From random paintings, drawings, or even Labubus, teachers from all over the globe decorate and personalize their classrooms, giving life and personality to their space. The Morgan Pawprint sat down with Amanda Auger, Christopher Zawadski and Connor Moran to learn why.
Amanda Auger, an English teacher at Morgan, has added an exciting touch to her room this year, filling it with Labubus. “I love Labubus; they actually came from my son, he’s four years old, and he saw a friend of his have one on their backpack at preschool, and he asked for one,” Auger said. “I got him some, and I started to collect them because they brought both of us joy.”
Labubu’s are little stuffed monsters created by a brand called Pop Mart. These little monsters became a viral sensation in April 2024. This viral mini-stuffed monster originated from a K-pop star, Lisa from Blackpink, who was seen with a Labubu bag charm, and since then, it’s become a sensation across America.
Auger isn’t the only one who fills their room with sentimental or random things. Social studies teacher Christopher Zawadski fills his wall with posters gifted to him from current and past students.
“I have a couple of posters that I’ve gotten over the years that kids have given me in the back of the room. I have a couple of pictures from prom that students turned into big posters and are very near and dear to my heart,” Zawadski said.
Zawadski got his first ever poster from a student that he had “a couple of years ago” and he keeps it on the back wall. “They remind me of students in the past who I had good connections with,” Zawadski said. These posters keep him reminded of all of these past students.”My favorite piece is the one to the right from junior prom from those kids now who are off and college.”
The posters have become a tradition for Zawadski. “A kid turned a picture into a poster for me, and I hung it up, and that became kind of a tradition after that,” said Zawadski. “For kids to follow through and do the same thing is something that will live forever on the backboard in my room.”
Math teacher Connor Moran has a very similar tradition, with an entire section of his wall filled with art given to him from students. “I actually have a lot of student work,” Moran said. “I have a little collection of little clay sculptures in the back.”
On behalf of teachers everywhere, Moran speaks about why some might fill their room. “I think other teachers enjoy decorating the rooms just because, imagine if we were in a room and the walls were just white walls, and it would be like a jail,” Moran said.
A colorful lizard painting was given to Moran by one of his students, and it adds a pop of color to the wall. “A student came and was like, ‘Do you want this’? and I said, yeah,” Moran said. This student had been in Moran’s past class and made this piece of art for him. It is Moran’s favorite piece.
All the items, specifically clay sculptures, he gets from students he grew close to during his time teaching them. They represent the memory of the student. “I always get stuff from students. so it’s not like people I don’t know,” Moran said. “I see them, and I think, ‘oh yeah, that was a fun student to have.’”
If you ever have any free time on your hands, stop by some of these teachers and take a look at their classrooms, maybe you will find a little trinket you may not have noticed until now.
