Growing up, I loved going to school. I enjoyed learning, socializing with friends and participating in a wide variety of extracurricular activities. But when I think back on my days as a student, I remember the people and experiences fondly. However, I do not feel the same way about the environment I was in.
My high school was constantly under construction while I attended, and it was anything but pleasant. Dust was everywhere, loud drilling occurred all day long, and bizarre routes between buildings meant that I was almost always running late for class.
But education should be enjoyable! And thankfully, there are plenty of schools and universities out there that actually prioritize creating an exciting learning environment. We has scoured the internet to find photos of the most interesting and brilliant things students have spotted in their schools, so we’ve gathered some of their best finds down below!
#1 Stairs At Balamand University, Lebanon
#2 Saw This In A Classroom After Class
#3 Say Hello To My University’s Library Cat
There are plenty of days when I’m frustrated with being an adult, often when it comes time to pay rent or buy my own groceries. But I have to admit that I’m very thankful to be done with my school days. I had a great time, and I made some amazing friends. But if I had the chance to go back in time and do it all again, you couldn’t pay me enough to trade in the freedom I have now.
According to a 2022 study from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and the Yale Child Study Center, almost three quarters of students report having negative feelings towards school. And when asked to rank the emotions that they most commonly feel, students most often reported feeling tired, stressed, bored and calm. Happiness came next.
#4 University’s Way Of Showing How To Correctly Wear Your Mask
#5 My School’s Library Has A Banned Book Section
#6 Our School’s Service Dog, Lucy, Made It Into The Staff Page Of The Yearbook
It makes sense that so many students don’t have glowing reviews about their time in school. Despite how many adults tell kids and teens that they’re in the best years of their lives, it often doesn’t feel like that. One fifth of students experience bullying, and only 50% of girls in 9th grade would describe themselves as confident. Being a kid should be carefree and easy, but the reality is that it’s not all sunshine and roses for everyone.
And being a teen is almost always worse. KFF reports that one fifth of teens report having symptoms of anxiety or depression, and 20% admit that they’re not getting the therapy they need due to the cost, being scared of what others may think and simply because they don’t know how or where to go for help.
#7 There Is A Free “Period Pack” At My School For Girls Who Are Unprepared For Their Periods
#8 My University Library Has A Wall Where You Can Quite Literally Take A Seat
#9 This School In Vancouver, BC (Canada) Installed A Slide, So Kids Can Take That Instead Of The Stairs To Leave The School
So what can we do to better support our students? Well, one of the first steps should be focusing on cultivating a safe and inviting learning environment. Teachers cannot control what is going on in a student’s life outside of school, but they can work to improve their experience in the classroom. According to the University of Buffalo, students have more trust in themselves and their educators when they are in a positive learning environment.
#10 My Environmental Science Class With Real Plants On The Wall
#11 The Hallways Of My Norwegian High School
#12 Chemistry Teacher Made Their Classroom Ceiling The Elements
Instead of creating a classroom where students feel judged or unsafe and second guess themselves constantly, teachers should work towards making students feel supported and comfortable. They should know that mistakes are acceptable and inevitable, and they should feel like their ideas are heard and listened to. Students should be invited to share their thoughts openly, and teachers should respond accordingly. A collaborative environment is much more exciting than one where teachers simply speak and students simply listen.
#13 I Thought You Guys Would Appreciate This. This Is My School Library
#14 They Had A Bike At My School To Blend A Smoothie That They Were Handing Out At Lunch
#15 These Medieval Ruins Were Randomly Found Under A School Gym Hall. The School Was Founded In 1276 And Is The Oldest School In Finland
Getting students engaged in learning can be a challenge, but it’s certainly worth it for teachers who see their class’ grades improve and who get to work with excited young minds every day. When it comes to getting students more involved in their learning, Education Week recommends building great relationships with students. One way educators can do this right off the bat is by working together with students at the beginning of the year to create rules for the classroom. This gets the class involved, and it allows everyone to feel part of the decision making in the classroom.
#16 Look At How This Third-Grade Teacher Decorated Her Door And Hallway
#17 This Cat Bus Is For Transporting Japanese Preschoolers
#18 My School’s Library Has Noise-Level Guides That Change Color When It Gets Too Loud
It’s also wise for educators to ask their students questions to get them engaged in the classroom. It’s easy for students, especially kids, to completely zone out during a lesson. But when they’re asked to actively participate and share their thoughts, paying attention becomes a lot more important. Plus, it’s another opportunity for them to realize that their teacher is actually listening to them.
#19 My Cooking Class Has A Mirror On The Ceiling So We Can See What The Teacher Is Doing
#20 The Stair Handrails In My Uni’s Biology Building Are Held Up By Little Snails
#21 My School Put Colored Bricks In The Shape Of The Handicap Logo Instead Of Painting It
Educators can provide opportunities for choice for their students as well. This might mean giving the class an option between two different assignments every now and then or letting them vote on which day out of the week the next math test will be. They might even be able to earn rewards as a class, and they can vote on whether they would rather have ice cream or a movie as their prize. These simple things can keep kids much more engaged in their lessons.
#22 This Middle School Has A Skateboard Locker
#23 My University Makes Notepads Out Of Recycled Paper And Hands Them Out To The Students
#24 Science Teacher’s Desk Is A Fish Tank
And of course, having an interesting learning environment can make students much more interested in what’s going on at school. Whether it’s a beautifully designed library, funny meme references on hall passes or places to lock up their skateboards during the school day, the more comfortable students feel at school, the more excited they will be to go there. And we all want students to enjoy their education; it’s not meant to be torturous!
#25 This Bottle Has A Map Of All The Water-Filling Stations Around Campus On It
#26 My University Library, Ladies And Gentlemen
#27 My School’s Bathrooms Have Pedals Instead Of Handles
Are these photos making you jealous of the students who get to attend schools with all of these wonderful tools at their disposal, pandas? I have to admit that I would have been thrilled to go to some of these schools or universities, but I’m still very grateful for the education I was able to get. Keep upvoting the pics you find particularly fascinating, and let us know in the comments below what the best thing your school had to offer was. Then, if you’d like to check out a similar list from We, look no further than right here!
#28 Pre-School Placed A “Picture Day” Reminder Sticker For Us On The Middle Of My Son’s Back So He Couldn’t Remove It
#29 My 1st Grader Lost A Tooth During Class And The School Sent It Home In This Tiny, Tooth-Shaped Container
#30 This Sign At My University Has The Number For The Library Police
#31 This Uni Puts Up Games Its Graduates Worked On
#32 These Parking Spots For Alternative Modes Of Transport At My Uni
#33 Food Is Allowed In The Library At My College
#34 Transylvania University At Halloween
#35 The Woodworking Program At My School Sent Home 140 Remote-Learning Kits This Week, With Power Drills too
#36 An Ancient Roman Well Is Visible Under The Floor Of My School In Italy
#37 This “Chemist Tree” That My School’s Science Department Made
#38 These Bollards Outside A School Are Shaped Like Pencils
#39 This Tiny Door For 1st Graders At The School My Mom Teaches At
#40 This Painting In My School Library Is Painted On The Wall Itself, But It Is Still Framed
#41 In My School, You Can Come Here To Sleep If You’re Tired
#42 My Professor Uses A Wooden Keyboard And Mouse
#43 My School Has A Set Of Tools And A Pump To Let You Repair And Maintain Your Bike In Front Of The Entrance
#44 This Little Door At My University
#45 A Classroom In My University Has A Tree Growing Inside Of It
#46 I Have A Gender-Neutral Bathroom At My High School
#47 I Learned Today That My School’s New Science And Technology Building Has Thermochromic Tables
#48 My Uni Has Solar-Paneled Benches With USB Charging
#49 University Printer Rotates Each Separate Document To Avoid Confusing Multiple Students’ Work
#50 A Law Professor Shared A Photo Of The Pens Her Students Used For Cheating, Calling The Trick An Art Form Of Sorts
#51 This Artwork On A Rainwater Tank At My Daughter’s School Uses The Seam In The Middle As Part Of The Art, With A Convincing Effect
#52 This Scoreboard At A High School In Mississippi Says “Us” And “Y’all” Instead Of “Home” And “Guest”
#53 I Work At A School, And They’re Starting To Put These In! I’m The First To Use This One. One Step Closer
#54 There Is A Piece Of The Berlin Wall On My School’s Campus
#55 Columns At A School Are Pencils
#56 My School 3D Printed A Tiny “Out Of Order” Sign For The Printer
#57 My School Uses Purple Carpet To Indicate The Classroom Doors That Swing Out
#58 Therapy Dog At My School Has Socks So His Nails Don’t Make Noise On The Floor
#59 My School Just Installed A CVS Vending Machine Full Of Medicine And Hygiene Products
#60 This Twinkie Has Been In My Classroom For 10 Years
#61 This Doorknob For A Maintenance Closet At My School Has Knurling On It To Prevent Slipping When Workers Have Gloves On
#62 My School Museum Has A Bob Ross Painting
#63 My Mom’s High School Gave Graduates Wallet-Sized Copies Of Their Diplomas
#64 The College Has These Signs On The Cafeteria Tables. They Flip To Red If You Don’t Want Strangers Sitting At Your Table
#65 My Local Community College Has Collapsible Monitors That Can Automatically Go Down So You Can Have More Desk Space
#66 My Science Teacher’s Clock
#67 My School Has Racks In The Front Office For Kids To Put Their Skateboards On During The Day
#68 University Of Uppsala’s Anatomical Theatre Where Bodies Were Dissected In Front Of An Audience (Built In 1663, Sweden)
#69 My Anatomy Teacher’s Bathroom Pass Is A Human Leg Bone
#70 My Biology Teachers’ Wall Of Key Chains
#71 In My Design Tech Class, The Stop Buttons For The Machines Are Far Larger Than The Start Button For Safety, Allowing You To Hit The Stop Button With Your Leg In Case Of Emergency
#72 Students At My Town’s College Rub This Statue’s Nose When They Pass By, Going To Exams, For Good Luck
#73 The Health Class In Our High School Has A Moldy Bread Display On The Wall To Show How We Should Wash Our Hands And Phones
#74 My Son’s School Is Teaching Metaphor Via Tupac’s Poetry
#75 Robots At Oregon State University Deliver Food And Drink To Students On Campus
#76 I Go To School In Ottawa And We Write Our Exams In A Hockey Rink
#77 University Of Tennessee’s First Corpse Flower Bloomed! The First Bloom Happens 7-10 Years After Planting. It’s Called A Corpse Flower Because Of The Smell
#78 So My School Uses These Instead Of Chairs Now In A Couple Of Classes
#79 My Robotics Teacher Has A 1948 Olympic Torch
#80 Found A Pac-Man-Themed Desk In My German Class Today
#81 This Actual Periodic Table My University Has
#82 The Kid Beside Me In Class Has A Keyboard Made Of Light
#83 Our School’s Magazine Publication Intentionally Placed A Physical Hole In Its Latest Issue
#84 My School Put Up Pride Flags For Pride Month
#85 New Hall Passes At A High School
#86 The University Gym Girls’ Bathroom Has Not Only Free Condoms But Also Free Lube
#87 My School’s Bathroom Has A New “Wash Your Hands” Sign
#88 This Vending Machine At My School With Basically Everything For Every Occasion
#89 My Professor Has Paper Clips In The Shape Of Clothes Hangers
#90 Some Of The Trees At My College Have Outlets On Them
#91 The Countertops In This Bathroom At My University Are Made Out Of Metal Millings Encased In Resin
#92 My School Has A Real Hippopotamus Skull
#93 My Art Teacher Has Sealing Tiles That Were Painted By Students In Her Classroom
#94 University Library Has Puzzle That Everyone Can Take Part In
#95 My School Used To Be A Bank, So My Class Has A Vault In It
#96 Concrete, WA High School Is Built Over The Roadway That Leads To It
#97 This Pencil Vending Machine At The Local Middle School
#98 The June And July Stamps On This Date Have No Ink On Them Because They’re Used In A Public School
#99 This Spot In My High School Where People Pivot On The Stairs
#100 My School Has A Sculpture Of The Piranha Plant From Mario
#101 This Poster At My School Is Something Else
#102 This High School Nearby Keeps Narcan Next To The AED Devices
#103 This High School Still Had A Backstreet Boys “Got Milk?” Ad In 2022
#104 My University Library’s Christmas Tree Is Made Of Books
#105 My School Put Up Whiteboards To Stop Vandalism In The Toilet Rooms
#106 The Bathroom Tile In This School’s Science Building Is Decorated With The Periodic Table Of Elements
#107 My School Brought In A Distracted Driving Simulator To Keep Kids Off Their Phones While Driving
#108 Waterfalls In My Uni Building When It Rains
#109 Students Lean On The Wall During Lectures (The Ghost Classroom)
#110 The Pool At My University Is On The Second Floor
#111 I’m Proud Of My Classroom
#112 Our School Still Uses The Power Macintosh G3
#113 My School Issues IDS With Hidden USB Drives In Them
#114 Vape Sensor Notice For High School Bathrooms
#115 My School Stores Laptops In A Pile On The Floor
#116 A Bear Trap At A Primary School
#117 Clock In My School’s Chemistry Lab
#118 Just Saw This In A Classroom At Our Local Elementary School
#119 My School Sells “Hydrogen Infused Water”
