Your classroom should be welcoming to your students. It should be an engaging and entertaining yet educational environment. With the right decorations, educational tools and layouts, you can turn your classroom into a place that your students will never want to leave.
Bring Your Walls to Life
If you leave the walls of your classroom bare, it will feel like a prison. The stigma that school is like jail already exists among children. You have the power to change that. Hang some motivational posters on the wall. Mount a world map wall clock. Students will at least learn something while checking how long until class is over. Place a “morning greeting” chart on the wall by the door so students can choose if they want to be greeted by a hug, handshake, high five or fist bump.
Equip Your Room With the Right Toolbox
Kids need more materials than textbooks and pencils. Unique and creative educational tools make learning an exciting experience. Make each student an individual cubbyhole so that he or she can have own space. Create a classroom jobs chart to teach students responsibility and give them a purpose. Implement an incentives system using coupons or prizes to promote good behavior. Create a “talk to teacher” box for children to write questions or problems they may have but are too nervous to discuss in person.
Create the Space That Serves You Best
While you don’t need to use feng shui, arranging your classroom in a constructive way can help increase focus and productivity. Create a student/teacher workspace table at the front of the classroom. It helps you keep an eye on the whole classroom while working with a small group of students. Clear a corner of the room for story time, dance and music time and a space for restless students to release energy.
Teaching is much harder than it looks. Applying these tips to your classroom is the best way to set yourself up for success.