Middle School Classroom

I was as giddy as a kid on Christmas morning the day I was finally allowed to walk down the hall to see my classroom for the first time, but those excited feelings were fleeting. I walked into a room with no windows, mismatched desks, broken chairs, and literal holes in the walls. Oh, and I only had one week until school began to prep my room for students. I remember thinking to myself, “Where on earth do I begin?” Somehow, within a week (and with the generous help of my friend Brooke and my mom who flew in to assist) my 8th grade classroom was completely transformed. I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out – it feels so cozy and welcoming. It’s incredibly validating when I hear my students bragging to others about my room, receiving notes from parents complimenting my decor, or when I’m still getting stopped 6 months into the school year by students who don’t even have me to praise me on having such a cute room. Take a look at some of my favorite areas and before-and-afters below!

*Something absolutely shocking I discovered this summer was that teachers aren’t given a stipend to help set up their classroom. Budgets don’t come in until 1-2 months after school begins, so any paper, pencils, books, bins, etc. you need will be purchased out of your own pocket (or borrowed from a friendly coworker). Things I thrifted for my classroom: books purchased for $10/bag at a local library sale, old shoe racks turned into bookshelves, a couch borrowed from my neighbor teacher, bulletins found at Salvation Army, and a pegboard turned functional wall space made by my husband. The basic things I had to purchase like pencils and such were bought at the Dollar Tree.

Before

After

Reading Nook
As I mentioned, my coworker gave me this couch because it wouldn’t fit in her room. I covered it with affordable navy blue sheets since I didn’t have time to order a couch cover in time for the school year (note: I still haven’t – woops!) I ordered pillow covers on Amazon to fit the aesthetic I was going for. I can’t believe the price on these throw pillow covers! They give me major Anthropologie or Magnolia Home vibes, but didn’t cost an arm and a leg. I scored this faux fig leaf tree from Target while it was on sale, but only because I didn’t have time to order a duplicate of the one I already have (also linked below), which is so affordable compared to other faux plants. The tapestry on the wall was an Amazon find, which is a nod to the two weeks I spent in Bali.

It was very important to me to have lots of faux plants and greenery in the classroom since I don’t have windows. I can honestly say that it has made a huge difference and I don’t find myself yearning for the outdoors every second of the day. I love that the natural look of the plants ties in so well with the raw wood on this nightstand, which I use for extra storage.  If you like the look of this one, I’ve linked a few similar ones, but you can also check Facebook marketplace for handmade/redone furniture at affordable prices!

Inspiration Board
I’ve always been a sucker for quotes that move you. I took some of my favorites and designed them on Canva.com to create custom posters for my room! I am thrilled with how these turned out. I had a small space between these and the bookshelves, so I utilized light and airy decor + greenery to liven up the space. I think these little globe succulent wall vases are so dang cute!

Walls and Borders
I previously mentioned that there were holes in my walls, and that’s not an exaggeration. There was no way I could patch and paint them in time for the new year, and schools don’t do anything about it (le sigh). All I could think to do was cover them up. I ordered faux shiplap contact paper on Amazon for the back “accent” wall (re: the ugliest, most destroyed wall). Instead of sticking it directly to the wall, I stapled it. I wasn’t sure if I’d be moving rooms at the end of the year and I wanted to make sure I could transfer it if needed. In keeping with the theme of bringing the outdoors in, I opted for green vines as my borders instead of the typical paper borders teachers use. They were difficult to put up, but SO worth it! I think this makes the biggest statement in the entire room.

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Desk Area
I wasn’t able to change or rearrange any of the cabinets or table locations, so I had to work with the layout I was given. Stacking the crates behind me offered up a very cute (and very affordable) decor shelf area to feature fun photos, mementos, etc. But, of course, the main thing to note here is my custom peg board! Kevin made it for me by using leftover wood from some other project as a frame. The peg holes make it so easy to hang things without causing more wall damage. This area is covered in sticky command strips that have yellowed due to old age – GROSS! This has proven to be the easiest and best solution to cover up that mess.

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Things I’ve added since these photos were taken are twinkle lights around the ceiling borders, more inspirational posters above the white boards, and student work on the “wonderful wall”. I’d love to know what you think of my 8th grade classroom decor, or if you use any of these ideas for your own classroom!

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All is fair in love, war, and scrambling to get your classroom set up in time,