How can i decorate my classroom

Hey there! I am a National Board Certified teacher with 17 years of experience in the classroom. I created Clutter-Free Classroom to support busy elementary teachers like you! Of course I do! How to Decorate the Classroom of Your Dreams in This blog post will answer the following questions: What is the best and easiest way to decorate my classroom? How do I decorate my small classroom?

How do I decorate my room for special events? The Best Way to Decorate a Classroom Here is the best and easiest system for how to decorate the classroom: Phase One: Plan Browse the list of classroom themes and classroom color schemes , pick one or two, and purchase it or them or join the Elementary Classroom Decor Collection , which includes all of the themes and color schemes.

Sketch out a plan for your room either on paper or map it out on your computer. Consider getting inspiration from Instagram and Pinterest for your bulletin boards. Also, get tips and ideas for how to decorate a classroom bulletin board. Make a list of items and supplies you need. For example, you might have a reading corner, a math wall, a word wall, a history timeline, and a science corner.

Method 2. Use wrapping paper to make a cover for your door or bulletin board. Get a large roll of wrapping paper and roll out a piece large enough to cover your door or bulletin board.

Cut out holes for the doorknob and window if your door has one. Then, use masking tape to attach the paper to the door or staples to attach it to a bulletin board.

You can normally find butcher paper at the supermarket or craft store in white, brown, black, and occasionally seasonal colors like red, green, or yellow. Create borders and frames using colored masking tape.

Whenever you hang posters or pictures, or decorate a bulletin board or your door, use a roll of masking tape to make a straight or zig zag border. Simply rip off the length that you need to cover one side, and smooth it out with your hands in a straight or zig zag line. Once you have the frame made, trim the edges of each piece to complete the frame or border. Make paper whirligigs to hang from the ceiling. Whirligigs are a fun and easy classroom decoration that kids can make themselves.

Decorate a few colored paper plates, and then cut them in a spiral pattern starting from the outside to the center of the plate. Punch a hole in the center and use a string or ribbon to hang the whirligigs from the ceiling. You can update the decorations in your room and the students will be able to see their whirligig on display! Craft a paper circle welcome banner for the front of the room. Then, punch one hole on the left and right sides of the circle, and string a piece of ribbon through the holes to make the banner.

You can hang the banner above the doorway or even on your door. Write your classroom rules and objectives on a poster for your room. Every room should have a set of clearly defined classroom rules that are visible to the students. Additionally, your state might require that you display objectives for student learning or standards for students to meet. Make the posters colorful and interesting to fit in with the rest of your classroom decor.

Make sure you cover these up during quizzes or exams, if necessary. This is especially important if the posters may contain answers. In a science classroom, you can hang up posters that demonstrate proper lab behaviors and lab rules. Decorate the walls with pictures that correspond to the class subject. Make sure each of the decorations on your wall has a purpose, since too much decoration can be distracting. Choose quotes, inspiring figures, and class-related images to decorate the walls and encourage students to be interested in the class.

Then, have the students help you hang up their picture under their name and talk about it with the class. Method 3. Some schools give teachers a small budget for decorating, while others require them to use their own money.

Decide on the amount of money you feel comfortable spending on materials and decorations. Often, the school will only provide a certain amount of these items, and the teacher will be required to purchase any additional items.

Keep in mind that even with a small decorating budget, you can still make your classroom an exciting and welcoming environment for your students. Visit discount stores to get deals on decorating supplies. Buying construction paper, tape, and markers can get pretty expensive. Check out discount stores like dollar stores, and look in the clearance section of the craft store to get these items on sale. Head to the craft store a few days after the holiday has passed to get deals on themed decorations for next year!

Print pictures from the internet to hang on your walls. Posters and pictures can be extremely expensive, but most teachers have access to a printer. Look at your class plan for the year and find images of important ideas, figures, and topics throughout the year. Then, print them all out and trim the borders before hanging them on the walls with tape.

I inserted these into page protectors, and then hung them up where my students would see them every day. You can find these templates here! I remember being overwhelmed with my blank bulletin boards my first year of teaching. Some stayed empty for entire years because I never found the time or ideas to design them. Google puns and memes, print them out, add a punny saying, and there you have it: A pun-derful bulletin board! All you need are some post-it notes to create this incredible interactive bulletin board.

Simply write motivational quotes and compliments on the sticky notes and place them on the board. Encourage students to take a sticky note whenever they need it.

If you want, you can even allow students to jot down happy quotes and add to the collection with your approval. This one is not easy. In fact, it takes forever. You can find this fadeless paper at your local teacher store or on Amazon affiliate link. I have a tutorial saved on my Instagram story highlights if you want to see the process of covering my wall! I hope these tips help you create a space that you and your students love!

If you would like to see more photos of my classroom and gain insight on my design process, check out this post on my flexible seating. For more tips, pics, and tutorials, head to my Instagram! Your email address will not be published. Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email. Avoid displays of student scores or grades. Many teachers use data walls to motivate students, and while they can work for high performers, they can backfire for struggling students, leading to feelings of shame and demoralization Marsh et al. Let in natural light. Students who are exposed to more natural light in their classrooms outperform peers who get less natural light in math and reading Cheryan et al.

Balance wall colors. Developing Brains While decorating walls is a favorite pastime for many teachers, young children may not respond as teachers hope. Classrooms should look lively but not chaotic, with 20 to 50 percent of the wall space bare. Courtesy of Amy Mileham Classrooms should look lively but not chaotic, with 20 to 50 percent of the wall space bare.