I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: TEACHING CANNOT BE DONE IN ISOLATION! We all lean on one another for support everyday. You may be great at doing one thing, while a colleague may be great at doing another.
Soooooooo...I’ve decided to apply this logic to blogging and vlogging. I have worked with some AMAZING educators over the past thirteen years; people who have taught me so much and helped me in so many ways. Why keep all of this knowledge bottled up?! I won’t, I’m sharing it with all of you!
Today’s blog marks the beginning of the “Friends Series.” Over the next few weeks, I will have a series of educator friends share some of their expertise with you. This week is Rashida. Rashida has ten years of teaching experience, and always has one of the most thoughtful, well-put-together classrooms I’ve ever seen. Everything she does serves a purpose and she makes a great use of space. I’m going to share five of Rashida's classroom decorating tips in celebration of beginning of the 2017-2018 school year.
#1: Consider classroom zoning. Make sure you zone for function. Procedures/expectations should be large and visible in the front of the room and items that are frequently used should be readily accessible. Consider how you want traffic to move in your room when determining where items belong. Should classwork/homework bins go near the door or do those need to be in the front or back of the room? Finally, be sure to leave blank spaces that you will eventually fill with anchor posters or student work.
#2: Consider how you will get your decorations up. All schools have different walls—we know that. These wall types affect how well you can decorate. As a tip, try adhesive tape, magnets, and, the teacher’s best friend, the hot glue gun to get materials on the walls with minimal to no damage.
#3: Add your personal style! Don’t be afraid to add posters, rugs, or plants to make your classroom feel like home. Students know when your classroom is comfortable to you and they respond well to it. If you’re unsure of what to do, check Pinterest!
#4: Incorporate literacy. Literacy is not just for English teachers! Utilize items such as binder sheet protectors or dry erase sleeves to help you post different reading material around the room. Reading material can take the form of articles, charts and graphs, info graphics, compelling blurbs, or even book lists.
#5: Budget! You don’t have to spend all of your money to decorate your room! Check out places that are easy on the wallet like dollar stores, Oriental Trading, or thrift shops. In addition, you can always scale back. You don’t have to buy everything—some items can be made by you!
I hope you’ve found this blog helpful and that it has given you something to consider as you decorate your classroom! You can always watch the VIDEO for this blog or CONTACT me or Rashida if you are interested in more tips!