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I taught hs for 30 years. I try to focus on the purpose of each decor choice rather that trying to create a picture perfect scene. I look for posters that show representation of diverse types of people to signal to the kids that everyone is part of the story - I try to make sure that kids can see themselves on my walls and in the books in my shelves. Ideally half my posters/quotes/images feature women, include people of color, variety of time periods, ethnicities, LGBT representation, etc. I like to think of my classroom decor is an opportunity to send signals about what is valued/expected in my classroom, not just an aesthetic color scheme. One thing I invested in is a kinda fancy large picture frame - I print out a quote of the week and insert it into the frame, and each quote is very much a signal of what I value in students/learning environment/philosophy of education - mistakes are a part of risk, being curious, kindness, striving for excellence, speak truth to power, etc. In some years, I've done a second frame for greek/latin roots or key vocab. I bought the frames back in the nineties when I was a young teacher and I've had them for decades - highly recommend, and you can probably find some really classy/cool frames at a thrift store or similar and have them forever. Just make sure they are easy to pop open the back and change the paper, so ideally 8x11 printer paper size. Make a file of all the quotes you want to use for the year (print on thicker paper, front and back) and keep the file near (or behind) the frame for easy swap out. You can even make this a classroom task you ask kids to do, or let kids submit nominations for quotes they'd like to see and give bonus if you select their quote. Another investment piece I love is that I bought myself a great chair for the front of my room - I have a wooden rocking chair and kids love to sit in it when they are waiting for class to begin, I use it when I read aloud to them or we have discussion that is more student-lead. I like being seated at their eye level as a way to non-verbally signal that we are doing an activity where they will speak more and I will be on their level as a listener/observer. I sometimes move it to the back of the room during student presentations so I can sit comfortably through several days of speeches/projects etc. I also invest in a piece of carpet and some cheap floor pillows to create some floor seating near a classroom bookshelf so kids who finish early or who need a different sensory option to settle are drawn to a bookshelf reading area that will hopefully engage them instead of being annoying to others. Facebook marketplace has some great carpets that fit this purpose well. I also have a lava lamp there that I sometimes make the wiggly kids stare at to calm the heck down (I'm joking, but also yes. lol) I've also tried to keep what I think of as a "no excuses" supply shelf. This has buckets of everything kids need to get the work done - I usually keep it near my desk so I can kinda keep an eye on its use and prevent messes there, but it is buckets where I keep all the pens that are dropped on my floor, a roll of TP for cold season (tissue will make you go broke), stapler, map colors, bucket of markers, a jumbo hand sanitizer and various donated supplies. For this area I buy a bunch of bucket/containers that are all black and then they match any decor and each other and manage to have a cohesive look. i also buy a bulk batch of "misprinted pens" to give as prizes and stock this area so everyone has no excuse to have what they need. I also have a bucket of "need one/take one" supplies that I sometimes have donated from parents/PTA/junk from my own home. Honestly, it is so helpful in high school to have this area because when kids are not getting the work done, you can tell them honestly that you genuinely want them to have everything they need to learn and they can see the evidence that this is true - it is hard for them to maintain any kind of too tough and angry to participate mood, when you are literally putting out a little buffet of supplies for them. I have a lot of kids who kinda melt and soften and will genuinely participate because you brought them a little rainbow collection of map colors or a fun pen to do their assignment. I do send out emails to parents, and ask kids to make donations to this area throughout the year, so I'm not buying it all, and most years they genuinely step up and keep it well stocked. Here's a link to the pens: https://www.amazon.com/Wholesale-Retractable-Ballpoint-Writing-addition/dp/B07JZHSCJW/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?crid=TLHQ9BJTVQ0V&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.V_gE7zjfQupPc4tXg1MqVu-EK0iJap6YS0-QwBmD09SUviwiWRpgn0NUPOLzknOeYc5vUGBX7B0LazF_ym_Gvmw3z6P069GPU1ayVSBHwihOpJ1v9n-FX_jcq9vhgkmGTqt2pGaPJNM5A7zl3ZiUlaDd5Q-mxcjkEnl8fmdIgWXsJv5gr3d4UMj-ijvoZgMgmubj5f8MQn3cmSHGAifZhuw_IDZRXk3W-41x-u_EOxwrz-l7OIaVXSFU9d1w3nzDIB6osr6TNSQUWOPKq7LzgmavV0drAkqnBsA-sRGEthk.0IvXMk31MkVKCBYMgPLIIOcEguaGBf2WaA6jglaPVHM&dib_tag=se&keywords=misprinted+pens+bulk+cheap&qid=1781546013&sprefix=misprinted+pens%2Caps%2C191&sr=8-4-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1 I have had a lot of kids even turn on a recalcitrant peer who didn't wanna get the work done and say things like, "Damn dude, she gave you all the stuff, what more you want?" But the message I'm sending is one of high expectations that the work we do is so important that I've supported you fully. Also in schools with high poverty, this breaks down the stigma of not having supplies because everyone has days when they forget a pen or marker. This is also an excellent opportunity to teach about the tragedy of the commons when you ask everyone to donate what they can. Other helpful items include a couple of floor lamps with incandescent bulbs so that if you want to have a mellow day or mood lighting for an activity without the florescent glare, you can turn on one of these lamps. Also useful if you are showing a film so kids can still see and not trip over each other. I also suggest a lamp for your desk so you can turn off main lights for a film and see to get grading done at your teacher desk. I find my kids almost find this as a reward and genuinely stay on task better just due to the novelty of having lighting with a homey vibe. I'd also add a string of white holiday lights by the book shelf to make it feel fun. A lot of kids with trauma and anxiety really respond to a room with a patch of carpet and some mellow lighting and will genuinely engage more comfortably in that environment. Another cheap decor item that I find adds value is some greenery. I don't mean actual plants because I have a black thumb. I just bought a pack of cheap ivy curtains and used it as a bulletin board border and draped it over my classroom window. The green really helped the room feel less stressful and i had a lot of kids who mentioned it "put them in the mood" to read/write because it felt like nature. It was a lot of impact for my $8 investment: https://www.amazon.com/CQURE-Artificial-Resistant-Greenery-Aesthetic/dp/B0C2BVGVKF/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.FXGC93rTvu3YjG3CaaPO-jew2coF_foWagfBuTK8zxnPtia29jBeC3C5UnA_0IZv819ck6I9ad-0npMJAVIWhZFn-1rnZE2P-aeI9mscQemYY-QPSTyGqzozLBlVXSXX86YcReZ-0Qw5nNFCHkkStyP6fQdMrTpRhUGcU-oMFJntXqA4jBl2n5bby9A1L8Tnuw-IAuO8q8VcSuRDBeDTFPWlKua7Q9XBJI6KDWIdtmNlgt6n5wMKgpBppAaMboXB1fxSFWbLl_dUJfTplFmqZgq01UMlF9E3AbdDJ9Sid3I.48elDLA5ra3-PPhkVLQLkmYZ2SYZCayrpDGsX3KjjtU&dib_tag=se&keywords=ivy%2Bcurtain&qid=1781547095&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1 Another item that was strangely effective was placing a full-length mirror in the back of the room. This solved a lot of problems - I taught public speaking so I originally intended it as a way to hone practice speeches, which we did, but oddly, it also cut down on a lot of bathroom visits because kids would go to it during passing period to check their hair instead of leaving class to go to the restroom. It also kinda helped me have eyeballs on all the room to cultivate the illusion that I knew everything. lol Ultimately, remember that YOU will spend 10x more hours in your room than any kid you teach, so create a situation that makes you happy there. Take care of yourself with whatever you need for comfort - a little mini-fridge under your desk, a keurig in your closet, a little foot warmer if you are in a chilly room, a pillow for your chair, cute organizers for your desk, plenty of extension cords so you have flexibility in placing items. Best of luck as you create your environment.