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Article updated: 1/21/2013 8:22 AM

Teachers class up rooms

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Dave McMorris stands in his Parkside Junior High School class room in Normal.

Associated Press

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Walk into Dave McMorris' classroom, and you hardly know where to look first. His room at Parkside Junior High School in Normal has been called the "T.G.I. Friday of classrooms," an apt description of the space that includes an artificial tree, a student-signed bowling pin, patio lanterns, and a couch. It looks like a giant seek-and-find game with hundreds of unusual items that reflect the sixth-grade teacher's personality and interest in his students. "I always knew I wanted to have an inviting environment," said McMorris, who many students call "Mr. Mc."