Decorating my Classroom
I am currently in the process of moving to a new school which means in the next couple of weeks I have to start setting up my classroom. I was browsing through Pinterest when I decided to look for some inspiration for my classroom. Here are some of the things I came across:
I was blown away by how beautiful these classrooms are. They look warm, comfortable, and inviting. They look like a place I would love to spend time. Whenever I see classrooms like this on Pinterest though, I wonder how much they cost. There's art, furniture, rugs, decorations, storage containers, etc. which can add up to a lot of money. I know I get a small amount of money from the PTA at my school but I usually use that money for books, supplies, and activities. That means that I pay for decorations out of my own pocket. This past year, when I was teaching 5th grade another teacher made an off-hand comment about how my room looked like a "middle school classroom." She made this comment because my room wasn't as decorated as some of the other classrooms. This made me feel bad because I wondered if I wasn't doing enough to decorate my classroom.
This past year I have been focused on getting free or inexpensive art for my classroom. For instance, Shepard Fairey created this amazing campaign called We The Future which sends free artwork and lesson plans to teachers. I had two of them up in my classroom this year (see the photo below). I loved these because they are beautiful to look at and feature young people who are activists fighting for change.
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| Image Credit: Instagram - writeonwithmissg |
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| Image Credit: Instagram - CMA1291 |
This past year I have been focused on getting free or inexpensive art for my classroom. For instance, Shepard Fairey created this amazing campaign called We The Future which sends free artwork and lesson plans to teachers. I had two of them up in my classroom this year (see the photo below). I loved these because they are beautiful to look at and feature young people who are activists fighting for change.
I also spend a lot of time making my own posters with vocabulary, equations, or other information from lessons. I am also lucky that my husband is an artist so I have some of his artwork in my classroom. I spend quite a bit of time at thrift stores or Ikea too if I need furniture or storage containers.
As I plan for my classroom for next year I am pondering how much to spend on classroom decor. I know it is important because it can make a classroom feel comfortable for students, but I also know how easy it is for us as teachers to spend a lot of our own money on our classroom. I'm sure there is a balance here, but it can be difficult to find.
Thanks for sharing this! I also have been dealing with the same sort of thing. I am moving into a new classroom and need to start decorating and setting it up this week. Over the course of my last two years teaching I have spent a significant amount of time Googling "freebies for teachers" and have come up with some great classroom decor! I have gotten math posters, forest industry poster, dairymen's posters, and other educational decor for my room. I enjoyed the resource you shared for the posters and will be looking into this.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate that there are a lot of great freebies out there for teachers! There are so many beautiful posters that you can get for free. Moving into a new classroom is a ton of work, so I wish you the best of luck as you start working on it this week!
DeleteI agree that there's some unnecessary pressure to be a "Pinterest classroom" especially in elementary school. Remember, you are doing what is best for your students! Co-creating your learning space is an awesome way to build community and display students' work. I'm also a fan of free posters! Thank you for sharing the "We the Future" posters!
ReplyDeleteHere are some fun women in science posters: https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=14570
Yes, I wish we didn't have the pressure to have a "Pinterest classroom." The teachers I know who have one have spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars to make their classroom look like that which I think is crazy. Decorating is important for creating a warm environment, but as teachers we should not be spending all of our money on it. Thanks for sharing the women in science posters. They are fantastic!
DeleteThank you for the free resources...I know how expensive it can get! I was a special education teacher for the last 7 years and would purchase materials for my struggling students. I am going into a second grade classroom this year and need all new materials! I did find this one site where you can print your own posters for free. It's called Canva https://www.canva.com. Check it out...maybe it can be of some use!
ReplyDeleteI actually used Canva to create my wedding invitations! It’s a fantastic website. I hadn’t thought about using it for posters for my classroom though.
DeleteI liked the first image the most! I wonder if the teacher painted the wall.
ReplyDeleteI know it looks really beautiful! I’ve never been in a school though that lets you paint the walls. I wish you could though.
DeleteI have always loved decorating my classroom. It is one of my favorite things to do. Social media will have you believe that you are a mediocre teacher if your room isn't show room ready. I follow a woman on Instagram whose room is emaculate. Of course she sales her designs on TPT. Here is the link to her page: https://www.instagram.com/learninginwonderland/?hl=en. I hope you have a great year and your room is your home away from home.
ReplyDeleteI will check it out! I agree that social media definitely makes you feel bad if you’re classroom isn’t beautiful. I do enjoy decorating my classroom though.
DeleteI'm not a classroom teacher, but I always enjoy looking through Twitter and seeing cool classroom designs. I'm blown away at the type of environments that some teachers are able to create. The researcher side of me always wonders how different layouts affect student engagement and success.
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