A Guide to Bulletin Board Decorating For Educators

Most teachers know the importance of having a good bulletin board, as it basically indicates the dedication of the educator. When crafted with intention, the bulletin board signals that the classroom is a welcoming space that calls for shared growth and education. If the bulletin board is drab it could be uninspiring. Putting effort into the bulletin board is important as it invites students into an inclusive learning environment. 

Making the bulletin board look attractive does not require the teacher to be Michelangelo; all that is needed is some creativity and a good pair of craft scissors. Here are some ways you can put together a classroom bulletin board that fits your energetic and dedicated approach to teaching.

Rally Around an Uplifting Motto

Do you have a classroom motto? Is there one principle above all others that guides you? If nothing immediately comes to mind take some time to think about what teaching means to you and come up with a slogan. This Edutopia piece may help you on your way through to a solid motto. And once you are there emblazon it on your bulletin board!

And underneath that classroom motto, include the students' names, perhaps their pictures as well; this will make the students feel welcomed.

The Notre Dame Approach

Even if you are not much of a college football fan, there is a good chance you are aware of the sign that all Notre Dame football players touch on their way from the locker room to the field before each home game. The sign says, "Play Like a Champion Today." It instills a sense of team spirit, and it reminds the players that they can do something great at any given moment.

You can inspire in a similar fashion with a bulletin board that encourages students, no matter their track record, to seize the moment. Something along the lines of "What do you learn today?" can get all the students, even those who’ve perhaps struggled in the classroom, to take the moment to make a big step forward and learn something new.

Each moment presents a learning opportunity, after all that is what teaching should be all about.

Problems to Solve

Now this idea will take some routine maintenance, but it can be fun and keep the students engaged. At the start of each week, you can bust out your craft knife and cutting mat and use them to artfully post a new problem to solve on the bulletin board. It can be a math problem. It can be a riddle. Whatever it is, if you stick with it and keep it fun, students will look forward to it every week.

If you like, you can take it a step further and recognize the students who correctly answer the previous week's question. You can even turn it into a running competition throughout the school year.

Class as Community

One of the surest ways to unite students is to encourage them to be heard. You can pair the following idea with the motto idea or can tweak it as a standalone approach.

If you want to build on the motto idea, here’s how it could go: Say your motto is "I choose success." You can turn the bulletin board into shared art by having each student complete their version of the motto by writing out something along the lines of "I choose success by ____." That way, each student is expressing themselves individually under that banner that unites the class.

The idea here is to give each student a chance for individual expression on a bulletin board that represents the group. It would be a good way to inspire a shared sense of purposeful, inclusive education.

This is a sponsored post by Excel Blades. Image source Source: Kristen Prahl/ Shutterstock.com Please note that all opinions and thoughts expressed are my own. All rights reserved on written content Createwithmom © 2010 - 2022. Please Ask First