Deborah Baldwin

Seven Reasons You Need to Stop Stressing About How To Decorate Your Classroom

You’ve arrived at this blog post because you want an answer to the “Seven reasons you need to stop stressing about how to decorate your classroom.” I think I can help.

In my opinion, there is one thing about this pandemic which is/was good. Celebrities have been de-mystified. Since everyone is quarantined at home, suddenly we are all alike.

We see people we admire on television or movies or the stage in a whole different light. Gone is the lighting, makeup and hair stylist. When you’ve watched these folks day in and day out for years, you begin to think they are super humans with flawless skin, perfect hair and toned bodies. You expect their homes to be decorated with the latest style and elegantly.

That hasn’t always been the case now that the pandemic has kept most of us at home. I watch Good Morning America every day and I love seeing the newscasters who are televising from home. In particular, Ginger Zee and Robin Roberts appear to have rather normal homes. Ginger usually televises outside or near a window. Robin televises from her basement. The first week, the wall behind her was plain white. I think it’s painted blue now.

Seven Reasons You Need to Stop Stressing About How To Decorate Your Classroom

Robin trades out photos people have sent her after they appeared on GMA with her. Lara Spencer televises from home with her darling dog, Reba who has calmed down considerably since the pandemic began. Lara’s house is beautiful, but I think that’s to be expected since she has an interest in interior design It’s stylish, colorful and but not over the top. I appreciate that.

This is leading me somewhere, honest.

I appreciate finding famous people quotes. Just like watching all these celebrities in their homes as they televise, the quotes give me some insight into the real person, not their public image. Many times you can gather some insight into their growth mindset.

I have a blog post about growth mindset here: Growth Mindset in the Study of Famous Theater Artists

Seven Reasons You Need to Stop Stressing About How To Decorate Your Classroom

Te easiest way to decorate your classroom is with posters. Here are seven reasons which you could use from famous stage actors.

These artists are in the spot light all the time, so it’s easy to find something new they can be quoted for saying.
Use their quotes in a class discussion.
Many are fabulous role models for our students (see Viola Davis and Lin Manuel MIranda, for example.)
They are timely–You can use them all year and they never have to be switched out for others.
If you find the quotes yourself, they are free to use. Check brainyquote.com for ideas.
This is a unique idea. No one else in your school will have them so students won’t see them repeated in anyone else’s room.
They can be used a variety of theater exercises or projects–Use a quote to devise a theater piece or in an improvisation. Wouldn’t that be neat?

Viola Davis

“Your ability to adapt to failure, and navigate your way out of it, absolutely 100 percent makes you who you are.”

Lin Manuel Miranda

“The fun for me in collaboration is, one, working with other people just makes you smarter; that’s proven.”

By the way, here’s a free poster for your use: Lin-Manuel Miranda Poster

Daveed Diggs

The act of being nice to somebody at Starbucks is actually a huge thing. It’s a real change you can effect in somebody’s life every day.”

Seven Reasons You Need to Stop Stressing About How To Decorate Your Classroom

Meryl Streep

“The gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.”

Benedict Cumberbatch

“If you have an over-preoccupation with perception and trying to please people’s expectations, then you can go mad.”

If you are looking for posters for your classroom, I’ve got several. (I could never find what I wanted for my classroom, so I made them myself.) Click HERE.

Idina Menzel

“I wish I had read more and majored in literature rather than theatre. I think I would have been a better artist for it. I am trying to play catch-up now.”

Denzel Washington

“I’d be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I’d been given. I’d be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.”

I think it’s a great hobby collecting quotes of all kinds from famous people or books. They lift your mood, help you to express your thoughts, inspire you, give you a different perspective, costs nothing and are tremendously interesting because you select the ones which speak to you. You should try collecting quotes. I have one friend who collects book passages that she loves and notates them in a journal. She’s done this for many years. I wonder how many journals she has filled?

A Biography Integrates Curriculum and Technology

I ran on to the website: technokids.com with an excellent reason to study people and use quotes as a stepping off point.

An indepth investigation into a remarkable person can fit into almost all curriculum areas: language arts, history, social studies, science, art, or computer studies. Here are some ideas:

Write a Life Story: Practice expository writing. Write an engaging life story that offers insight into a person. Captivate reader’s attention.
Celebrate a Historical Figure: Develop a deeper understanding of a historical period. Research the contributions of a historical figure. Explain their importance to the past and influence on future events.
Acknowledge a Hero: Inspire others with the accomplishments of personal hero, role model, mentor, or newsmaker. Detail their successes and challenges. Outline reasons their efforts are admirable.
Investigate Scientific Contributions: Appreciate amazing research findings and inventions. Outline the path to discovery of a scientist. Explain how their work has improved the lives of others.
Appreciate the Arts: Learn about an art period or artistic style by studying a famous artist. Examine their artwork. Describe its meaning and how it influenced other artists.
Develop Word Processing Skills: Introduce advanced word processing skills in a computer studies course. Learn to customize styles, insert a table of contents, draw a graphic organizer, organize data using tables, adjust page layout, and add bookmarks.

If you are looking for more theater artist quotes, I have two products Growth Mindset Posters for this express purpose.

Seven Reasons You Need to Stop Stressing About How To Decorate Your Classroom

Here is a new set! Drama Class Posters

Each product includes:

This is a set of 24 growth mindset, the arts and character education posters which highlights the subject by quoting famous theater artists. In addition, the set includes suggested uses such as class discussion, improvisation or for an essay. These posters can be displayed all year long or along with a particular theme.

These quotes talk about being your authentic self, how to handle failure, what makes the arts and theater special, being versatile, loving yourself and resiliency.

Although these were created for secondary classes, an elementary class could use these as well. The teacher is the expert as to which posters their students should study. Check out: Growth Mindset Posters

I heartily suggest you or your students collect quotes which speak to them. One of my favorites by Ann Landers is, ” People of integrity expect to be believed. They also know time will prove them right and are willing to wait.” Boy, that’s me all over although I don’t like the waiting part….

I’ve just created pendants for the theater classroom! You can find them here: Posters and Pendants Theater Artists Quotes

What is a favorite quote of yours? I’d love to hear it. Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net