NORMAL (AP) — 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." ''The rest kind of snowballed."