An inner city school teacher magically transformed his school hallway to welcome his fourth graders back from summer break, which was an addition to the wizarding decorating that he already had in his classroom. The result is nothing short of wonderful!
Michael C. had a feeling that he could help students who had proved difficult to reach by using the magic of Harry Potter so he added aspects of series into his classroom. He included Hogwarts House banners for Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw, golden snitches hanging from the ceiling, inspirational and motivational papers to inspire his kids, and more. The result was so good that he was granted permission to paint the hallway leading to his classroom, which he did during the summer of 2019.
He did all the work himself, which took weeks (you’ll learn more about this below). One very humid day kept him there till 3am because the painter’s tape kept peeling off from the brick work and he knew that it wouldn’t stay on unless he was there to keep it up.
Michael was kind enough to answer questions for me, which I will share below, mingled amongst the pictures.
Details in the mural above the classroom entrance include the Hogwarts Express train with a student looking out the window, the Hogwarts Castle in the background, two dementors flying in the sky, part of the Quidditch pitch, a hippogriff (possibly Buckbeak).
Closeup of the mural over the entrance to Michael’s 4th grade classroom.
The rest of the hallway leading to Michael’s classroom. It is lined with bricks to represent King’s Cross Station and Platform 9 3/4. Marauder’s Map footprints can be seen above the bricks.
Question: What inspired you to paint your hallway?
Answer: Prior to this, the hallway for the 3rd and 4th grade classrooms were a dull grey and off-white color. When the principal talked about making some changes to brighten up the school such as two new murals in the lobby area, I asked permission to put something outside my classroom. I was inspired by the “We solemnly swear…” quote from Potter and merged it with a comment by the new district leader about leading our students towards educational success. The red brick idea came from wanting the doorway to be like any entry to Platform 9 ¾.
Footprints with inspirational words such as, “Respectful,” “Responsible,” and “Ready”.
Mural that says, “We solemnly swear that we are on the path to educational success!”
Footprints with “Science,” “Reading,” and “Math”.
Question: How long did it take to paint?
Answer: This was a labor of love and relaxation. I am in the middle of graduate school and was going through my second practicum that required me to be at the school for several hours each day. This project was a way to work off the stress of the practicum and the class I was taking. Overall it took me from start to finish abut three weeks to do, working about three to four hours at a stretch. One day, where the painter’s tape was coming off due to humidity, turned into a sixteen-hour painting session.
The exit from Michal’s part of the school has a banner over it that says, “Mischief Managed”.
Details about all four school houses, which will be used to keep track of points earned by students in each respective house on a weekly basis, as well as the total of all points the kids have earned.
Question: Why did you choose Harry Potter as the theme?
Answer: Our first trip to Universal Studios Orlando was a reward to our family after having gone through several very difficult years. While there, walking into Hogsmeade and Hogwarts was like stepping into the movies and the books. It became a place that I equated happiness with. When I moved schools to my current school district, I wanted to use the Potter to bring some of that happiness to the students as well as provide myself with constant ties to a happy place when I was going through tough times in the school.
Dobby‘s wall of magical learning, which is above the tracking system for house points earned. Dobby took more than three hours to paint.
White board with Harry Potter character stickers on it. Above the board are motivational quotes from the series, such as, “It is our CHOICES that show what we truly are, far more than our ABILITES,” which is an appropriate quote for students.
Question: How do you incorporate Harry Potter into your class?
Answer: I incorporate Potter in the classroom in multiple ways. I separate the class into the four houses, the table leaders are the prefects, and the students can earn points for their houses. Additionally, I utilize the illustrated copies for read aloud time. I was also able to get each of the students a copy of the first book, which we used to work on literary elements, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. The studying of the spells was used to teach the students about Latin and Greek root words and suffixes. A new item that I incorporated last year was a Harry Potter based growth mindset that I used to help the students to look at their own progress as students. We also discussed the different types of conflicts that occur in the story and how some people are portrayed and interact.
Just like Dobby, Hedwig took more than three hours to paint. Here she is, perched on top of the board, holding a letter to Hogwarts in her beak.
Hogwarts crest surrounded by Hogwarts House banners: Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Slytherin.
Part of the reason that I was allowed to go as far with this Potter classroom transformation was the fact that the principal noticed the buy-in that I had gotten from a group of students who the previous year were extremely difficult. The vast majority of the students were engaged in the incorporation of the story in the classroom and there were several students that at the beginning of the year had no idea who Harry Potter was, walking around using the spells in the appropriate setting and explaining which character they identified with and why. Seeing this transformation in the students was amazing.
Hogwarts House banners for Gryffindor and Slytherin.
Hogwarts House banners for Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.
The classroom’s reading corner with the Whomping Willow painted on the walls.
School has not yet started as of this writing but I have no doubt whatsoever that Michael’s students are going to LOVE the hallway additions he has made to his magical classroom, all inspired by the world created by author J.K. Rowling.
I think my favorite aspect of all of that Michael did is the hallway. It sets you up for what you are about to see when you go through the doors into the room. What did you love most? Please share in the comments below.
