Heavily decorated classrooms can feel overwhelming for students, bombarding them with too much visual information and interfering with their memory and ability to focus, research shows. ⁣⁠ ⁣⁠ This doesn’t mean your walls need to be entirely empty—there are still plenty of opportunities to create a warm, welcoming classroom. A good rule of thumb, say a team of U.K. researchers who analyzed 153 classrooms, is to keep 20 to 50% of available wall space clear, and decorate the rest with an uncluttered assortment of meaningful items. ⁣⁠ ⁣⁠ Here are a few guiding principles we gathered from the research:⁣⁠ ⁣⁠ 🎨 Display student work: This will help kids feel a greater sense of responsibility for their learning—and prompt them to remember the material. ⁣⁠ ⁣⁠ ⭐ Feature inspiring role models: Putting up images, stories, or quotes that feature heroes and leaders can help students feel a greater sense of belonging and aspiration, especially when their own backgrounds and interests are represented....