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 looking for a calm classroom theme? I have five beautiful and unique classroom decor bundles that will help create a peaceful, engaging, and beautiful home away from home in your classroom! These five bundles will be a perfect way to create a calm classroom vibe!
We want students to be comfortable in our classrooms. We want them to feel welcomed and inspired. Classroom decoration can play a role in creating that environment. Below are some simple ways to …
Looking for classroom decor ideas? Try some of these meaningful approaches to freshen up your middle or high school classroom.
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 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!
Do you teach science? Today, on the blog, I'm sharing ideas and inspiration for decorating your science classroom.
Check out the top trends in class decoration ideas this year including cozy, neutral color schemes, retro, boho themes and more!
Warm and inviting decor matters beyond elementary school!
I love a pretty classroom. Although I realize that classroom decor is not the most important aspect of teaching, having a pretty classroom makes a nice
This post is a growing listing of Travel Themed Classroom Decor Ideas that are perfect for an elementary classroom. A travel theme is all about
Warm and inviting decor matters beyond elementary school!
Check out the top trends in class decoration ideas this year including cozy, neutral color schemes, retro, boho themes and more!
A bright and cheerful bulletin board in the hallway is the perfect way to welcome students back to school! Check out these ideas for inspiration to create your own school and classroom decorations.
Amazing classroom decoration ideas including how to add a class fireplace, a beautiful teacher space, a classroom fridge and more!
Grab your set of 9 poster prints for classroom decor! Decorate your classroom with posters that are cute with a purpose.
Show them the world from your classroom.
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?
Having students color in posters with their names is a great first day activity that provides yearlong decoration for the classroom!
Having students color in posters with their names is a great first day activity that provides yearlong decoration for the classroom!
Special education classrooms need decor and organization tweaks to fit the program needs. Read the tips on how to make the best decor choices for your sped classroom.
Everybody can have an attractive classroom, even if it has no windows, even if you’re not a decorator, and even if admin assigned you the ugliest room on the hall!
Time to inspire and motivate your students with these 4 fun bulletin board ideas that are perfect for schools, classrooms, or libraries!
Boost your child's confidence and improve their mindset with these free affirmation station printables!
This spring is presenting new challenges for teachers all across the country. Some of us are getting ready to go back to the classroom for the first time this year. Some of us have been in person all year, but we are about to get new virtual kids. Some of you have been in the ... Read More about Classroom Management and Expectations
Need help finding the best Boho Farmhouse Classroom Decor? You'll love this entire list that comes from Amazon!
Science lab decoration ideas do not need to cost a fortune. Here are 7 awesome ways to decorate your science lab on a budget.
One of the BEST things I ever did was start a Facebook group just for STEM educators. It is by far the best Facebook group I have ever been a part of. Why?
Decorating, organizing, and preparing your high school classroom spaces is critical for new and veteran teachers alike. Here are four ideas to get your classroom prepared to support and inspire your students and keep you motivated to deliver incredible lessons!
All summer I think about it. My empty room back at the school.... Nothing fun on the walls, all of the books have been packed away, and somehow, someway you have to put it all back. Whether you have to pack everything up, you get to leave it as is, or if it is just your very first year, no worries! I have some helpful tips to share with you that I have learned the HARD way. Tip #1- Have a plan Duh right? Seriously though, have a plan and write it down. I love that my Erin Condren LifePlanner has the dotted pages in the back so I can jot down what I want to arrange before I get there. It is also SUPER helpful to take a friend that doesn't mind moving furniture 2 or 3 or 100 times on the day you want to arrange furniture. Also have a plan in place to take that friend to lunch. Tip #2- What are your MUST HAVES on the first day? Do you need to have your cubbies labeled? Are you assigning jobs the first day? What do you need to have access to in order to set up your classroom routines and procedures? Those are what you should be focusing on. NOT the cute border in the hallway. Sorry, I said that way too loud! But honestly, I have wasted so much valuable time making something cute out in the hallway that was inviting, yes, but necessary, no. I am giving you permission to skip the cute and go for the necessary. Some of my must haves for the first day: labeled cubbies nametags on pencil boxes (these stay in our assigned seats to start so it helps us find our spot) nametags for students job chart water bottles (I label mine and they keep them all year) homework folders ready for the first day calendar space/ morning meeting space designated and set up turn in box with a designated space focus wall for objectives (I'm required to have a spot for this) IB Interactive Wall (also a requirement for me) I have highlighted any of the items that have a freebie attached or I have written another blog post on if you are interested in checking them out! If I have all of these things in place then I am ready for the first day of school. The rest will fall into place. That bulletin board in the hallway? I cover it with name activities that we do on the second day of school. It is totally blank on the first day of school when my families roll in. Once I hang up those names it and stays up ALL year long! Tip #3 Decorate with the things you need I do a lot of "decorating" in my classroom but you won't find any unnecessary objects floating around my room just because they go with my "theme". Of course all of my posters match but I would hardly call that a theme. If you NEED that to make your classroom a happy place, go for it! If you are only decorating in shabby chic because your neighbor down the hall is then just STOP! It doesn't have to be that difficult! Here are a couple examples of sets I have used over the years. I print out everything I need, laminate it, and then start hanging it up. Once I get a welcome banner and an alphabet up on the wall BAM! Instant classroom decorations. These have everything I need for a functional classroom. Calendar, job chart, alphabet, numbers, and labels for all of the stuff. Having a "theme" helps pull everything together but I don't spend my summers at Target and TJ Maxx looking for the perfect items for my thematic classroom. Want a theme? Lots of my friends have also so I have created a few different fun ones for them. These serve the same purpose though, print and go and done! Click on any of the pictures to see them in my TPT store. Thanks for stopping by today. Here is your FREE SET OF ALPHABET POSTERS to get you started on a stress free decorating session. Want to save this for later? Pin it here! P.S. Get a FREE ALPHABET ACTIVITY when you sign up for my newsletter HERE!
Come check out these classroom lighting ideas to reduce headaches and even spark creativity in learning. The lighting in your room should match the task!
Inspiration, tips, and sources for creating a nature themed classroom for your middle school or high school students!
And the award for best classroom goes to…
5 Creative Uses for QR Codes in the Elementary Classroom
Do you want to kick off the kindergarten school year the right way? Get the full list of the top 8 do's and don'ts
3rd grade teacher Deanna shares how she saves time and works more efficiently.
Find a cute and easy theme for your elementary, special education, or middle school classroom.
The classroom decor choices you make significantly impact classroom management. Click to read the dos & don'ts of decor in special education.
