxation items. This is great, and unfortunately not possible for overcrowded schools with no spare classrooms, or low-income schools. I am ALL for sharing funds across PTAs!!!

But in terms of visual clutter inside regular classrooms, it's very detrimental to students sensitive to distractions.


x10000 times this

teachers who are having a hard time getting kids to do their work need to start with themselves and evaluate why they have such a cluttered and distraction filled room and the. wonder why kids are distracted!!



And parents should realize that hours of screen time isn't helping kids to be able to focus.
Anonymous
Post 09/17/2022 15:13     Subject: Some school classroom looks so pretty
Anonymous wrote:As a family with ADHD, I cannot emphasize enough that CLUTTER is very distracting for students with attention problems. Teachers seem to think that more is better, but actually less is better. There is a subset of teachers that understand this in middle and high school, but elementary teachers are the worse offenders.

Chevy Chase ES has a wealthy PTA and enough funds and space to create a wellness room with walking desks, string chairs, fountains and all sorts of relaxation items. This is great, and unfortunately not possible for overcrowded schools with no spare classrooms, or low-income schools. I am ALL for sharing funds across PTAs!!!

But in terms of visual clutter inside regular classrooms, it's very detrimental to students sensitive to distractions.


x10000 times this

teachers who are having a hard time getting kids to do their work need to start with themselves and evaluate why they have such a cluttered and distraction filled room and the. wonder why kids are distracted!!