By Isabella Rojas
Teachers usually have the generic classroom with the dull, brown metal door, and the blank gray walls that are so bland they reflect the lifelessness of the room. Classrooms filled with nothing but bookshelves that seem to stretch to the ceiling, but never inspire people to learn.
The collective boredom of the room starts to become suffocating.
But the classrooms that create the loving memories that people carry around for their entire lives, are the classrooms that teachers have decorated with love and inspiration. These are the places where students can express themselves through their work and discover what they love. Where they can see inspiration bouncing off of the walls and use that inspiration to push them.
For some teachers a classroom is simply a place to teach, but for Chemistry teacher Mrs. Bettencourt, it is so much more.
Mrs. Bettencourt has been a proud Redwood teacher for years and was even a Redwood Ranger herself. She expresses her love for her students and the Redwood campus through her classroom decor.
Mrs. Bettencourt’s walls are covered in college banners from a variety of colleges. These are set to inspire her students for greatness and show all that can be accomplished.
Bettencourt says, “Not only do they look good, but [they] also encourages students to see all the options available to them.”
These banners were initially gifted to her from former students. She says that “all of the banners represent a student to me.”
Jennifer Gagnon, ‘25, is one of Bettencourt’s AP Chemistry students. She says that to her the banners, “inspire us to reach for high goals, and it’s a really fun environment to be in, she makes it a really nice place.”
Gagnon also says that Bettencourt putting up the banners is, “a reminder of all she has accomplished, and she wants her students to do that as well.”
Also found on Mrs. Bettencourt’s walls, is a space dedicated to pictures of her graduated students.
Photo Isabella Rojas/Gigantea
She says that she keeps these because, “When you form relationships with your kids you get to be close to them. I like pictures too and it reminds me of them.” All of these photos were gifted to her from students. She says she also receives grad party invitations and announcements and likes to put them up as a reminder.
One of Bettencourt’s Chemistry students, Ethan Backlund, ‘27, says that the photos of past students on her wall show him that “she has a connection to students and she follows them throughout their life and sees how they do.”
Backlund adds that Bettencourt’s classroom environment is very impactful for him. He says, “ It feels like she’s qualified to be there and she knows what she’s doing.”
Isabella Rojas
Isabella is very social and likes to talk to people. She is very funny and makes people laugh. Isabella loves to talk about her interests and listen to music. She likes to listen to Tyler the Creator, Lana Del Rey, Taylor Swift, Deftones, & Brent Faiyaz.
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