Setting up Your Elementary School Classroom: Classroom Walls

How to Teach Elementary School Chapter 1: The Classroom has everything you need to know to set up and organize your classroom for student (and teacher) success.

Download the Chapter 1 Preview HERE!

For more details on classroom decor and Purposeful Teaching Tools for your classroom walls, purchase Chapter 1 of How to Teach Elementary School!

The three most important things to consider when planning your classroom layout and environment:

*Furniture Arrangement  

*Supplies & Materials Organization   

*Classroom Decor

Well-designed classrooms can improve student behavior, focus, attention, and achievement. To create a “clever classroom” you need to strategically plan what you will hang on the walls that will be purposeful to students, but not overwhelming to the senses. 

STUDENT WORK WALL

My go-to bulletin board in my classroom is the student work wall. After designating space for content-based anchor charts and essential items for classroom management and procedures, the focal point of my room is the student work wall.

Designate a space or two specifically to display what your students are completing in class. You can display an art project, writing assignment, even math problems!! There are lots of unique options for hanging student work on walls. If students can hang up and remove work on their own, it gives them ownership.

I display student work on clipboards that I hang from push pins. I create an array of boards on the wall to accommodate the number of students in my classroom. Each clipboard has a student number to indicate where students hang their work. At the end of each month, quarter, or trimester, the students remove the work from their clipboard and we file it into a folder for their end-of-the-year memory book.

If you don't have enough space for a full set of clipboards or are not able to purchase a set of clipboards, there are less expensive and space-saving options. Prior to having clipboards, I simply used laminated 9x12 sheets of construction paper with paper clips to hold student work. 

An alternative to laminated construction paper is 12x12 scrapbook paper if you want prints or colors to match the theme of your classroom. Student work can be hung with clothespin tacks or stikki clips.

A FUN, COLORFUL option is dry-erase pockets.  They can be hung on push pins or command hooks AND they are easy to remove and replace. Student work slides in and out, easy peasy!

Get really crafty and use FRAMES! It’s best to source these from the Dollar Store and make sure they have plastic rather than glass for safety purposes.

If you do not have wall space for a student work wall, consider hanging student work on twine or rope with binder clips.

To fill your student work wall before the students’ first project, hang motivational posters or “WORK COMING SOON” sheets!

Download FREE “Work Coming Soon” sheets HERE!

THE FRIDGE

When I saw this idea shared on social media my mind was blown. How did I not know about this earlier!?

THE FRIDGE is a place designated for students to hang items meaningful to them in your classroom. I always have a student work wall where each student has an assigned clipboard to hang assignments for display.

The Fridge is DIFFERENT. 

The Fridge is about student choice. The place you choose to be The Fridge can simply be a small section of a wall, the front of a cabinet, a metal cabinet where items can be hung with magnets, a section of an unused whiteboard, OR create a refrigerator bulletin board with white butcher paper or a white sheet!

What to hang on THE FRIDGE:

• Family Photos - Being able to share and see photos of their family members is a great reminder to kids that they are loved. Students are proud to share their families with their teacher and their peers. If they are having a tough day, a glance at their family photo can be a great reminder that they are loved. If a student is misbehaving, they can be reminded that they want to make their family proud. This visual reminder could be a helpful motivator to follow classroom rules. (Other photo options:  pictures of pets, pictures of their favorite place, pictures of friends, etc.)

• Post What Makes You Proud - Allow students to select a piece of work they are MOST proud of. You can have them share why they are proud of their work before hanging it, which allows students to celebrate each other and build community. 

• Teacher Love - Teachers receive hand-drawn pictures and notes en masse.  The Fridge can be the place you hang the items you receive, lovingly, from your students.

CLASSROOM WALLS: TIPS AND TRICKS SO THAT EVERYTHING STICKS!

There are a variety of different surfaces in your classroom for hanging posters, anchor charts, and student work: cinderblock, brick, wood, glass windows, metal cabinets, traditional textured walls, and more. Knowing how to attach items so that they STICK, but do not damage the surface is important.

In my search for all the tips, I found that teachers from different climate regions have varying levels of success with certain materials. Please note: some adhesives do not work as well in hot, humid areas.

For traditional textured walls, stapling is best. You can use a traditional stapler or purchase a staple gun. I prefer the staple gun since you can staple one-handed. I use the Arrow Staple Gun and it comes with a staple remover. BONUS!

There are various types of tape like traditional Scotch tape, masking tape, and painter's tape. Many teachers swear by Mavalus Tape which comes in a variety of widths and colors.

Double Sided Gel Tape, also called nano tape or alien tape, sticks to most surfaces, but be careful as it may affect painted surfaces.

Teacher’s Tape is a foam tape that comes in squares or strips. It is meant for one-time use, as it is removable but not re-positionable.

If you are wanting to try something other than tape, Velcro Dots is a good option, especially for items you may need to remove and rehang.

Mounting Putty is another alternative to tape or adhesives that are for one-time use. Though, Mounting Putty can be removed and reused as long as it is clear and free of residue.

Cinder block walls can be the most challenging. The #1 tip from teachers is to use HOT GLUE.  Put the painter's tape on the cinder block, then put hot glue (at a low temperature) on the painter's tape. It holds firm but is easily removed by simply peeling off the painter’s tape.

For more details on classroom decor and Purposeful Teaching Tools for your classroom walls, purchase Chapter 1 of How to Teach Elementary School!