The classroom is a great place to spark the imagination of students while stimulating their minds to work even greater than before. Unfortunately, today’s teachers aren’t given a whole lot of spending money to spice up their classroom. This often mean that everything in the room was paid for solely by the teacher. There are a few ways for all of you teachers to make your classroom extraordinary without having to spend a bundle to do so. With these ten suggestions your new students will love the way the classroom looks and you won’t end up in a budgeting crisis before the school year even begins. These tips are also great for any parent looking to help out with decorations this school year, as most teachers will be incredibly appreciative of any help you may offer.
1. Cork Board
Cork board is one of the greatest items to have in your classroom. It doesn’t matter if you’re teaching older or younger students as the cork board can be utilized to be efficient in any classroom setting. One amazing idea for the cork board is to keep letters and pictures given to you from previous students. This is a great for teachers as sometimes it is a good reminder that you’re doing an excellent job. Cork board is also an amazing bulletin board for what the classroom is doing. You can post schedules for parents or reminders about tests and homework. You may also want to post up pictures of the students working and having fun to make the classroom a lot more homey. The cork board can also be used as a goal chart so your students can keep track of what they want to learn this year as well as how far they’ve progressed since the first day of school.
2. Board Games
It might seem a big farfetched, but games are an excellent décor item for the classroom, especially if you’re working with younger children. Board games are a fun part of learning so try to allow them during your student’s free time as much as possible. However, instead of putting the games in worn down boxes on a shelf you may want to let them hang on the wall for all to see. This can easily be accomplished by adding velco to the back of the games as well as the wall. When the kids want to play a specific game all they have to do is pull it off the wall and begin. This makes cleanup a whole lot easier too as the board will go right back on the wall. Doing this will also ensure that a lot of your games will last a whole lot longer. Folding can cause tears in the board which require tape to fix. With the boards always flat it’s much easier to notice which games might need to be recycled. As far as game pieces go, simply put them in a ziplock and add them to the back of the board. If you’re worried about the pieces getting lost then keep them in your drawer and have the kids check them out when they want to play.
3. Stars
What kid doesn’t enjoy a looking at the night’s sky. Well, with a few alterations you can add a star effect to your classroom that will really spark your students imaginations. One simple way to do this is to buy a new or used shade. If you can’t find a shade to use the pick up some posterboard, it will work the same but will mean you’ll have to apply the night’s sky every time you want to use it. Once you have your materials then punch different sized holes in the shade/posterboard. You can use pins, hole punches, scissors and anything else you come up with to do this. When the project is complete put it in the window and watch your classroom transform. This is a really great trick for astronomy lessons and nap or quiet time. You might also want to consider the glow in the dark stars. These can be applies on the ceiling, chairs, desks and anywhere else you think fitting. To make things even more exciting have the students draw their own stars with their names, pictures, dreams and goals.
4. Utilize Decals
Decals may become one of your best friends during the school year. These amazing items can be placed in so many areas of the classroom in order to cheaply make you room fantastic. Some of the more popular decals work wonders on dry boards. If you want to save money on markers and time in the classroom then you might want to order or create decal for items you’re constantly writing on the board. Some great examples of decals would be your name, homework, months and the subjects you’ll be working on. These decals can be washed off with soap and water, but will stand up to your eraser. You can also order decals for propular quotes that you’d like to inspire the class. These can be switched out throughout the year. Decals with images of subjects or popular kids characters are also a great idea for your classroom. You might also consider getting decals for your desk and maybe even come for the kids desks.
5. Seating
Story time is an important part of your lessons. Of course, kids are going to want somewhere a little more comfortable to sit, especially if your flooring isn’t carpeted. There’s a few ways to inexpensively take care of your student’s sitting needs though. One easy way is to pick up a roll of cabinet grip liner. This liner has a nice feel to it and comes in a variety of colors. Once you have a few rolls then cut the pieces into different shapes that are large enough to sit on. The liners will keep kids sitting in one spot and will add a little cushion and prevent chills from the cold floor. Another way to make seating a little more comfortable is to to buy a selection of clearanced fabrics. From these fabrics cut circles large enough to sit on and sew them with another type of fabric. You can add passing if you want, but the fabric should be enough to keep the cold floor from bothering the children. When the two different fabrics the kids can pick which side they like bed to sit on. You can even do different colors to create teams for trivia questions or other game oriented activities.
6. Recycling
You might be surprised as to the items you can find in your recycling that will benefit the classroom. One great example is using all those old baby food jars as storage for smaller items such as buttons, glitter, sequence and cotton balls. Oatmeal containers and milk jugs can easily be given a make over to hold items such as crayons and pencils. The milk jugs are also great for keeping your students group items in order. Each group can have a mug filled with everything needed to complete tasks for the day. Another great idea is to use sand pails that might not get a whole lot of use during the school year. These make great pencil holders. You could even create a pail for sharp pencils and another for full or broken pencils in order to keep your students on task with work, rather than worrying about their pencils. If you have a lot of cereal boxes then add them to the classroom so students can turn in their homework or tests, rather than spending money on bins.
7. Books
What goes better in the classroom than books? So, use your books as a little décor to get your young minds working. Most classrooms have plenty of books in them, but if you work with kids you know you’re going to end up with broken spines, ripped out pages and pages filled with drawings. Instead of getting rid of these books try to add them to the classroom. Try cutting out some of the pictures from the book and mod podge them onto desks, coat racks, shelves, cork boards or even the wall. You may even find some unaltered text to add to the picture for an extra special touch. If the cover isn’t too damaged try to frame it and add it to the wall or if you have lots of covers then try to cover a wall with the items. This will inspire kids to read more. You could even give them bonus points if they read every book that appears on the wall. Another idea is to take book sleeves and hang them from the ceiling for all to see. This can easily be done with clothes line and clothes pins.
8. Bring Items From Home
Let’s face it, you’ve probably got a whole lot of cool items in your storage unit that are just collecting dust. Before classes start do a little late spring cleaning and see what you can come up with for your classroom. A couple of always amazing ideas are large maps or any sized globe. Kids love to learn about the world and these tools might be not be seen as often as they should be. Even if you’re not studying these items they will add a great vibe to the classroom and may even aid you in some of your current event discussions. Other old items might be a great addition to the classroom too. For instance, old cameras, type writers and phones always look cool and are items most kids won’t be exposed to. Even if the items don’t work they make great show and tell items that will help kids understand how the technology they use today came to be. Stuffed animals and other toys are always a nice touch too, so if your kids aren’t using it anymore then try to find some way to add it to the classroom. Once you start looking you may find a world of cool items to help spruce up the classroom.
9. Tissue Paper
It’s cheap, easy to work with and has unlimited uses. Yes, tissue paper can really go a long way in your classroom. You can easily use colored paper to cover a wall to add a little extra style to the room. It also makes a great liner for bulletin boards and to decorate your desk. A little starch and paper can go a long way when it comes to adding decorations to the classroom window. This will help you keep up with the seasons for a whole lot less. Another great thing to do with tissue paper is to grate fun items like a story time tree. This won’t take a lot of time and will provide you with a great place to read to the kids. You can also make a fireplace, campfire or other decorative items that go alone with the season.
10. Swap Items
As the years pass there’s a good chance you’re going to have a lot of supplies you’re just not using. For instance, some of your bulletin board liners might not suit your taste or needs anymore. Instead of throwing these items out try to trade them for something another teacher has. This will give you new supplies without having to spend any money or forcing you to keep items you don’t want in storage. It will also create bonding within the school so you and the other teacher’s will know you each have someone to rely on which could help with spending money in the future.
Creating your dream classroom can be hard when you’re on a tight budget. With these few tips you should be able to find some way to create a fun environment for a whole lot less. Now, all you have to worry about is getting everything set up before class begins!
