In my classroom, students are met with a library stocked with dozens upon dozens of books with diverse genres, authors, and cultures.

 

On the walls not covered in bookshelves there are interactive bulletin boards that encourage students to acknowledge how they're feeling, engage with what they're reading, and show off their works of art. There's a world map and clocks that show the time in various capitals around the world, which serve as a backdrop to our exploration of world history and decolonization of our education. There are posters of diverse authors that highlight a quote from their body of work, and there are even a few movie posters.

 

Student progress throughout the semester can be seen all over: in the book chain with all the titles they've read, in the drafts for the final products they'll exhibit at the end of their project, even in the physical portfolios they will fill with the things they've created that they feel proud of.

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My classroom centers the students. Their personalities, their cultures, their likes and interests,  their experiences... And every year, with every new group of students, the classroom will collect their stories – every student will have a chance to leave a figurative I was here that will mark their place in my room for as long as I'm teaching.