How to Decorate an Elementary School Classroom for Back to School

Make your students feel welcome in your classroom.

Creating a vibrant and inviting classroom is an effective way to make your new students feel welcome come back-to-school time. While autumn is generally busy for teachers, decorating the classroom is a task that they shouldn't skip. The addition of decorations to your space, while seemingly unimportant, does much to transform your room into one in which students will feel engaged and ready to learn.

Instructions

1. Make sure that your classroom decorations are cohesive by selecting a general theme. Make your theme relevant to the subject you teach. For example, if you have a science class, make your theme "The Solar System." After selecting a theme, choosing elements for your space will likely prove easier.

2. Incorporate color. The major downfall of most classrooms are their stark white walls and blank neutral-hued floors. Overcome these issues by selecting colorful additions in bold, primary hues. This addition of color will warm up your room and likely make it a more engaging space in which to spend time.

3. Feature the students' names. Show your students that you are excited for their arrival by creating a bulletin board or door decoration featuring each of their names. When students see their names in prominent places upon their arrival on the first day, they will feel more like a valued member of the class.

4. Create instructional displays. Think about what you will teach in the first several weeks and create displays featuring these topics. If, for example, you are going to start with a review of multiplication, set up a bulletin board featuring multiplication facts or tips for multiplying quickly. These instruction displays serve double duty, both decorating your space and educating your students.

5. Reflect your personality. Allow your room to speak to who you are as a teacher. By featuring elements that are reflective of your values, such as penguin decorations if you love this animal, you can give students some insight into your likes and begin the process of building relationships with them.

References

• Scholastic: 10 Ways to Decorate your Classroom
• Education World: Classroom Decoration and Gift-Making Ideas