The environment we create for our students is equally as important as the content we teach and the learning strategies we use. This applies to all teachers of all age groups from preschool to graduate school. The environment includes the atmosphere, the traditions we set, the furniture arrangement, the centers or special areas within the room, and the decorations. All of these things add up to create either a positive or negative environment for students.
Here are some tips to help you in creating a welcoming environment.
Students feel welcomed and inspired to learn from the moment they walk through your door.
This can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Primary and elementary teachers may want to decorate their door with a theme. It can be a simple welcome theme, your classroom theme, or a unit theme. Some examples might include:
Welcome to a Beary Special Place
Blasting off to Learning
Come Explore Learning in Room 32
Soar the Heights with Mrs. Peters
Middle school and high school teachers may not want to decorate their door with a theme, but can use other items to show students that their room is a place of caring and learning. Some examples:
special artwork done by students
artifacts that show your personality
A welcome statement of some sort
A class slogan
When setting up your room, first do a sketch to get an idea of how everything will look and to help you stay organized when moving everything around. Ask yourself:
Should I use rows or groups of desks?
Should I use tables?
Should I have a reading corner?
Should I have a special place for centers?
Should I have a time-out area?
How easily will I be able to move between students?
Can we all get out of the classroom quickly in case of an emergency?
Classroom walls and bulletin boards are covered with thought-provoking and stimulating material
Motivational posters inspire students
Primary classroom walls should be language rich with words and pictures
Some posters can be practical such as listing classroom expectations, or things to do when finished early
Humorous posters tell students you know how to laugh
A poster of good manners and/or lifeskills is good to have up for reference during a teachable moment
Bulletin Board ideas:
Quotable quotes
What's New - to post classroom, school, community, and world events
Birthday board
Centers - Use a board to post brain challenges or learning center activities
Miss Manners
Famous Authors
Who's Who is Room - spotlight students and their work
See what We're Doing - post student work
Theme - changes with each unit
Famous Scientists
Careers
Famous Mathematicians
Highlight a concept being taught
Who Am I? - show a baby picture and clues. Students have to guess who that person is.
