Hallways

I detest school hallways. From elementary school to university ... the state of educational hallways in the United States stands at like a 1.4 out of 10. Abysmal. The hallways are shouting at the kids that they are just a number in a mindless institution. I scream inside  (and sometimes externally) to school leaders I am with that have hallways that look like this. If it looks and feels like a prison ... then the kids will internalize the cultural message that it is a prison. 

It does not need to be this way. It should not be this way. Every space sends cultural messages to the people within them. The absence of art is just as powerful a cultural message as an excess of art. Just because something is "neat and tidy" or "easy to clean" or "keeps the custodian happy" does not mean it is right for kids and learning. We should be better than that. 

What message is your hallways sending to kids? A classroom is a cultural message from a teacher ... but a hallway is a cultural message from the school itself. The school's message sometimes can override the messages teachers are trying to send. So, if you are a teacher, it is just as important to send messages in the hallway as it is to send a message in the classroom. 

So, how to fix this ... well, I love this video to help you start thinking about how to bring curated art into your spaces (inside and outside of classrooms). Don't be afraid of trial and error also. A willingness to try and fail is just as powerful a cultural message to kids as museum quality art.