North Lewis music teacher Elaine Simmons-Colbert takes a break on a hectic day of classroom preparation to play a few notes on the piano.

It’s that time of year when teachers put the final touches on their classrooms before a fresh new set of eyes enters for the new school year.

The process of decorating a classroom can seem like a random jumble of posters and stickers adorned across the walls, but for teachers like Paige Romero, preparation for the school year starts weeks in advance.

“It’s a long process because everything has to be prepared before the first day of class. You’re looking at a week or two ahead of time coming into the class, getting your decorations set up and getting all your folders together,” said Romero, who is going into her 20th year as a schoolteacher. “It’s not one of those things where you can just walk in and everything’s ready.”

Romero said she likes to use a bit of color to decorate her rooms because it engages not only her, but the students as well. The North Lewis Street Elementary third-grade teacher said her room is decorated with items she has collected and saved over previous school years.

“The fun part is decorating. This is 19 years worth of decorations,” laughed Romero as she looked at her classroom covered in mathematical posters, art work and instructional guides. “Sometimes you pull out things that you haven’t used in five or 10 years and think ‘Oh I forgot I had that.’ I want it (the classroom) to be inviting and I want it to be homely. I love colors and I think the bright colors engage my students.”

Romero said her students will refer to some of the posters throughout the school year for instructional purposes.

Other teachers like North Lewis’ music instructor Elaine Simmons-Colbert, enjoys using her student’s artwork to decorate her classroom for a more “organic” feel.

“I have a few charts and visuals that I put on the wall, but ultimately it’s the students’ drawings that are most inspiring to them so that’s what I use,” Colbert said Tuesday afternoon. “I don’t really rely on purchasing things. It’s just about using what you have to make what you need.”

Colbert added preparation for the school year is an essential part to the first day of class festivities.

“It’s extremely important to be organized and to prepare your physical environment so that the students are ready to learn and receive your teaching,” said Colbert, who has taught at North Lewis for 16 years.

Romero added that while it may seem teachers enjoy the benefits of working only nine months out of the year, the work never stops.

“People think that when we just walk in on Aug. 8 and everything is ready. That’s the biggest misconception.” Romero said. “Not only do we work throughout the summer, we also work nights and bring our work home … decorations included. A lot of my decorations you see here were done at home.”