Baruch High School students wake up at various times in the morning, throw on their increasingly heavy backpacks and go to school. High schoolers spend a large amount of teenage life at school, specifically, in classrooms. Scribbled-on desks, bookshelves, posters with inspirational quotes, whiteboards and trinkets – each classroom at Baruch has its own signature style and atmosphere.
Blue Devils across grades have differing opinions on what physical attributes of a space constitute a good classroom. Sophomore Julien Avellaneda and senior Lauren Caraballo, for instance, feel most at home in classrooms that have comfortable seats.
Avellaneda said he liked English teacher Rita Ross’s space the most because she has beanbags. Seating is also important for freshman Marcel Socha.
“I like when the tables are like, together. Not like in rows, separately,” he said.
Socha and Avellaneda also said the best classrooms have plenty of light. Socha added he thinks warm temperature is a good trait to have.
Junior Solomon Sterling disagrees.“I like it when it’s not too hot all the time,” he said. His favorite classroom is Ross’ because it is cold and spacious.
Sophomore Jane Ikekwem’s favorite thing to find in classrooms is charging cords for phones.
Other Baruch students put emphasis on different aspects of a classroom. For a lot of Baruchians, a favorite space depends on how comfortable they feel in it. Juniors Catherine Zheng and Amanda Montalvo feel that teachers play a huge role in this aspect.
Classrooms are equal to teachers themselves. Jocelyn Forman, who teaches 11th and 12th grade math, has a colorful, spacious classroom on the third floor. Room 309 is meaningful to Forman as she has been teaching there for seven and a half years, including when she was a student teacher.
She says her classroom feels like it’s her “turf”. I think I’d feel really emotional if I had to move.”
Many teachers have made changes to their classrooms this school year. For Forman, the goal is to create a relaxing space for her students.
“I like to have like a place that just feels comfortable for people. But this year, I really embraced the idea of good vibes” she said. “That’s why I got my neon signs, which I really do think helps the whole situation.”
For Forman, the most important object in her room is a multi-colored ball in her desk drawer. It’s from her first-ever advisory and is covered with the signatures of her former students.
“It’s crazy how comfortable I feel here. I feel like this place is where I do my best work,” Forman said. She hopes her students feel this way, too.
John Jacobs, the 12th grade government and AP US History teacher, is also attached to his classroom; although this bond is not without downsides.
“I do love my classroom, but it’s definitely an abusive relationship,” he said. His list of complaints mostly center around being on the second floor as it’s often hot and has WiFi problems.
“I still love it very much because it’s my own little corner,” he said. “My own little fiefdom.” Jacobs enjoys being the only teacher with a classroom on the second floor.
When it comes to decorating, he said, “I like to keep it weird, I like to keep it fun.”
One example of this style can be seen by one of the room’s windows.
“This year, Ms. Hawrylewicz was throwing out a mannequin, because she got a new one,” Jacobs said. “So, I got the old mannequin and I finally got a full set of clothes for it. It took a couple weeks, but now we’re all set.”
The mannequin is dressed in baseball gear.
The rectangular classroom also has two smartboards, big windows–often open–at the end of the room and student-made posters on the walls.
“A classroom where people have the ability to put things up that they made is really a core part of being inclusive.”
