Doorway Appeal and Stopability—Making Classrooms Stand Apart From the Ordinary

Marshall. M. Stewart, Ed.S.

         What is it about a distinguished teacher that makes both students and passers-by want to walk through the door and into a safe and comfortable learning environment? You know. It’s the classroom that just feels right—the classroom that challenges you to dig deeper, to take chances, yet one that you are comfortable enough in to risk being wrong. While there may be several pedagogical and practical variables that make a classroom and its teacher such, I have narrowed the effective classroom and its instructor down to two simple concepts: doorway appeal and stopability.

         Buying a house can be a daunting task; however, despite the many steps, one step can kill a deal right away—lack of curb appeal. If the house doesn’t pass the initial eyes test from the car window, then there is no reason to get out and view the inside. The same can be said for a classroom, and that is where doorway appeal comes in to play. Doorway appeal is what a visitor hears, smells, sees, or otherwise experiences at the door to the classroom, before entering. For instance, is there evidence of student work posted outside the classroom along the hallway walls or bulletin boards? Can you hear the sounds of oral discussions, questioning, small or large group work, or see students spread out in the classroom and maybe the hallway, working together? All of these examples occur before ever entering a classroom, yet each serves as evidence of student engagement on tasks that direct them towards teacher objectives. Simply looking into the classroom and seeing student work/projects posted on the walls, smiles on faces, pens and pencils writing away, or fingers moving across keyboards further support the fact that engagement is taking place. Hearing the teacher question or lecture, or watching him/her move around the room to interact with students adds to the door appeal that matters so much. In short, this door appeal is critical for establishing the next criteria: stopability.

         Stopability is a term I coined for something having the qualities and abilities to keep you interested, keep you curious, and keep you there. If curb appeal makes the house inviting enough to get out of the car and go inside, then stopability consists of the elements inside of the house that keep you there. The same is true for the classroom of a distinguished teacher. The teacher’s classroom’s door appeal got me inside the room, so what are the factors that keep me there? The first would be engagement: students working diligently to address objectives. With daily, weekly, or unit objectives clearly posted in the classroom, a connection can be made quickly in how the engagement ties in with the objectives. The teacher may be moving around asking higher order questions that prompt individual and group responses, or he/she may be moving around the classroom to observe how students are working individually, in small groups, or in large groups; nevertheless, students and teacher are engaged, both working to accomplish the objectives. Engagement can be oral, written, through artistic expression, silent thinking, loud, or completely quiet, but all are engaged to a point that the visitor’s curiosity drives his/her desire to engage with the class. Next is atmosphere. Atmosphere is how students look, feel, or express themselves when interacting with one another during engagement or while working independently. Are there smiles on faces, laughter in the air? Do quizzical looks appear when the teacher or fellow student make in interesting comment or challenge a belief? What are the hand gestures as students attempt to express themselves and their ideas? What mannerisms does the teacher demonstrate as she/he oversees the discussions and/or activities? Does the environment feel relaxed, or is it tense with expectation? Do students look worried or bored? Do you notice that gleam in the eye when the student received teacher praise for an insightful comment? Each of these are examples of what creates, adds to, or demonstrates the atmosphere of a classroom. We all want to be in a classroom that is safe, engaging, and fast-paced, and positive atmosphere contributes to stopability. Lastly, safety is paramount to establishing stopability. When students feel safe, they tend to take chances, and they tend to speak up. When students take chances, they learn. Safety in a class does not solely mean being protected from physical harm; here, it means being—and feeling—safe enough to take risks in the learning process. 

         Inviting classrooms are doorways to endless learning and opportunities to grow mentally and socially. Teachers who can establish and maintain safe, orderly, and challenging learning environments are distinguished professionals whose best work is witnessed by the quality of students who exit their doors. Creating classrooms with door appeal and a strong quality of stopability are hallmarks of these teachers, and are two objectives for which every educator should aim.    Marshall M. Stewart, 2023