classroom decor

Journey Classroom Theme Ideas

Last year I moved into a new classroom, and it was worth the wait. I had been hoping I’d eventually have the opportunity to move into this room because it was so much bigger. It has tons of cabinets and even an office! Once I found out I’d be moving, I knew I wanted to do a new theme – and I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Over the past few years, I’ve been collecting journey-themed items because that idea just really inspires me. Hopefully this post of my classroom makeover journey – see what I did there 😉 – will inspire you, too. I’m also doing this post a little different from my normal 5-point posts. I’m just going to give you tons of pictures because when I’m looking at classrooms that what I always want more of! Enjoy!

THE OFFICE BEFORE

I had to do a lot of cleaning out and cleaning up before I could even move into the room. The office space – below – was so full when I got there that I could barely open the door enough to get in. After tons of work and some help from my very talented hubby, I have an amazing, private office space. Those shelves — he made those!

THE OFFICE AFTER

My favorite part of the office is the beautiful collage wall. I found the items at yard sales, antique stores, and clearance racks all summer long. I just picked things that I loved, and we figured out a good layout for the items. On the wall across from the windows above the filing cabinets, I hung two vintage maps that I rescued from the closet in this room. On my desk I have my re-purposed lamp. (See the tutorial on how to do that here.) I also grabbed these galvanized picnic bins for holding desk items. I even went all out and made a matching planner. You can get that here.

^^Only pic I had a of my wall maps!

^^The burlap curtains came from Amazon, and I moved them over from my other room. You could easily grab some burlap from a hobby store and whip up your own to save money if you sew.

THE CLASSROOM BEFORE

The classroom also needed a lot of cleaning up and cleaning out, but look at all the space and storage!

THE CLASSROOM AFTER: WALLS

One of the first things I tackled was hanging up my signs and posters.

^^ I found those cute and authentic street signs above the cabinets at a local antique store.

^^ Next, I wanted to display places where I’ve traveled because they bring back good memories for me, and it turned out to be a good conversation starter with my students. In the center is a handmade plaque I got from a local artisan that reminds my students and me that no matter where we go, home is always at the center.

^^ This classroom even has sinks! I wanted to infuse as much text as possible into the room, so I made these journey-themed posters with poetry for above each sink. Get those posters here FREE. I had them printed at Walgreens.

^^ I used remnant linen fabric to line the bulletin board and the two borders came from here and here.

^^ Hall pass signs, classroom rules, bulletin boards, and even the mirror by the door are all decked out with the journey-themed touches. Get all those posters here FREE. Again, printed at Walgreens.

^^ These weekly road map signs for daily tasks are a must for my classroom, and they are easy to make. Here’s how I did it. I bought these weekly calendar posters and put them in these frames. Now, if you had access to large paper to make a poster or even just a poster board and nice handwriting :), you could get away a lot cheaper! I made one for each subject I teach. I put the calendars in frames, and I use a dry eraser marker to write on my daily topics. I do this on Monday so students (me too) can see the plan! Get the weekly road map sign here free.

THE CLASSROOM AFTER: STUDENT DESKS

I’d never done grouped seating arrangements before, but I really loved the idea of giving it a try. I have to say that it was successful, and I will be doing it again this year. I didn’t want anybody’s back to the board, so I came up with this formation. It also gives plenty of room for my big kids to have their own space (I have juniors and seniors).

I searched and searched for ideas for towers that would fit my theme, work for the space, and look right for bigger kids. The tins and towers weren’t cheap, but I had done some fundraising to get enough money to cover it. Plus, the towers came from Target and they were on sale and I used a coupon! I got the tins here from Amazon. I put highlighters, colored pencils, and red pens in the tins on the first shelf. I fixed wipes, tissues, and GermX in baskets on the 2nd shelf, and we used the bottom shelf for our textbooks. The towers were really handy for the students.

I printed the signs at Walgreens, glued them to construction paper, put them in a sheet protector, and used paper clips to fix them to the towers. Get the group signs here free.

OTHER DETAILS

^^ This take-one basket is a strategy that I’ve done for years. I put it on a cart next to my door and put daily handouts in it for kids to pick up on their on their way in. Here’s a quick video I did to explain more.

^^I teach English, so reading is a BIG deal in my classroom. I wanted to create a little spot to highlight the novels we would read as a class in the year. I didn’t put the names of the novels because I wanted it to be a bit of a mystery and conversation starter, so I just used symbols and objects that tell the story. The little suitcases are from a fun brand of clothing I love that my friend sells and she gifted them to me (Matilda Jane). I cut pieces of cardboard and glued map-themed scrapbook paper to it that I salvaged from my sister’s collection to make the story boards. I used scrapbook stickers, and luckily they were either on sale or clearance. The two novels pictured are Columbine and Their Eyes Were Watching God. In addition to the stickers on the story boards, I put other 3D objects like the pears, passport, game controller, etc. The little area did draw attention, and after we read the novels, the symbols started to make sense!

^^ It’s a little hard to see, but on this counter I placed my grade-me basket, calendar, stapler, etc. and my graduation card board. That’s really the thing I love most over there. Over the years, I’ve collected the graduation invites and cards seniors have given me, but they were shoved in the drawer. Now, though, they are the perfect symbol for the end of this journey – the goal – for students before they take the next path in life. I love to display their accomplishment, and it gives younger students a reminder of what they are working for. I just bought one of those fabric photo boards from Hobby Lobby and done. It was getting a little crowded, so at the end of the year this year one of my students surprised me with another one as a gift!

^^ This is my work space. It’s a little counter in the corner. Read here about how I set up my teaching station.

^^ I fixed these little gift bags and tags to do assigned seats on the first day! Get the tags here FREE!

I hope you enjoyed this tour of my classroom, and I hope you found some ideas that will inspire you on your journey this year!

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Heart to Heart with Secondary School Teachers February 2016 Blog Hop

Thank you for joining us on this Valentine’s Day Blog Hop where some great secondary teachers are sharing confessions from the heart about teaching!

1) I like when former students come
back to visit me or see me in a restaurant and say hey! It’s always funny
because they don’t know if they should call me Julie or Mrs. Faulkner. They
usually choose Mrs. Faulkner!

2) I like having student work to hang
on my walls because I hate making bulletin boards. I’m even guilty of having a
cute activity planned but run out of time in class to do it, so I send it home
for extra credit just so I can hang it up!

See
those cork strips pictured where I hang student work up in the hallway? Here’s
how I did it to get a quick and cheap alternative to those expensive bulletin
board strips. Just get the square cork boards that in come in packs at the Dollar
General or Staples and cut them into strips. Hot glue them to the wall, and voilà!
You have instant cork strips for a couple of bucks.

3) I’m always afraid of having a typo
or spelling error in my worksheets or lessons since one of my favorite things
is it to find them in the real-world!

Grammar Fails in Real World, Bell Ringers Proofreading, Ta

Grammar Fails from Real World, Bell Ringers Proofreading,

4) Keep Calm and Have a Red Coke is
my motto. Is it bad that when my students see me drinking a “red coke” they
know it’s been a bad day?

5) Probably one of my favorite things
about teaching is creating lessons and activities that students enjoy and can
connect to. I love trying new teaching strategies or texts. I have a few texts that
I teach over and over each year, but I’m always rotating others in and out
because something in the class, news, or world inspires me to develop a
lesson. That keeps me busy, but I like not being stuck in a rut! See all my other goodies in my teacherspayteachers.com store!

An InLinkz Link-up

Vintage Rock Star Glam Secondary Classroom Decor for Back to School

It’s typically not a secondary kind of thing to do to have a classroom theme. And I certainly never have in all my years of teaching in 7-12 classrooms had an all-out classroom theme like, say, they do in elementary schools. However, I can say there is great value in having a “theme” of sort – even in a secondary classroom. I like to be super-organized, and a theme/scheme works well for me and the students. My theme is “Rock Star,” and on the first day of school we talk about what my theme is and we have a mini lesson on theme development. I chose the rock star theme because 1) I love music and 2) It sets the “stage” for how we are going to be “owning it like rock stars” every day. Yeah, that may be a little cheesy, but I love cheesy, and it really does work.

I’ve had the rock star theme for several years now, but it was actually pretty “thrown together.” I hadn’t put much effort into the look of it in terms of cohesion or cuteness. It was definitely time to jazz it up a little. I love anything vintage, burlap, pink, and chalkboard, so I decided to put that all together for a shabby chic, glam rock star themed classroom! I had plenty of items in my classroom with “good bones,” they just didn’t match or have much style. I picked a few areas to make focal points of the room, and here are the results.

These curtains could be done a couple of ways. I ordered these ready made inexpensive burlap valances from Amazon and hung them with spring rods. However, there are a number of tutorials out and about for making no sew curtains out of burlap. Everything is better with burlap!

The door is, of course, the first thing students see when they come to your classroom. Like I said before, theme is very important in an English classroom, and we talk about it on day one. So, I wanted them to be aware of it right away – hit them on the head (literally!) Yeah, I did have to pull it up a little higher so my junior and senior boys could walk under it!

This little area is much more functional now with the date blocks, sharpener, and journal buckets all in one place. Plus, now it’s all in one place nearby the weekly playlist of assignments, which I really want them to look at often! I’m so proud of my little chalkboard lamp. It was my granny’s lamp, and I loved having it in my classroom. However, it was green and the shade was dry-rotted. I found that ah-mazing burlap shade at Goodwill for $3.00!!!! After a coat of primer and some chalkboard spray paint, I had a shining jewel for about $10 bucks.

Keeping with my Rock Star theme, I made song quotes chalkboard prints and hung them above where students store their bags. My bulletin boards are covered with black fabric (easier and more durable than paper) and fun layered border. I also smile every time I look at my mirror with the V.I.P. sign above it! I do believe the best boards and walls are student-centered and low-maintenance. See my post on student-centered bulletin board ideas here!

I inherited my podium from a teacher friend my first year of teaching! In its former life, it was a wallpaper stand at a paint store. How cool is that? It wasn’t, however, very fancy. I rolled on a couple layers of chalkboard paint, and now my students and I can write new quotes on it whenever we want! My “I’m Done” box also got a makeover. Here I wanted to add a little bit more pink to the room, so I just bought this durable basket from Michael’s. I used the rest of the chalkboard spray paint on the tray where students return handouts.

It’s not perfect, but I think my classroom is ready — now onto planning.

See MORE classroom decor and organizational pics at these posts, too!

Student-Centered Bulletin Boards

Formula for Classroom Success Planning

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An InLinkz Link-up

Student-Centered Bulletin Boards for a Secondary Classroom: 5 Ideas to Make Your Walls Work for You and Your Students

Does anybody else feel this way? I always try to have my room ready before students walk in on the first day; it just helps me feel more put together and prepared. I love to be crafty, but like most secondary English teachers with 75+ kids a day, I just don’t have the time to replace monthly boards with elaborate and often pricey art. Plus I want my classroom full of juniors and seniors to feel comfortable, too, so nothing too over-done or too Disney Channel or too, well, you get the picture!

The solution is simple: I picked a relevant theme that can stand the test of time, planned “bulletin boards” that are student-centered, and designed my room around that theme so not only do the elements match, but they also develop the theme. I chose the theme “Rock Stars” because I like to use that concept to inspire, inform, and motivate my students. I tell them we are on stage like a rock star performing from bell to bell every day! I even let them share with me their concert-going experiences on the first day of school, and we talk about how the star is giving 100% for the entire show. It is a fun way to cover rules, get to know each other, and it is a simple yet purposeful theme. Here are 5 ideas for making your walls student-centered, creative, and easy to update.

1) Weekly To-Do or Objectives List – It doesn’t have to be much; just the
title or objective what’s to be covered each day will do. I also like to put
up-coming tests and homework in red ink.

2) Interactive Word Wall with Key Subject-Specific Words
for the Unit – Again, nothing fancy here, but it does
help guide the focus of the unit and provide a fun interactive way to review at
the end.

3) Student Celebrations in the form of data. – My data board tells the story of the results of our weekly
grammar quizzes. I take the averages of all my classes and post them.
Sometimes I make it a challenge and they can compete against other classes for
a prize! Additionally, the students chart their personal growth in their
folders.

4) Student Celebrations in the form of
student work. When it comes to student work, I always
post creative tasks and projects, and I almost always post everyone’s work.

5) Organize memos, schedules, and forms in colorful folders – I just use push pins and pin the
folders to the board. This way things don’t get lost, scattered, or look
cluttered. Since I am also the yearbook teacher, and we use my classroom
as the yearbook room, this type of “bulletin board” works perfectly
for everything we need, too.

An estimated 50% of my walls are covered with cabinets, technology, and
whiteboards. The other precious real-estate consists of my “décor.” My
classroom theme hasn’t changed for several years now, but my boards are always
up-to-date and changing. My strategy for keeping the boards
up-to-date so students get don’t get bored is all in the content and purpose –
boards with need-to-know information and moments of celebration for students.In a secondary classroom, it is often unique to find a room with creative
and cohesive decorations, but that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. The best décor is the kind that is
thoughtful and doesn’t take much time to create but packs a huge punch and puts
students first!

See MORE classroom decor and organizational pics at these posts, too!

Vintage Classroom Decor

Formula for Classroom Success Planning

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