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?

Are you unsure of how to decorate your science classroom? Use these 5 ideas to get your classroom back to school ready.

There’s just something special about setting up a classroom for the new school year. A clean, organized, and welcoming space gives us warm feelings of optimism for what the new year will bring. I love this feeling so much that I volunteer to set up one local classroom each July. This year I went with ... Read More about Light Academia Middle School ELA Classroom Decor

Pool noodles provide great learning opportunities!

"Your classroom environment speaks to your students before you utter a single word. What is your classroom saying?" These thoughts from Megan

So one of my goals this year was to put student work up on the walls in my classroom. You see, with 200+ students, how do I put all students' work up? Well that's just it... I don't. I was already collecting sample work from students (you know, keeping the REALLY good ones to show next year's students what their final product should look like), but wasn't doing anything with those samples aside from keeping them in a drawer until the following year. That's when I decided that it was time to put those samples up on the wall. I realized that I don't have to put up samples from EVERY student... meaning, I don't have to put up the eye-sores non-sample work. Below are pictures of what now adorns my very colorful and educational wall. I have already referenced projects on the wall several times... And my 8th graders are reminded of the science they forget from learned in 7th grade. Fun, right? And after receiving numerous emails requesting templates to make some of the foldables shown above, I decided to make a few tutorial posts. You see, my students are AMAZING artists and therefore none of the above projects required templates. Just instructions. So here they are. Organization of Life Foldable Tutorial Cells Foldable Tutorial Cell Cycle Foldable Tutorial Happy Projecting! (I know, I totally made that word up.)

Learn about the 5 steps to great classroom design, decor, and set up for middle school and high school students!

There are times throughout the year when it seems like your classes just aren’t going right. You are working hard on your lessons, thinking of engaging applications, and even trying to add ch…

Calling all teachers! Have you found anything you would like to share? I'm thinking specifically about: words of wisdom games activities organization ideas classroom management brain breaks I will share a few that I've found while helping a first year teacher get ready for school. Please share ...

There are three kinds of teacher-decorators: those who were born for Pinterest, those who can’t, and all the ones in between (such as the broke, the tired, and the I-have-no-time-to-decorate). However, making a classroom appeal to middle and high school students doesn’t HAVE to involve serious crafting or expensive, time-intensive projects. Check out these tips from me and Bonnie from Presto Plans as you prepare your classroom for the fall (or at any time of year that you want to give it a boost!) You might also like Sara's more recent blog post, Inside My Farmhouse Classroom Makeover. 1. Have a color scheme (if you can) Sara: My principal gave each teacher the paint for one accent wall, so that shade of turquoise inspired the rest of my blue decor: milk crates, bulletin board borders, etc. It helped unify the room to make it look pulled-together instead of random. I've also learned about the importance of contrast. Even a full-blown rainbow color palette can look clean and cohesive (instead of cluttered) if you pair it with black or white to balance it out. Bonnie: If you are looking for inspiration for colors that look great together, check out this Pinterest board. There are lots of combinations that will help you choose colors when you are shopping for classroom materials. 2. Stick to a few favorite fonts Sara: Just like businesses create a brand, you are creating a classroom “look” or persona that you will be known for... or, at least a mood you will create. (Friendly? Professional? Fun? Minimalist?) Try to pick a few fonts that most of your labels, signs, and other wall-hangings will consistently use. For example, I used the Google font Crushed to make and laminate labels for my whiteboard (see below), along with mint-colored painter's tape. 3. Make your classroom library a focal point Bonnie: Your class library should draw students in and works well as the focal point for any English classroom. Here are a few things you can do to make your library stand out: Give bookshelves a makeover by rolling them a new coat of paint and/or taking the shelves out and attaching wallpaper or scrapbook paper to the back. Put a few floating shelves on the walls near your library area where you can feature particular novels recommended by students. Add comfortable, flexible seating near a library to make it more welcoming. These items can be more expensive, so shop around online or scour garage sales until you find seating that may work. Use old books as decorations! When a book is unusable, find a way to repurpose it. One easy way to do this is to cut out the pages and write a reading-inspired quote in black permanent marker on top of the page. Frame the page and put it on your bookshelf! Sara: If your classroom library is small, nonexistent, or needs some attention, check out this blog post for more ideas about how to strengthen it. 4. Display student work Bonnie: Use student work as decor by making a framed gallery wall. All you have to do is pick up some inexpensive 8x10 frames (check your dollar store) and arrange them on your wall. When you get a piece of exceptional student work, add it into the frame! If you don’t want the hassle of buying and hanging frames, order a pack of mixed color picture mats and use them to frame student work on a bulletin board. Sara: Another way to get student work on display (while also practicing literary analysis!) is to have them complete this Quote Illustration and Analysis assignment; students use Canva (or any tool you wish) to make an inspirational or literary quote come to life. The results are stunning! 5. Use author-inspired decor Bonnie: Find ways to incorporate the authors you will be studying into your classroom decor. You can do this by featuring fun facts or by sharing quotes by the author. For example, I use an interactive Shakespeare Hashtag of the Week bulletin display that exposes students to one quote from a Shakespeare play each week. If you don’t want to make your own, you might even consider assigning an author to each student and having them develop a bulletin display with a biography, fun facts, and quotes that you can swap out weekly. Sara: Don't forget to interject moments of literary ALLUSION or author-inspired inside jokes as well, like my favorite light switch art... 6. Make your posters work together Sara: On at least one bulletin board or section of wall space, add some symmetry or consistency by hanging posters in a similar style (color, font, or other), or by displaying images that have a common theme. For example, check out these posters of stylized quotes to get some English class wisdom on your walls. Bonnie: If you are looking for some ideas of common themes you could use for posters, try some of these ideas that could work in any English classroom: funny grammar quotes or fails, literary terms or genres, author quotes, famous lines from literature, idiomatic expressions, or jokes using puns! To read more about my favorite bulletin board ideas for middle and high ELA, check out this blog post. "English is Weird" poster set 7. Make displays that are EASY to update Sara: Two of my favorite bulletin board spaces were ones that took VERY little effort in updating, so I didn't have the self-imposed pressure to redo the whole thing multiple times per year. For example, my Word Nerd Challenge is quick to update on a Monday morning because all I have to do is add this week's word to the list. (I made each word tile a magnet that can go on my whiteboard!) I also made low-prep Quote of the Week flipbooks of reading and writing quotes, which students often asked to flip FOR me. I used Command hooks and spiral binding to hang it on a cabinet. Do you have additional ideas? Tell us in the comments!

No windows? No problem! Get inspired by how we transformed this small middle school classroom with world history themed decor!

Your students probably already use these tools to write papers or create presentations, but they could be doing other projects you may not have thought of.

Middle School Rewards Are you searching for a way to motivate your middle school students? Found a way to track positive behavior but not sure what to do now? Treasure box? No, that's too elementary. Prizes? No, that's too expensive. Reward coupons are the way to go! Your students will love the opportunity to be rewarded with things that matter to them. Plus, these no-cost options will cut down on the amount of money you need to spend on your classroom! Or, really, just allow you to spend it on other things because let's be real, you'll probably need more pencils or tissues soon! Check out the reward coupon options I provide my students: 1. Choose your seat for the day This is one of the most sought-after rewards in classrooms with seating charts. If you do not use seating charts, you can still use this reward; simply let students choose the type of seat they sit on. If you are REALLY flexible, you could even let your seat (at your desk or anywhere else in the room) be a choice. 2. Free assignment pass My students LOVE this reward. It becomes especially popular close to the end of the grading period. Weird, right?! #procrastinatorsunite 3. Assignment extension This one can be really helpful for student-athletes. In my 7th grade classes, it's often their first time trying to balance practice, games, AND school work. I'm thankful that my school supports students' interests but still holds them accountable. 4. Extra credit points I find it funny that the students who like extra credit the most, are usually the ones who don't need it! Don't tell anybody, but I was that kid! 🙋 5. Drop the lowest grade Some teachers use this practice routinely, but if you don't this can be a great reward. You may want/need to add some qualifying information to this reward; like it must be a daily grade, not a test or project grade. Please make sure you abide by your district/building policies regarding grades. 6. Work in the hallway This is a reward because of the freedom. Middle school students love to feel free, like they have control, and that you are not watching their every-single-move! 7. Listen to music while working This reward is easy if you are in a district/building with 1-1 devices or if you are a little more lenient with your cell phone policy. I do include a couple of qualifying statements with this reward - It can ONLY be used during independent work time and the student MUST have headphones. Image by Karolina Grabowska 8. Work with a friend Who doesn't like to work with their friends?! The social aspect of middle school life is central. Sure, this probably shouldn't be redeemed on test day, but on daily work, why not? Clipart from Pigknit 9. Bring a snack to class I have a snack DRAWER in my desk, so I am definitely not opposed to snacks in the classroom. I know some people worry about mess, if you are one of those people...add some guidelines to this reward. 10. Bring a drink to class I would recommend that you tell your students that their drinks should have a screw-top lid. Less chance of spillage. Image by Kaleb Tapp 11. Chew gum in class Gum is precious commodity. I don't know about your school, but at my school, if you are the kid with gum, you are the most popular! 12. Eat lunch in the classroom This is something that often happens at the elementary level, but sometimes we forget that older students want to build those connections with adults too. 13. Wear a hat in class At the middle school level, you may not have the authority to say that a student can wear a hat all day long, but the hat reward can be redeemed when that student is in your classroom. 14. Take off your shoes in class I know some people find this gross but think about how you get comfy. I don't know about you, but one of the first things I do when I get home is slip off my shoes! Image by Jacob Owens 15. Free time A free time reward can come in many formats to fit your classroom environment. Some free time rewards I have used include time to read a personal book, draw, play on technology, play board games, do puzzles, and just time to chat with friends (as long as it doesn't interrupt the rest of the classroom. You can purchase a set of ready-made reward cards from my Teachers Pay Teachers store - Here

Looking for some fun middle school activities to incorporate in your math lessons? Trying to come up with fun ideas that fit your curriculum? Here are 20 great activities and project ideas! There are three main themes to the activities listed below: real life, food (perfect for those hungry pre-teens!), and creativity. The instructions for all activities can be easily modified for students in Grade 6, Grade 7, and Grade 8. If your child is home-schooled, or you are just looking for additional home learning tasks, then these activities are perfect for you! All of the materials can easily be found in your home.

I develop curriculum for middle school math. I focus on using critical-thinking skills in my content so the math makes sense to the students.

Save yourself some time, and give your kids some responsibility!

The ticket system has been a game-changing classroom management strategy for my own high school science classroom.

Don't Decorate - Design! It is back to school time, and teachers all across the US are frantically putting up posters and bulletin boards to decorate their room before the first day of school. But instead

Inspiring and unique classroom setup ideas for middle and high school. Incorporate classroom decor, fun seating options, and purposeful organization.

This single classroom procedure has made a HUGE difference in my experience teaching middle school. My first year teaching I didn't do this and I knew that something needed to change. I decided to put into a place a daily bellringer for every one of my classes. I am a Family Consumer Sciences teacher so I teacher 4 different classes!You can call it whatever you want to call it but I call it a bell ringer because my students are expected to be doing it as soon as the bell rings to start class.Her

Doodle and Define Notes were created to supplement your existing NGSS lessons and activities. REAL learning happens when students po...

Classroom procedures and routines are essential in creating a safe and productive learning environment. Here are 5 suggestions to add structure.

Updated to be in Google Slides!Family and Consumer Science, Culinary Arts Syllabus - just edit to meet your own needs! I've included my course information to get you started. Get a bundle HERE with all my FCS syllabi to meet the needs of all your different classes! Culinary Arts, Textile and Interio...

These ten top-notch short stories are perfect for teaching in middle school. Students can access the stories online.

Bulletin board ideas for middle and high school ELA. Author social media profiles, quote hashtags, idiom and class rules posters, and more.

Student rewards don't have to be expensive or complicated! Incentives for middle school students just have to be fun and consistent.

Are you ready to get your Spanish students speaking? Try these 10 fun games and activities for Spanish class that bring community and fun into your.....

Discover my three NO-FAIL strategies for motivating your middle and high school students.

Need free entrepreneurship curriculum, lesson plans, and projects? Here's entrepreneur lesson plans for high school, middle school, and elementary.

Are you looking for a poster that shows the 4 different types of slope? In this post I link a free slope poster to download and add to an algebra word wall. Recently updated slope guy with a color and also black and white version.

There are pros and cons for every scenario in teaching. If you team, it has its fair share of the yeas and nays as well. For instance, I absolutely love having fewer preps. The caveat to fewer preps is that I will be teaching the same material more than once. And, I'm ok with that too. However, when creating anchor charts for multiple classes it can be a bit tricky. Anchor charts are most effective when they are built with the students. Students have an opportunity to construct their own meaning because they are part of the process during which the chart is built. The words and information comes from them. Anchor charts give students an opportunity to see their own ideas reflected back to them. I love building anchor charts with my students. But, I don't want to hang multiple charts of the same information; especially when the topic is identical and the responses are similar enough that more than one chart would be redundant. So, what's a teacher to do? To begin construction of the chart, I present the same blank page with the heading/icons already written on the top. For example: Then, I move the students through the construction of the chart. I have students submit ideas on sticky notes. Once they have written their ideas down, discussed, and edited notes, I collect them. Depending on the lesson, I then lead the students through the notes and how they apply to the chart. I will also put the notes into similar categories or ideas and then hand write the student responses on the chart. When I hand write the ideas I will use different colored markers to indicate which ideas came from which classes. You can read more about how I use STICKY NOTES in my classroom here: 4 Ways to Use Sticky Notes To read about the Acceptable/Unacceptable Anchor Chart, click below: Refocusing for the Rest of the Year

What a chemistry activity for kids? Learn the Periodic Table of Elements with kids in a fun way by playing the Periodic Table Battleship game!

You and your math class will LOVE this slope of a line poster. Slope of a line is a difficult concept for some students. This bulletin board poster will really help them and it will look GREAT on y…

I recently assigned a one pager final project to my sophomores for their culminating Night project. I wanted to combine as many rigorous ELA content ideas as possible, while also designing a fun project for students that provided them with a bit of choice. This Night one pager project was the perfect way to finish the memoir!

By setting strong class rules at the start you’ll be setting the tone for the rest of your time. Here are 47 ideas for middle school and high school classrooms.

Do you want to have a little fun and connect to your students in a relatable way? I know I do! By the time my students reached 5th grade,...

Decorate your grade 4 5 6 classroom with meaningful anchor charts and student work to help increase student learning and understanding.

There are times throughout the year when it seems like your classes just aren’t going right. You are working hard on your lessons, thinking of engaging applications, and even trying to add ch…

From elementary school to middle school to high school, we've rounded up 41 STEM projects and activities for kids of all ages!

This model and template will help college, high school, and middle school teachers put together a syllabus that sets you and your students up for a great year.

Secondary Classrooms: 18 Things to Consider When Decorating

Classroom routines and procedures in the middle school ELA and upper elementary classroom to keep classroom organized and running smooth.