I have a confession: It may be summer but I’m not the best at switching off and
relaxing.
In my defense, I know I’m not the only one. I firmly believe it’s the way we teachers are wired. We’re passionate about our jobs. We care
about our students. Sometimes to our own detriment… That’s why, when I ended up
in hospital with a giant kidney stone just one week before final exams and
report deadlines, I knew I needed to approach this summer vacation differently.
Hospitals aren’t exactly the cheeriest of places but I lucked
out; I had the presidential suite of hospital rooms. As I stared out at the
cotton candy sunset sprinkling rose gold favors over the city skyline, I
experienced a sense of clarity and wonder that until then I’d been too busy to
even realize I was missing.
(I’m almost certain it had nothing to do with the morphine.)
Now that I’m home, instead of rushing straight into lesson
planning for September, I’m planning to spend my days refreshing my mind and
recharging my soul. Or at least refreshing my G&T and recharging my kindle.
You shouldn’t be thinking about marking or report writing or
lesson plans… but I have a sneaking suspicion, if you are anything like me, you will anyway. So how about you
give your practical brain a holiday and let your creative brain run wild
instead? (To reaffirm, I teach English. Not Science. I may not know how
brains actually work.)
We humans learn best when we engage all our senses. That’s why I
always put so much thought into my classroom environment. And because I’ve
already spent so much time on this topic, you don’t have to!
So, here are my FIVE free tips for easily generating a creative and engaging classroom environment...
1. Turn
your classroom into a gallery
Make a feature of your students’ own work. This tip is a triple
whammy. You don’t have to dredge up any of your own creativity. You already
possess everything you need. Best of all, your kids will feel a sense of pride
at having their efforts displayed.
2. Press
play to set the right tone
The way you set the scene for learning in your classroom might be
overt, it might be covert. A sneaky tool to counteract any less-than-positive
mindsets your students bring into the classroom is music. You can theme your
soundtrack to your
lesson or simply to the mood you choose to create.
3. Get
the conversation started
There’s nothing worse than a closemouthed classroom. Coaxing
responses from quiet or disinterested kids can sometime feel like pulling
teeth. Bypass the awkward silence every day by writing a new question or quote
at the top of your board. The more provocative or challenging it is, the more
debate and discussion it’s bound to prompt.
4. Build
a ‘Wonder-Wall’
If thinking of a new question every day feels a bit daunting,
turn the tables and get your kids to do it instead! Get them involved; give
them a space on your bulletin board to pin their own thoughts. It can be
questions about the content you’re studying, or just general teenage musings on
life…
5. Bring
your classroom to life
OK, so filling your classroom with plants isn’t technically
‘free’ but the emotional, spiritual, and intellectual benefits are invaluable.
And it really doesn’t have to cost the Earth — you can even grow your own from
cuttings. Simply having plants in our workspace improves our concentration,
memory, mood, and creativity. What better way to bring life to your classes?!
MY FAVORITE RESOURCES FOR
BEAUTIFYING A CLASSROOM
If you are looking to invest in some incredible resources this summer, my fellow coffee-shop teachers are an endless source of
inspiration — and they’re absolute lifesavers when my own creativity is running
low. Check out some of their most beautiful and time-saving
designs.
from Presto Plans
With twenty posters, each explaining a common question
stem, this hardworking package is the perfect way to decorate your bulletin
board AND prepare your students for standardized tests. It even comes with a
long bulletin board title poster!
from Addie Williams
Set the tone for the new school year with these cute and concise
mini-posters. Think of them as daily reminders of the kind of positive and
productive space you want your classroom to be.
by The Classroom Sparrow
Encourage a dynamic learning environment by placing these
mini-books around the room. If your students get stuck on a reading or writing
task let them get up, reference the notes inside, and find the answer for
themselves.
by the SuperHERO Teacher
Transform your classroom three ways with this all-inclusive
triple bundle of bold and bright bulletin board decorations, posters, and
organizers. You don’t need to choose between the Neon Decor, Novel Suggestions,
or Student-Teacher Conference themes… because you get them all!
by Room 213
Let’s be honest, the language of Shakespeare is not always the
simplest to follow or understand. But these eye-catching posters break down all
the ‘thees’ and ‘thous’ and translate them in a fun and memorable way.
by Nouvelle ELA
Getting your students to design their very own posters is a
clever way to help them understand and remember the literary terms, dramatic
vocabulary, and poetic devices you’re covering. You might be surprised at how
creative they can be, given the opportunity.
by The Daring English
Teacher
This bulletin board ‘quilt’ will not only look as pretty as
your students can possibly make it, but it’s also a powerful tool to help shift
their perception of their own growth — and come to view their learning
positively.
by Secondary Sara
Classroom decor needs to be meaningful. Secondary Sara totally gets that, and her resource for getting students involved in selecting quotes from literature, finding the meaning in them and creating beautiful classroom displays is simply stunning.
AND…
I just love having versatile, always relevant art on the walls to
point to, whether I’m teaching literature, poetry, or writing skills. So if you want to brighten up your classroom walls with easily
accessible reminders of figurative language
techniques, why not download
my FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE POSTERS: 17 colorful printables, specially
designed for Middle/High School classrooms.
So, now that we have that sorted, let’s just all get back to our
G&Ts and Kindles, shall we?
Enjoy your Summer!
