Choose an appropriate style for the classroom. The style of your classroom will have an effect on the learning ability of students. There are two main styles of classroom: fixed and flexible. Fixed classrooms contain desks and chairs that have been bolted in a specific position and cannot be moved. This style of classroom emphasizes the teacher's role in the classroom and de-emphasizes student-to-student interaction. In contrast, flexible classrooms contain easily-moved desks and chairs for trouble-free rearrangement. In a flexible classroom, students are the emphasis of the learning process, and interaction is easily conducted. Choose the style of your classroom based on whether you plan to have a class with high levels of interaction (flexible) or low levels of interaction (fixed).
Select the most suitable color scheme. Researchers have shown that colors can influence mood. In a classroom, warm colors enhance arousal and excitement when encountering external stimuli. Therefore, if you plan to teach a class that will be active, such as a science class or art class, choose a warm color scheme. On the other hand, for a relaxing environment in which students must be calm in analyzing or listening to material, choose a cool color scheme, as cool color schemes reduce student anxiety.
Decide on a fitting amount of texture for the classroom. For this decision, you should take acoustics into consideration. If everything in the classroom is hard and smooth, speech will produce echoes. However, if your room has too much texture, vocal projection decreases, and some students may not be able to hear what is said. Hence, if you have a small class, it is better for your class to have a lot of texture; otherwise, go easy on the texture if you want all students to hear the material.
Install the correct type of lighting for your classroom. If your intent is to have a lecture-style class, you should put lights with more intensity near the front of the classroom with the teacher and blackboard. If you want an interaction-style class, even lighting throughout the class is sufficient. In order to conserve energy while still maintaining an adequate level of brightness in the classroom, you should use fluorescent lamps, as they are energy-efficient. (Reference 1)