Classroom Aesthetics vs Effective Learning

I couldn't agree more that a beutiful classroom definitly creates a pleasing ambience for learning and most definitly will attract students. However I take exception to the indulgence of many teachers in decorating their classrooms without due consideration for its implecations on some groups of learners and the actual classroom learning. since the advernt of this beutiful craft of "Classroom Decoration" many over zealous teachers who have learned this craft are falling over their heads in the attempt to make their classrooms beautiful. In the process many have missed a vital point - Aesthetics can easilly be destrative to learning if not systematically implemented. infact a classroom that displays a variety of colours, forms and images witout regard for how they support learning content may not only distract actual learning but might also have aadverse psychological consiquencies on some categories of learners.

Research has shown that there are colours forms and shapes that promot cognitive activities and ones that are detrimental to it, colours that affect the emotions positively and coloures that affect it negetively. As teachers, we need to be mindful of this fact in our atempt to make our classroom beautiful, otherwise we may just unknowingly be deafeating our teaching efforts. When we understand this much, then we will seek to balance and reconcile our efforts to decorate our classrooms with our teaching content as well as our understanding of the different ways in which visual images and forms affect cognitive and emotional behaviour of learners.Only then will begin to understand that there is a big difference between the limited and often misleading concept of "Classroom Decoration" and "Classroom Learning Enhancement"

I have had to point out this difference many times at workshops and seminars. While decoration can make your class beautiful, it may not necessarilly, promot learning, infact it can be a distraction. Classroom Learning Enhancement on the other hand will not only be decorative, it will incoporate learning content, the students cognitive and emotional behaviour in one dynamic learning situation. So lets give some thaught to the way and manner we shred, squeez and fold coloured suger papers in the name of classroom decoration. Infact let us substitute the term "Classroom Decoration" with Classroom Learning Enhancement" for we are not decorators, we are teachers.

#Vacation