Rachael Hughes, Author at Summer's Learning Corner

August is a rejuvenating time when we get back and start over. A quick surf through pinterest will easily reveal 1000’s of great ideas to decorate your classroom. But when it comes to secondary classrooms, the search gets smaller. Go deeper to look for Science classrooms and you come up with bits and pieces, but not really the whole picture. While it may sound silly because they are only decorations, the reality is that a well designed science classroom impacts how students feel about learning and most importantly about SCIENCE. So don’t underestimate the power of your learning environment.

As many first year teachers likely feel, it’s hard to know what to do when it comes to decorating the class. I know I didn’t know what to do when I first started teaching! I saw this as an elementary activity and being in a K-8 I kind of admired their bulletin board designs and classrooms. They certainly didn’t teach me this in secondary education. So like many teachers my first years were a modge podge of things given to me, impulsive orders and things I picked up along the way from conferences. But I quickly realized that I didn’t know what to do, until I found myself looking for a resource my students needed. So many years later, I began to make better decisions. While I am always working to improve, here are the basics of what I think support making your science classroom the place you and your students will want to be and learn.

First, start with a blank slate. If you are looking for how to set up your classroom, refer to my post on 5 Tips to Set Up Your Classroom earlier. But if your ready to think about your classroom decor, here are the many things that I learned along the way and products I developed to support a great Science classroom!

First know that everything you do, should serve a specific purpose. If you are just trying to make it pretty or look nice that will not be enough. But if you can serve your students and do this, then you are on the right track. Everything that you see here you can find at my TPT store ready to go to help you get started!

#1 SCIENCE RESOURCES:

Of course you want students to feel like they are in a science classroom, but that doesn’t mean hanging a bunch of science posters, choose wisely! Decide what students need to see and will use the entire year. This can include:

How to Use Lab Equipment/Measure
How to Apply a Science Skill (Write a Hypothesis, Make a Data Table, etc)
Lab Safety Rules
AND, if you want to highlight different units as you teach them–create a place that changes from unit to unit.

And, making it look nice, means choosing colors that are timeless or work together. See some of my tips in my post 5 Tips to Set Up Your Classroom to see the best way to make any color scheme work year after year.

#2 TEAMWORK

That’s right!! Science requires a lot of pair and teamwork. But this can easily be a struggle if you don’t prepare students for this. So use your decor as a teaching tool that you reinforce from the first day to the last day. This means incorporating team positions, having team roles, having team discussion/accountable talk, and team structures you develop over time. Below are a few examples from my classroom!

Team Positions: Students have assigned number and letter.
Team Roles: Assign or have student teams choose them. Rotate to change roles.

Accountable Talk — Team Communication: Help students communicate with language.

Team Poster — Team Expectations: Use these to show what is expected and redirect when needed.

For more information on how to teach this look for my upcoming post: How to Turn Working in Groups into TEAMS!

#3 SCIENCE INSPIRATION

Here is where you get to have a little more fun to show your inner science nerd. What memes, quotes, science themed do you want to have in your classroom. Show who you are. Here is a couple from mine from my Science Classroom Decor Bundles.

#4 RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

Building relationships with students is important, especially if you have a process in place that shows how proud you are of their successes. This gives the other students motivation to excel in many different ways. I kept this simple by having a place to display student work, pictures of activities and labs, positive rewards and highlight student success. I used the outside of my door that had my Science Banner. In the middle of the door I placed the Instagram Logo and then as the year progressed I updated it with student pictures of our best moments. Additionally I posted exemplary student work to reinforce what that looks like–with the goal of a different student as often as possible. I had my positive rewards for students, each class and team and made sure that could always earn these–but did not ever take them away. Once you learn about your students, I let them take some pictures when they decided we needed to capture “Moments of Science.” If you let them be a part of the process you are rocking the relationships!

#5 RULES and/or EXPECTATIONS & PROCEDURES:

I start the year by telling students the rules and expectations for the classroom. This sets a precedence for the whole year. I make sure these were visible and after I “taught” them, I still refer to them the entire year, yes the entire year. Sometimes it just takes pointing and when your class buys in, the students will take over and say, “It’s right there!” Teach, Reinforce, Post. Now I know you might be thinking you have 20 plus procedures: When to go the bathroom, what to do if you don’t have a pencil, etc. Post only the absolutes!! Then have a reference for the silly little things. I usually have them glue our procedures into their science notebook and when a silly question is asked, I say “What does it say in your notebook.” I also started a bubble map of things we should not ask after the first month, unless you are new to our school. Students got a kick when I put up a new bubble.

Alright, that is how I choose what goes up in decorating my science classroom. So the million dollar question, how do you make it look pretty and nice. Pick a color scheme with your borders, backgrounds and colored paper. You can also purchase some already created at my Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT). Some examples are provided below. And if you’re looking for a design or want one custom created for your science classroom, use the contact me form or just email me (summerslearningcorner@gmail.com!

Summer is a great time to prepare, plan, and generate ideas for your classroom. If you are a new teacher looking for ideas or veteran teacher that is thinking about classroom set up, I think you’ll enjoy some of the tips below. While I look forward to setting up my classroom it is also a big stressor. I want this year to be better than the last, more organized, and the best for students to learn. These tips can apply to all classrooms, even though I am a science teacher. Here are my Top 5 Tips to help you begin planning your classroom set up!

Tip #1: First Set Up Your Classroom Furniture

I am always looking for ways to set up my classroom furniture. This includes tables, student desks, the teacher’s desk, book shelves and/or movable storage closets, and small group area. The best way to plan is to draw yourself a sketch of your classroom layout and see what it might look like. If you don’t know what your classroom layout is, then you can create generalized layout ideas, knowing you will have a whiteboard somewhere. But truth be told, once you are in your classroom you may realize the arrangement doesn’t work for various reasons such as movement between tables, where outlets are etc. Always start where you want student tables or desks to be set up. Once you have determined where students will sit and the direction they will face you can plan where all your other furniture needs to go, where class resources should be located and the best placement for your posters and wall hangings so students can see and access them.

Tip #2: Choose Organization Containers in Black, White or Clear

Organization is key to having a well designed and accessible classroom. I teach science and I have lots of materials I need to store and have accessible daily. Containers can include storage for scissors, rulers, student notebooks, stations bins, and much more. By choosing containers that are black and clear, white and clear or all clear you can continue to reuse them year to year. If you are like me, you will likely want to change your color scheme from time to time. It now becomes very simple because all you have to do is change the labels to match your color scheme or theme. I made the mistake and purchased all blue and green containers and they looked great the years I used them. However, this meant if one was damaged I had to find the exact color which was sometimes difficult. Additionally, a few years later, I wanted a different color and that meant replacing all or most of my containers–which let’s be honest, that is way to much money. So pick containers that are clear or with black or white, so you can change your decor easily.

Tip #3: Basic Tools To Have To Set Up

In order to hang things, set up your whiteboard, and other supply areas you will need some basic tools. I have worked in a few buildings and all of them have different rules for hanging, where things can be hung, how much can be up, etc. Some let you use nails, hang things from the ceiling, or let you staple things to the wall; but some do not. So first know your schools rules. However there are a few basic tools that I found most schools allow and having them ready prevents the dreaded, I need to run out to get _____ in order to finish setting up my room. Here are my top favorites:

Tip #4: Plan For Student Needs

Absent Work: Each day is a different folder in color of choice!

Once you have furniture arranged there are some essential student needs you should plan for. Where will students turn in their work? Where will students get their absent work? What will students do if they do not have a writing tool? What do they need to do to leave to go to the bathroom, office, etc. Will you have them keep their notebooks and supplies in the class or will they bring them each day. Planning for these things is key. Decide the best place for these simple routines and structures. Here are some suggestions you might consider:

Place passes and/or Log by the door
Have a place to put Absent work
Have a place for students to borrow and return a writing tool
If notebooks are kept in the class, place them where they are easily accessible by subject and/or class period
Place student supplies (scissors, rulers, markers, etc) on an accessible shelf that makes sense do the area does not get clogged with too much traffic or that students can grab something without you knowing.

Tip #5: Don’t Hang Absolutely Everything Right Away

I know, this sounds crazy. Have a place for everything you want it to go, but don’t hang absolutely everything. Layout your essentials and hang those, but save some for students to be a part of. For example, you might have your bulletin board set up with background, borders and maybe titles; but when you introduce the Scientific Method you might hang those as you introduce and do activities to build learning about it. When done this way it becomes a resources you refer back to throughout the year and because they were a part of the process they remember it. But if it was already there, they will likely look past it as just part of the furniture. Everything should have a purpose and be for students. So as you decide what goes where and what to hang, ask yourself: “Does this look nice or is this useful.” Of course you want both, but useful is the most important piece.

While I am in my 13th year teaching, I have been at four schools and taught four different grade levels. I have had classrooms that were different sizes, furniture types, without windows, and different wall types and floor types. But, what I have learned is that if I am not ready with a plan and a well set up classroom that my year becomes a challenge for routines, structures and I spend way too much time backtracking or making changes during the year which adds unnecessary stress and also impacts your students learning. With your classroom being your second home, a little time spent up front, makes for an enjoyable and inviting place to be each day.

Use the comments box and tell me: What are some tips you have about setting up classrooms?

Author: Rachael Hughes

How To Decorate Your Science Classroom

Top 5 Tips to Set Up Your Classroom