Whether you’re a seasoned instructor or just starting your teaching career, classroom decorating can either be loads of fun or the biggest headache. It can be hard to think of fresh ideas every year, but we can help. Turn decorating into something fun with a few classroom decoration ideas for high school to elementary school! Let’s start with high school.
How to Decorate High School Classroom
Decorating a room to appeal to 14 through 17-year-olds can be hard. The interests of these students vary. Regardless of age, nobody wants to sit in a plain and empty classroom. Here are a few creative high school classroom ideasfor decorating.
Your class subject can be your theme. If you teach Chemistry, use chemical pictures, ideas, and concepts to decoration your classroom. If you’re a Spanish teacher, use Spanish colors and traditional cultural décor to make your classroom a little more exciting.
Color scheme. Be consistent in the colors you choose for your classroom. Be aware of color psychology but also try to use coordinating colors.
Utilize your storage. Your storage bins and organization don’t necessarily have to match your classroom theme, but at the least make them visually appealing.
Go green. Use house plants to make your classroom look warm and welcoming. Studies show that plants indoors improve mood, reduce stress, and create a feeling of well-being.
Classroom Wall Decoration Ideas for High School
Here are some general basics you can implement to decorate the walls of your classroom. Most of these things vary from every classroom and your style as a teacher, but we have a few ideas to offer.
- Students’ work
- Posters – These posters could be charts which correspond to your lessons. You can put up poster with acronyms to inspire learning. You might even put up a poster of your favorite movie just for fun.
- Quotes – Featuring quotes along your wall can inspire and encourage your students as they work. Try to pick out quotes that are relevant to the field you’re studying. If you’re studying world history, pick a quote about the growth of civilization. You can always post general quotes too but pick one which inspire students to do great things.
- Pictures – Post images along your wall as decoration. Instead of charts or posters, put up famous art prints or historical photos. With your student’s permission, you can post pictures of your class from throughout the year.
Here are a few more tips for the best high school classroom decorationsspecific to the subject you’re teaching.
High School English Classroom Decorations
Decorating an English classroom can go several different directions. With the stories you’re reading, take your classroom themes to totally new times and places.
- Use literature. If your class is reading books from a certain era, real or imagined,, use those stories and authors to inspire your classroom decorations. If your focus is on British Lit, dedicate an area of the room to Lewis Carroll and Alice in Wonderland.
- Make a word wall. Literature is full of unique and uncommon words. Make a word wall for your students to post words and definitions from their reading.
- Leave some empty space for imagination. Post writing tips or important questions for literature analysis. Let your students turn this space into whatever they want in regards your subject of study.
Source #1, Source #2, Source #3
High School Science Classroom Decorations
More than likely, your high school science class will be held in a lab, which means there won’t be a whole lot of space for decorations. But a little bit of décor is never a bad addition, and with science, there are always some interesting pictures and charts to feature on your classroom walls.
- Incorporate elements of your lesson. List the phases of mitosis on the wall with pictures, or the steps of the scientific method. This will help your students remember what they’re learning and give life to your classroom.
- Use the students’ hands on work. Feature their 3D designs of DNA, or the solar system around the classroom. Assign each student an element and have them create a personalized periodic table.
High School Math Classroom Decorations
A math classroom can be one of the easiest classrooms to decorate. You have so many formulas to memorize and rules to follow. You can easily fill up every wall with charts and graphs, but don’t forget to leave room for some fun decorations, too.
- Make your charts and graphs colorful. Too many black and white facts and numbers can be boring for some students. Use colors and pictures to make these elements more interesting.
- Make wall decorations interactive. There is nothing that helps students learn more than practice. Have a whiteboard designated to a problem a day which your students can try and solve. Create a chart with sections missing so your students can fill it in each week.
- Create a ‘fridge display’. Use one of your bulletin boards to make “the fridge”. Like their fridges at home, you can post homework your students did well on and tests they aced – with your students’ permission, of course.
Source #1, Source #2, Source #3
How to Decorate Middle School Classroom
Decorating a middle school classroom is a delicate matter. Middle schoolers can be more insecure, more sensitive, and more concerned with looking cool to their peers than learning. Take this into account when choosing secondary classroom décor.
Middle School Classroom Decorating Ideas
You can still use some of the basic ideas from elementary classroom decorating, but make a few tweaks to suit their age.
Establish a Theme
Themes can be an awesome addition to your middle school classroom décor, but you need to take more care in what you pick so you can win over your students.
Use colors to spark excitement but remember color psychology. Try to not use colors that are quite as bright and loud as what you would use for elementary age. That’s not to say you can’t use any bright colors but focus more on cool and calming tones.
Keep up with the times. Nothing will engage your students more than feeling related to. Focus on bringing their world into the classroom and connect their interests to learning.
Try the home sweet home vibe. Instead of crafting and creating a classroom based on something popular, try making your classroom feel like home. Decorate your reading station with a sofa or some comfy chairs. Put pictures of your class on the walls and hang curtains in the windows. This is a relaxing theme for you and your students.
Decorate your door. This is still a great idea for middle schoolers but don’t go over the top. Make the door inviting, but don’t overdo it with too many colors.
Arrange your Classroom
After lunch, drowsiness is going to start hitting at this age. If it’s possible, leave enough space around your classroom for your students to get up and be active. Incorporate games and lessons that require your students to stand up so they can wake up.
If you have enough space, stations are still a great way to organize your materials.
Be open to changing your classroom arrangement. The longer you teach you’ll have a better idea as to your favorite classroom arrangements. Keep in mind, the arrangement that works for one class might not work as well for next year’s class. Don’t be discouraged but be flexible to trying new arrangements.
Arranging your classroom is a great opportunity to build collaborative learning. You can arrange the desks in a way that encourages communication and teamwork on school projects. If you have assigned seating, change your seating up once every few months to encourage kids to socialize with those they might not have.
Incorporate Interactive Elements
Make a section of your classroom interactive for your students. Have them post their favorite part of the week or make interactive decorations a part of your daily lessons. Keep in mind that every student is different. Some might not feel comfortable to participate, so consider making this section of the classroom optional involvement.
Recruit Student Help
Feature your students’ work. Make your students feel special by featuring their artwork around the classroom. This is an easy way to decorate the room and make your students feel included.
How to Decorate an Elementary School Classroom
Decorating your elementary classroom is one of the best ways to engage your students and spark their excitement every day. As a teacher, you can use your decorations to stimulate learning. Check out some of our classroom decoration ideas for primary school.
Establish a Theme
Themes aren’t just a fun way to make your classroom beautiful; they’re also a great learning tool. Kids absorb a lot of information from their environment, so use your theme in a way that will promote learning. Here are some ways to create a learning experience through your classroom theme.
Use color. Colors have a psychological impact on the brain and hormoneswhich can affect your student’s attitudes and feelings toward learning. When you’re choosing your theme, pick something with calming and inspiring colors like blue or yellow.
Incorporate storage, organization, and rules. Classrooms can easily become cluttered with all your school materials and decorations. Try marrying your theme with your storage bins and organizational systems. If you have a safari theme, make your storage bins different safari animals. This will be easier for you and more fun for your students when it’s time to clean up. If your theme is Ninja Turtles, rename your classroom rules ‘Ninja Turtle Code of Conduct’.
Arrange your classroom. Make special stations like the reading corner or the craft corner and add in elements of your theme. If you have a global theme, name these special stations different countries or continents.
Decorate your door. Door décor is the first thing your studentssee when they walk into school. You might have some nervous or scared students, but a warm and friendly decorated door is a reassuring sign that it’s going to be a great year.
Personalization
Kids love seeing their names. Connect with your students individually through the classroom theme by using their names. Decorate your classroom walls with students’ names in fun fonts. Create an area entirely dedicated for your students to add their own personal touch to the classroom. This way they know you prioritize their individuality.
Recruit Student Help
Make decorating your classroom a yearlong project and recruit your students’ help. This will save you a lot of work and will encourage your students to get involved. Maybe they get to add to the art wall or take another step on the Road to Reading Map. By the end of the year, you and your students can look around a classroom to which everyone has contributed.
Classroom Resupply
It’s hard to keep track of everything you need for a new school year, so here are some commonly restocked materials for the classroom.
- Tape– Tape is a fix-all tool for everything from ripped pages to broken pencils, and you’ll likely need to restock regularly. Grab it in bulk to save money and stay stocked.
- Binder Clips– No matter how much you try to keep these guys organized and together, they still manage to get lost. Grab a bunch and stay prepared.
- Scissors– It’s amazing how classroom use can wear down your scissors. Purchase a few extra to replace them as needed.
- Binders– With wear and tear, it’s more than likely you’ll need a few more binders. Grab them on an as-needed basis in multipacks.
- Rulers– Let’s face it, plastic rulers are some of the most frequently broken supplies. At Blue Summit Supplies, we offer affordable, shatterproof plastic rulers with a bendable feature that keeps them from breaking so easily. Check them out and prevent yourself from having to restock so often.
- Sheet Protectors–It’s not hard to wear down your sheet protectors. Get ahead of it by having spares on hand.
- Dry Erase Markersor Chalk– These items will probably call for a resupply every year (if not more). If you want to find the best whiteboard markers, we’ve broken it down in a whiteboard markers buyer’s guide.
- Lapboard Whiteboards– If these aren’t cleaned well, it’s easy for your lapboards to turn into an inky mess. Some might be too stained to salvage, so it’s a good idea to replenish them. If you want to keep these set of whiteboards clean and reusable for years, check out this article on cleaning whiteboards.
- If you’re a teacher, you shouldn’t have to take on the burden of financing new classroom supplies alone. Check out our piece on classroom restockingfor ideas on getting the community involved to support education.
How to Decorate your Bulletin Board
Decorating your classroom bulletin board doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are a couple helpful tips for turning your bulletin board into the highlight of your classroom.
- Make it interactive. Since it’s easy to add and remove things from a corkboard, make your board interactive for your students. Let them post their ideas or their favorite parts of class.
- Use it for review. Post review material on your board. As you teach, ask your students what would be most helpful for them to have on the board.
- Change it up. Try changing up your board decorations throughout the year to keep it fresh and interesting for your students.
If you need help with some ideas for how to make your bulletin board stand out, check out one of our posts on corkboard DIY ideas.
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Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert and enthusiast, I have personal experiences or expertise, but I can provide information on various topics. Based on the information provided in the article, here is some information related to classroom decoration ideas for different grade levels:
High School Classroom Decoration Ideas:
- Source your class subject as your theme: If you teach Chemistry, use chemical pictures, ideas, and concepts to decorate your classroom. If you’re a Spanish teacher, use Spanish colors and traditional cultural décor to make your classroom more exciting.
- Color scheme: Be consistent in the colors you choose for your classroom. Be aware of color psychology but also try to use coordinating colors.
- Utilize your storage: Your storage bins and organization don’t necessarily have to match your classroom theme, but at the least make them visually appealing.
- Go green: Use house plants to make your classroom look warm and welcoming. Studies show that plants indoors improve mood, reduce stress, and create a feeling of well-being.
High School Classroom Wall Decoration Ideas:
- Students' work: Display your students' work on the walls, showcasing their achievements and creativity.
- Posters: Use educational posters that correspond to your lessons. You can also include inspirational posters or posters related to the subject you're teaching.
- Quotes: Feature relevant quotes along your wall to inspire and encourage your students as they work.
- Pictures: Decorate your walls with famous art prints or historical photos to create an engaging learning environment.
High School English Classroom Decoration Ideas:
- Use literature: If your class is reading books from a certain era, use those stories and authors to inspire your classroom decorations. For example, if your focus is on British Literature, dedicate an area of the room to Lewis Carroll and Alice in Wonderland.
- Make a word wall: Create a word wall for your students to post words and definitions from their reading.
- Leave some empty space for imagination: Post writing tips or important questions for literature analysis and let your students turn this space into whatever they want in regards to your subject of study.
High School Science Classroom Decoration Ideas:
- Incorporate elements of your lesson: List the phases of mitosis on the wall with pictures or the steps of the scientific method. This will help your students remember what they're learning and give life to your classroom.
- Use the students' hands-on work: Feature their 3D designs of DNA or the solar system around the classroom. Assign each student an element and have them create a personalized periodic table.
High School Math Classroom Decoration Ideas:
- Make your charts and graphs colorful: Use colors and pictures to make charts and graphs more interesting and engaging for students.
- Make wall decorations interactive: Create a problem of the day on a whiteboard for students to solve or create a chart with sections missing for students to fill in each week.
- Create a 'fridge display': Use one of your bulletin boards to make a "fridge" where you can post homework your students did well on and tests they aced.
Middle School Classroom Decoration Ideas:
- Establish a theme: Choose a theme that will engage your middle school students and connect with their interests.
- Use colors to spark excitement: Use colors that are calming and inspiring, focusing on cool and calming tones.
- Keep up with the times: Incorporate elements of popular culture and connect your students' interests to learning.
- Try the home sweet home vibe: Make your classroom feel like home by adding cozy elements like sofas or comfy chairs, and personalize it with pictures of your class and curtains in the windows.
- Decorate your door: Make your door inviting but not overly colorful.
Elementary School Classroom Decoration Ideas:
- Establish a theme: Use a theme that promotes learning and engages your students.
- Use color: Choose calming and inspiring colors for your theme to create a positive learning environment.
- Incorporate storage, organization, and rules: Use your theme to make storage bins and organizational systems more fun and appealing.
- Arrange your classroom: Create special stations like a reading corner or craft corner and add elements of your theme.
- Decorate your door: Create a warm and friendly atmosphere with a decorated door.
Bulletin Board Decoration Tips:
- Make it interactive: Allow students to post their ideas or favorite parts of class on the bulletin board.
- Use it for review: Post review material on the board to help students remember important concepts.
- Change it up: Change the decorations on your bulletin board throughout the year to keep it fresh and interesting.
I hope these ideas help you with your classroom decoration endeavors! Let me know if there's anything else I can assist you with.
