InClass

Make your walls and whiteboards work for you by incorporating these four areas into your classroom design.

August is a great time to redecorate. Incorporate these four elements into your classroom design to create a supportive, interactive student environment.

A classroom that isn’t purposefully designed leaves everything to fall on you — every question, every logistic issue, every problem. Be proactive in your classroom design, and watch your students find answers to questions before they arise.

An area for inclusivity

It’s important for students to feel as though the classroom is a place in which they belong and have ownership. Increase inclusivity by creating a section where students can post shout-outs, questions, epiphanies, and more.

Tip: Be sure to make expectations of how and what to post crystal clear; otherwise, this area can backfire.

An area for information

This should be the hardest working wall in your classroom. It should hold the answers to the majority of students’ questions and will save you from a common pet peeve — repeating yourself. This is your place to put up anchor charts, exemplars, and big ideas.

Tip: Empower students and build a foundation for problem solving by giving them free access to this wall during work time.

An area for inspiration

While Garfield posters are great, we’re aiming for something bigger here. This portion of your classroom should feature motivation that is specific to your students. Maybe it’s statistics on education and career prospects. Perhaps it boasts the benefits of knowing two languages in today’s workplace or highlights relevant historical figures. It may even feature students who are great learners or simply great humans.

Tip: Change this wall often to continue depositing into students’ motivational banks.

An area for organization

Here, students will find behavioral expectations as well as procedures covering everything from how to turn in their work to how to enter and exit the classroom. The more specific you can get, the better. This area eliminates confusion, chaos, and headaches.

Tip: When creating behavioral expectations for your classroom, do so as a class activity or discussion. You may be surprised to learn that students want a respectful, encouraging, highly ordered learning environment as much as you do. Allow them to take ownership in creating those expectations.