Transforming an ordinary classroom into an inspiring and engaging learning environment can significantly impact students' motivation and enthusiasm for ...
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You want your classroom to be a colorful, cozy, and inviting learning space. You’d love to have a cohesive theme or at least a color scheme, so everything looks put together. But are themes childish? Aren’t middle schoolers too old for classroom decor?
There's a lot of pressure to display student work and have a "cute" classroom. But minimalist classroom design may be more effective. Here's why.
Elements of schoolhouse style have been popular for at least the last half decade, from the boys rooms of RH, to the best of minimalist farmhouses. Traditional trademarks include the iconic acorn shaped pendant, plenty of glossy shiplap, distressed wood furniture, and industrial metals. The trick to getting it right today is to pick and choose a few key pieces, and avoid going bananas so that your place doesn't end up looking like, er, a schoolhouse. Here's how to incorporate the style, and keep it fresh and updated for 2016. First up, for frame of reference, is an actual historic schoolhouse. Let's break down the elements and take a closer look at what to bring home (and what to leave in your locker). Bring it Home: 1. PORTRAITS Check out George- he's even dipped! Adding a portrait or two is a great way to bring character and personality to your space. Cool designers would probably choose an original vintage over a poster of GDub, since that's, like, obviously fake and ridiculous right? But I would totally do it. First of all, I have a weird obsession with presidential history, but more legitimately, it's cheeky. I actually came this close to buying a portrait of him riding a dinosaur at Renegade. Ah, craft fair regrets. Expert tip we can all agree on though: It's a good idea to test the waters on an inexpensive piece at first, to make sure you're cool with the eyes following you to your bathroom in the middle of the night. Via Avery Street Design Blog. Via Unison Workspaces 2. PLANKS As the #shiplap trend continues to mow down any opposition in its path, the more planks right now the better. Floors, walls, ceiling, skinny, fat or short, it's all fair game. And it's my opinion that architecture is king. If you have ugly baseboards and drywall-meeting-drywall, no amount of mid-century foraging is going to make up the difference. Likewise, a room with outstanding architectural features hardly needs anything in it to be stunning. If you're torn about where to spend the money, start with the bones of the house. Via Laura Design Co. Via deVOL 3. STACKS OF BOOKS Somehow the design world has us convinced that minimalists are also book hoarders. While this can't possibly be true, the stylists have SO perfected the art of the sloppy stack that even the most staunch spartan is clamoring to pile unread 'zines against those white walls. Via Kinfolk Home Via Residence Magazine 4. THE POT-BELLY STOVE Believe it or not, this hallmark of early Americana is making a comeback in a huge way. I see them all. the. time. lately in the most hipster of homes. And why not? Nothing says cozy like a giant oven in the middle of your room. Via Planete-Deco Via The Design Files Via Remodelista Via TrendLand (header image as well) 5. KEEP IT MINIMAL For a myriad of reasons, minimalism is more than a current trend; It's a surging movement. The roots and spirit of utilitarian style are clearly seen in these early 20th century buildings. More often than not, they're all white. They boast simple shapes, time-worn materials, hand crafted furniture, and zero excess. Keep these tenets in mind, and make sure white space is a part of your design plan. Via Design*Sponge Via Dust-Jacket Attic A few more tips? Think black, white & tan. Grab a schoolhouse clock. Upgrade to fantastic door hardware. And remember, cognac leather + tufting is always a good thing. Doorknob | George | Pendant | Sink | Leather Chair | Fireplace | Stool | Clock | Book | Watering Can | Buffalo Check Chair Now there are a few more obvious nods to the ol' schoolhouse that I would caution you to use sparingly. Since this trend has been around a while, the goal is to keep it fresh. So, while any one of these things can still be perfectly fine and wonderful, putting two or more in the same room can put you in that "bananas" zone we discussed earlier. And obviously, bananas have no business in the American educational system. So leave these in your locker: Maps American Flags Chalkboards Lanterns Globes Um, Lockers What do you think? Can this trend stick around for a bit longer and still feel fresh? Or is it time for us to graduate?
I am obsessed with all things related to decor, and I love to use the latest home decor trends to design decor for the classroom. One of my favorite lines is the Studio McGee line at Target. I just love her show and love everything she comes up with. It's very calming, classic, and cozy, which are all elements I want to bring into the classroom. The Vintage Green Classroom Decor line was inspired by this look, and everything would pair perfectly with her decor line in Target. Let's look at Vintage Green and talk about ways to make your classroom calming for your students and a place that feels like home. Did you know that green is one of the most calming colors? Scientists believe our eyes are at the peak of perception to detect the wavelengths of the color green. With less strain to perceive the colors, our nervous system can relax when perceiving the tone. Therefore, green may calm us down. Vintage green has lots of greens, blues, and browns, with elements of calming plants. My favorite background to use with this set is brown craft paper. You can find this on Amazon, Hobby Lobby, or your local teacher store. I loved pairing the painted dots border to tie in the black from the text. For the outside of the boards, I used this eucalyptus border to incorporate the plants from the set. I like to put pennants above my boards and focus walls to tie everything together. You could just choose one pattern for your pennants or do a mixture like I did here. There are a few different alphabet options in the set, including cursive. You get number posters and banners, also including 2D and 3D shape and color posters. There are these letter banners in the pack that you can use to label your different focus walls or boards. I like to always include these motivational posters in my classroom decor sets. This one has a plant theme, of course. You can print these as mini posters to create a gallery wall or you could print them as large posters and frame with your bulletin board border. These little drawers are just so handy. I don't know how I lived without them before. These are editable, so that you can label your drawers based on your needs. The olive plants on the drawers tie the Studio McGee olive plant in perfectly! My students used the number line all the time, so I made sure to include that. It goes from 0-120. I usually put it below my alphabet. I love for my teacher binders to match my decor sets, so I had to design these. They are editable so that you can label them to fit your binders. Keep in mind that if you do get this pack, you will also have to go download these fonts if you want to use them for editing. I can't share them due to the artists' terms of use. I am really particular about choosing fonts that fit the theme of the decor. Label EVERYTHING! It helps ensure your classroom stays organized and clean, as well as helps students aid in cleaning up throughout the day. I like to use twine with this set to tie the labels to the baskets. There are those paper documents that you need during back to school time, as well as all throughout the year, but what is more fun than making it match your classroom theme?! You get an editable Meet the Teacher form, welcome letter, supply list, newsletter template, and calendars for the year. There are also blank templates to create notes that you might need to send home. There is a full calendar and number of the day set. The classroom library labels include themed labels for your library bins and student numbers for student book bins. You get a word wall with Fry's first 1000 words. The birthday board is editable. You can either write or type the students' names on the cards and hang them under each month. I have always been a big fan of using hand signals with my students. This set matches the decor and comes in so handy when students need something. You can see that there are also voice volume posters and rules posters. You can edit these in case you have different rules or voice levels you like to use. If you can hang things from your ceiling in your classroom, these fans are super cute with the large table labels. If not, you could attach these to baskets and put them in the center of the tables for storage. There are multiple options for desk name plates. There are also some plain ones with no hundreds chart or alphabet. It's so welcoming to send postcards to your new students over the summer if you can. These match your decor and are editable! I like to have somewhere in my room or in the hallway to display student work, so I use these number labels. I just attach them to clothespins and hot glue them to the wall. Finally, you can tie it all together with this door decor below. Type students names on the circles and place on your classroom door. There is even more to see in the Vintage Green Classroom Decor Bundle. You can see more by downloading the preview on the listing. It's one of my favorites and is sure to make your classroom feel calm, cozy, and like a home away from home. Your students will feel safe and cared for in your classroom as soon as they walk in! Thank you for stopping by!
Discover six creative ideas to transform your ELA classroom into the inclusive, creative, inspiring place you want it to be.
L'Ecole des filles - TRELON - 1905 On apprenait à se tenir correctement à table et à manger tout ce qui était proposé La tenue vestimentaire devait être correcte et le port de la blouse obligatoire. L'hygiène corporelle faisait l'objet de beaucoup...
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Cooperative Learning is a great strategy to use in every classroom. It doesn’t matter the age or ability of the students, cooperative learning can be…
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Do any of you have that ONE thing that you can just never pass up, no matter how much you already have? I have a ton of collections and in most cases when I fill up an allotted space with a given collection, I generally stop buying whatever it is. That is not the case for ironstone! I can never resist a piece of ironstone - it's my ONE thing I can never walk away from. The way I justify buying so much ironstone is that we actually do use it on a daily basis. Some of it sits on a shelf looking pretty, while the rest is functional. We've replaced all of our old plates, bowls and cups with nothing but ironstone and I love it!!!! The best part is that I find most of it at thrift stores for great prices! I pretty much use it anyway I can all around the house, so today I'm sharing my collection with you! Some of it you've seen before, some you have not! :) Here are my barn wood shelves I've shared before with the majority of my collection. And my door shelf I also use ironstone: On our desk In my craft room And in the bathroom And here are other pieces I have collected Platters - which we use These are the plates we use daily Countertop vignette Bowls Tureen - a gift from my boss!! Such pretty details! This tureen is my most recent purchase! I bought it from my friend Janet at White Barn Vintage!! We use this bowl for our fruit and veggies I think this is a butter dish? I've never seen another one like it before. I think this might be an underplate to something. We use it as a spoon rest on the stove. I'm even willing to part with some for my etsy shop: HERE And HERE I'm sure I'll have more pieces to share with you soon! What's your ONE thing? If you'd like to see sneak peeks throughout the week and other inspiration, be sure to follow me on Facebook!! I'm linking to the parties listed HERE and to: Savvy Southern Style Serenity Now Boogieboard Cottage The DIY Showoff Coastal Charm I Gotta Create Home Stories A to Z Southern Hospitality My Repurposed Life Timewashed Knick of Time Tuesday Liz Marie Blog
A Music Fortune Teller is a great way to review musical concepts learned. If you have forgotten how to play, here is a link that describes in detail how ..
When students finish early, help them by naturally funneling them toward extending and improving the work they've already done.
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Are you intimidated by the thought of classical education? You need to read one of these books on classical education and give your kids an amazing education!
Download this Premium Photo about Wooden desks in classroom, and discover more than 49 Million Professional Stock Photos on Freepik. #freepik #photo #classbackground #schoolroom #emptyclassroom
Welcome to The Best Days Blog! If it is your first time visiting, I'm glad you're here! If you read my blog regularly, I love that you have come back to read it again! I am SUPER excited to share with you my continual search for the Student-Led Classroom in the form of best practices and ideas that work for me and everyone! I'm calling this Just the Place to Start because it is going to be a place where you can read and discover from past, present, and future blog posts based on my experiences in the Student-Led Classroom! It will be, literally, a list that grows and changes so that you will have most of my posts in one place on this subject. I'm just going to claim right now that "most" will be right. You know how busy we get, so, be sure to follow me here on my blog so you get all the latest posts! So, here we go! Fearless Learners Book Study Fearless Learners Grab a copy and join in the fun! Fearless Learners: Student-Led Learning with a Little Fear Added In! Student-Led Learning: It's All Gonna' be Just Fine Student-Led Learning: Go For It! Student-Led Learning: Connect with EVERYONE! Student-Led Learning: Failure IS an Option! Student-Led Learning: Celebrate Good Time, Come On! Student-Led Learning Series: Where Can I Find More Information? What Does the Research Say? Classroom Design and Open Seating Other Student-Led Musings: Chew on This: Student Inquiry with Dr. Larry Chew Project Based Learning: Shedding a Light on Area and Perimeter Change Your Homework Collection Forever Author's Point of View: A Video Presentation Author's Point of View: How we REALLY Learned the Style of Multiple Choice Questions Author's Point of View: Independently! That's a lot! And there will be plenty more as I move into this model in my classrooms more and more! I can't wait to share even more with you, so check back often! Also, feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts, ideas, and experiences! Let's learn together, so comment below!
Hello, friends! It's Christmas break for me and I'm taking a few minutes to plan ahead for the new year! Last year our first graders hosted a Tournament of Books and it was a huge success so we're getting ready to host one again this year! The first thing I did was put up this huge bracket in the main hallway of our school. It generated a ton of buzz around the school, especially before we shared any details about what we were actually planning! The Brown Bag Teacher has bracket printables free on Teachers Pay Teachers. They are perfect for getting your bracket ready. To build the bracket, I started from the middle and worked out on each side, using black duct tape for the lines. It wasn't a quick project, but it turned out perfectly! Once all the kiddos were making guesses about my giant hallways display, we collected nominations. Each first grader nominated a favorite book, which gave us about 70 nominees. It was surprisingly easily to narrow them down to 16 choices for our bracket since we had lots and lots of the same choices, plus a few that were easy to toss (a few guided reading titles made it into the mix haha). Once we filled in our top 16 books, the students filled out their own brackets. I printed blank brackets from Print Your Own Brackets and wrote in our selections. Then, we carefully went through the choices and the students filled in a winner for each match up. This also helped them to understand how the bracket itself worked and promoted lots of debate about their favorites! Now that we had our top 16 choices, everyone needed to make sure they read the books! We read many of the nominees aloud to our classes, but we also used QR codes with iPads in our listening centers to make the books accessable to all our students. Then, each week, we conducted a vote. We created a Google Form with the choices and then posted a QR code that linked to the form. Students used iPads to scan the QR code then enter their choices. It was quick for them to complete and easy for us since we didn't need to prepare or count 70 paper ballots each week! Even though only our first graders were voting, the whole school was eager to see who the winner would be and looked forward to seeing the winners each week! Our tournament came down to a Crayon vs Crayon final! The Day the Crayons Came Back was the winner, "because it has glow in the dark!" and two of my kiddos actually managed perfect brackets! This year we're planning further ahead, so the whole school is getting involved! Have you ever hosted a Tournament of Books? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!
It's not anywhere close to unique, but hey, that just makes it classic. This here library display is simple for anyone to do. I'm talking about gettin' wild... What I'm really proud of is the felt animal prints I made. Yep, hand cut from patterns I found online. Can you see the texture? It just adds a bit more glam to it. Safari glam. Just what is needed in the library!
