Creative Bulletin Board Ideas

Are you tired of having to come up with classroom decorations and bulletin board ideas for every holiday and special occasion? It’s a never-ending cycle. Just when one season or holiday comes to an end another one begins!

Sure there are bulletin board books out there that can give you some pretty good ideas, but those cost money, and I don’t know about you but I’m trying to cut back on spending!

What if I told you there was a community on the internet, much like a Facebook or Twitter, specifically made for teachers to share bulletin board and classroom decoration ideas? That sounds pretty cool, right?

The site I’m talking about just launched in February 2010, and it’s quickly becoming the most popular community for teachers on the web! It’s 100% FREE and really easy to use. So what are you waiting for? Just click the link below and you’ll be on your way to a never-ending supply of bulletin board ideas!

Grade My Classroom

Teaching Children About Appropriate Behavior

As a mom or teacher of young children, you have witnessed how misbehavior can escalate rather quickly. You know what your parents have taught you or what the school district has mandated as proper behavior management techniques, but how do you make sure your children are ‘getting it’? How can you be certain that you’re doing your best to exploit these teachable moments? Finding the delicate balance between appropriate discipline and negative reinforcement is a struggle for most parents and teachers. Amanda Morgan, Not Just Cute creator, has written a great article about positive guidance and alternative disciplinary procedures that can be used at home or school to create greater benefit and learning.

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Another Flag Creation

While many adults get caught up in work or home life and have a tendency to forget, teachers have a unique opportunity to remind students of the greatness of our country and the work of our founding fathers. Janet, a volunteer art teacher in San Diego, offers a way to bring the symbol of our nation to life with this awesome flag mural.

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Green Teachers

Recycling doesn’t have to stop with classroom paper bins and the occasional craft. In fact, there are many opportunities for reusing everyday materials to make challenging educational tools. EducatAll, a site dedicated to enriching the teaching process, has compiled a helpful list of ideas that will help you turn recycled materials into classroom games.

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Glue For Toddlers

One of the ways toddlers explore their surroundings and further their own cognitive and physical development is through hand-to-mouth interaction. This is great when teaching children how to feed themselves, but can be detrimental when attempting to play games or do art projects in class. Crayons, play-doh, and craft glue, the cornerstones of art exploration, are all big temptations for a two year old. Deborah, creator of Excellence in Early Childhood Education, has developed a wonderful alternative to using craft glue—corn syrup and food coloring!

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Fun With Buttons

Natalie, mother and creator of Tired, Need Sleep, has designed a wonderful learning tool for young children. Buttoning, next to tying shoes, is one of the hardest skills to master. It takes quite a bit of coordination and dexterity to fit these small objects into their proper place. A great way to strengthen this skill is to make a button board where children can practice.

Supplies You’ll Need
• Large piece of corrugated cardboard
• Fabric
• Bright Buttons
• Felt sheets in assorted colors
• Kids scissors
• Craft glue
• Needle and thread

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Finally…Paper Planes Are Appropriate In School!

While most educators spend their days attempting to keep cell phones, toys, and other contraband out of the classroom, adapting a few lessons to embrace these inevitabilities can offer a unique learning experience for your students. Shirley, a preschool activities blogger, invites you to do just that by opening your mind to the possibilities of learning through paper planes.

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All About Me

Starting off the school year with a unit that allows you to get to know each of your students, as well as, helps your students get to know each other can be a great idea. Here are some ideas to get this unit started!

All About Me Books

While these books may take a little longer to complete, they make great keepsakes. Depending upon the age of your students, there are two main options to consider when planning this project. Do I provide a worksheet template for students to fill out and paste onto a piece of construction paper, or do I encourage them to explore specific topics freehand? Simple templates can be made using word processing or other design software and may take some of the guesswork out of crafting. On the other hand, encouraging student creativity by inviting them to design their own pages can only benefit your students. Only you know the dynamic and skill level of your students so weigh the options carefully.

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A Learning-Friendly Environment

An environment that promotes learning is one that is free of disorganization, distractions, and disruptions. While you cannot control everything, there are simple steps that can be taken to create a more effective learning experience for your students.

While your personality may lend itself to clutter, disorganization, and messes, it is proven that children learn better in a well-maintained and structured environment. Effective filing systems keep papers off your desk and facilitate the prompt location of needed forms and worksheets. Lesson materials collected in advance allow smooth transitions from activity to activity. Organizational helpers like bins, totes, and plastic drawer systems keep common areas ordered and allow for easy maintenance. Additionally, a few extra minutes spent straightening and organizing at the end of the day can go a long way to maintaining a positive learning space free of clutter and disorder.

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The Red, White, and Blue

Kathy Barbro, art teacher and blogger, has shared a wonderful project that encourages a closer look at what makes this country great—life and liberty. Coupled with a lesson on the Declaration of Independence, the Civil War, and the heroes that stood up for us then and continue to give their lives for us now, this dynamic project can leave a lasting impression on your students.

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Paper Towel Masterpieces

A lot of teachers think that craft time has to involve actual art supplies, and because most are mandated to save or use supplies sparingly, craft time in the classroom becomes a luxury for holidays or special occasions. The awesome truth is there are a profusion of projects that make use of inexpensive items from around the house to create fun, colorful crafts your students will love. Deborah, creator of the blog Excellence In Early Childhood Education, offers one such craft using washable markers and sheets of paper towel.

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Fun With Watercolors

Kids Artists creator, Jacquelein, has shared a wonderful project that allows children to learn about watercolor paint, as well as, the ocean. Be sure to check out her post for a picture of the finished product and artwork directions. She suggests having your students write their own poetry, but if you need a quick, fun project, here are some great poems your students can use!

At the Sea-Side
By Robert Louis Stevenson

When I was down beside the sea
A wooden spade they gave to me
To dig the sandy shore.

My holes were empty like a cup.
In every hole the sea came up,
Till I could come no more.

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Effective Studying

Helping students prepare for exams can be rather challenging. Review sessions in class certainly have their merit as do review sheets, but what about when you send your students home? What tips can you give them for effective study sessions?

The first is to create a space specifically for studying. Inform your students that a well-lit room away from distractions such as televisions, gaming systems, or places where people tend to congregate provides the most effective environment for test prep. Tell your students to gather all materials they need before they crack the books: pencils, highlighters, textbooks, notes, PowerPoint slides, even a drink of water. It’s amazing how much time can be wasted by being unprepared.

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The Newest and Brightest…

Lauren from Parenting.com has compiled a wonderful resource to use when stocking your kid-friendly play zones with the newest and best educational toys and supplies. First unveiled at the 2010 New York International Toy Fair, her article discusses the coolest toys to enter the market this year. Here are some additions to consider.

LEGO® Creationary

Lego has finally created its own line of board games where students can put their building skills to the test. Creationary, described as Pictionary with LEGO® pieces, is designed for ages seven to twelve and tests student’s fine motor and building skills in four distinct categories; vehicles, buildings, nature, or things. As one student builds, their teammates try to guess what the object is. A fun game that encourages teamwork, imagination, and coordination!

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One of A Kind Flowers

Parents enjoy when their children bring home crafts they’ve been working on in class, especially when these projects include elements that are special or unique to their child, like a hand-, foot-, or fingerprint. While gaining priority placement on the refrigerator or family message board, these masterpieces can also become instant keepsakes. Allison McDonald, Family Education blog contributor, has posted a simple spring craft that will add a splash of color to your classroom, while also being a big hit with parents!

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Learning About Classification

Early on, children learn how to classify objects. They learn that socks come in pairs. They learn to categorize shoes based on season (i.e. winter boots, summer sandals, etc.). What they may not know is that classification is simply grouping items by common characteristics. Sometimes these characteristics can be seen, other times they are recognized through other senses. A great way to strengthen observation skills is to ask your students to view a selection of objects and create their own system of classification.

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Folder Learning Games

While you’ve attempted to plan out the entire day, interruptions or finishing lessons faster than planned can cause for moments of free time. Granting your students free time can be an effective remedy, but you can’t guarantee that valuable learning time won’t be wasted. A great solution is to provide file folder learning games that can be completed individually or with a partner. These can be tailored to any age group and can range from fun busywork to challenging extra credit.

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Defeating Cheating In The Classroom

Many students have succumbed to the mindset that cheating is okay. Whether finding it necessary to keep grades up to participate in sports, get into a good college, keep grade-influenced privileges, or otherwise, more and more students have begun sneaking peeks at their neighbor’s paper to ensure their own scholastic success. Sadly, because it has become so commonplace, many teachers have given up trying to fight it, accepting it as a “fact of life”. Victor Gallis, former educator and Suite101 contributor, has written an article in an attempt to combat these norms and give practical advice on how to defeat cheating in the classroom.

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Pot of Gold Treasure Hunt

Since your students are expecting to get a treat on St. Patrick’s Day, why not make them work for it? Designing a classroom treasure hunt is a great way to promote teamwork and problem solving skills. Jo, co-creator of the blog Chica and Jo, offers a fun way of doing just that!

Before beginning this activity, she suggests collecting the following items:

• One large green cauldron.
• Six small black cauldrons.
• Candy with gold wrappers. These may include Rolo, Reese’s, Hershey’s Nuggets, Twix, etc.
• Small rainbow colored toys. Children’s party favors from your local party or craft store can make fun ideas.
• Rainbow colored ribbon.
• Rainbow colored tissue paper.

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Origami In The Classroom

Origami has long been used in the classroom, not only for its beauty and versatility, but for the educational and developmental benefits derived from it. As this art requires the use of both hands, participants stimulate the brain bi-manually, as well as, engage both left and right hemispheres. The physical craft of folding paper strengthens fine motor skills and develops muscle coordination, while improving the ability to follow directions and teaching the brain to sequence. Spatial reasoning is reinforced as students take a one-dimensional piece of paper and turn it into a three-dimensional object. Lastly, origami trains the brain to focus, teaches multi-cultural awareness, and imposes a sense of calm and relaxation on participants.

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Homemade Stamps

For students who are attempting to master shapes, creating homemade stamps out of potatoes and other vegetables is a fun way to learn. The night before, collect an assortment of fruits and vegetables. These can include, but are not limited to, potatoes, apples, cucumbers, oranges, and lemons. Cut each of the items in half and leave them to sit out overnight. Because this project involves the use of a knife, it is best for an adult to cut out the shapes to be used for stamping. Combine basic shapes (i.e. circle, square, triangle, octagon) with other fun, more decorative shapes. Once again, these can include, but are not limited to: stars, hearts, shamrocks, fish, a moon, a sun, smiley faces, or flowers.

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Colorful Spring Wreath

Decorating with butterfly crafts is a fun and colorful way of welcoming spring into the classroom. Craft Bits, a free craft resource for educators and parents, has developed this awesome butterfly wreath that takes little planning, but offers vibrant results!

In preparation for this craft, design four different butterfly templates, varied in size and shape. Because they will see a lot of wear and tear, make sure you create these out of sturdy material. Card stock or cardboard from recycled cereal boxes make inexpensive alternatives. So that time isn’t wasted, make a set of butterfly templates for each group of four students.

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Birds In Springtime

Gail Bartel, of That Artist Woman blog, has shared a wonderful spring project for ages seven and up. If you’re an art teacher who has been attempting to find a way to bridge the gap between class lessons and other subjects, or a primary teacher who likes the diversion from simple crafts, this is a great lesson to check out!

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“March comes in like a lion…”

With the popular saying, “March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb”, the first month of spring wouldn’t be complete without a lesson on weather. Explaining to your students that this saying illustrates the weather transition from winter to spring, invite them to brainstorm what characteristics make weather ‘ferocious’ and those that are deemed ‘calm’. Topics to discuss may include temperature, wind speed, type of precipitation, etc.

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Managing Misbehavior

It has been said that, in life, if you plan your response ahead of time, you won’t be caught off guard. The same is true with teaching and discipline. If you have guidelines for discipline and have practiced standing firm, when misbehavior disrupts your classroom, you’ll be ready and able to handle it. Jennifer Wagaman has compiled a list of five helpful classroom management suggestions to keep in mind when dealing with behavior problems.

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