Congratulations and welcome to TinglyPig's 5th Grade Classroom of Witchcraft and Wizardry! The 2019-2020 school year has officially begun and my new batch of fifth graders have just entered the world of Harry Potter. As promised in one of my previous streams on Twitch, I am writing to showoff my classroom that I have designed to show muggles the magical world of Harry Potter.
At my school's open house night, the night before the first day of school where parents and students can meet their teachers, I put on a very theatrical performance welcoming my group of students to the fifth grade. Upon entering my room, it is very easy to tell what the theme is. Posters hang all over the wall showing the members of Dumbledore's Army, the misunderstood thestrals, and the four Hogwarts houses. Covering the ugly white brick of the school's walls, is a long stretch of red brick wallpaper that adds to the mood and gives the appearance of walking into an ancient castle. Posters made by me remind students to keep the room clean because house elves are busy doing other jobs, an area in the back reminds students that they can grab "flying carpets" for read alouds, and a hand drawn wardrobe (100% of the credit goes to my wife for this) houses the classes "boggart" and reminds us to conquer our fears.
A lot of time has gone into developing this classroom theme and it is all thanks to the magical world author J.K. Rowling created for us. When I was in the fifth grade, my teacher introduced me to the world of Harry Potter through a similar classroom theme and simulation. With some help from my family, friends, and the many other artistic people in this world, I have been able to take my classroom to the next level and create a fully submersible Hogwarts experience. Through the visual aesthetics of my classroom and the read aloud of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, my students enter my room seeing an environment that promotes teamwork, imagination, and fun.
Recently there have been stories in the news about schools banning the Harry Potter series because of various things. I am not going to touch upon those issues, but I will let readers know that the theme in my room is purely that. It is a theme and the theme is Harry Potter. My theme is not witchcraft, nor am I teaching witchcraft to my students. When the time comes, we read the book together as a class or small groups, play Quidditch (which is now a popular collegiate sport) , and are sorted into houses to work on team building activities. The reason for reading the book, aside from it being a fantastic piece of literature, is to present my students with a story, although fictional, about children their age (11 years old) who form strong friendships, work together to accomplish goals, and have fears and then face them. The teachable moments of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone are the ones I present to my students.
I love what I do and because of J.K. Rowling's magical world and the character Harry Potter, I am better able to connect with my students and can create an engaging, inviting, and memorable educational experience.
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