Teaching Tips & Decorating Your Classroom on a Budget!
"I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn." –Albert Einstein
After a long teaching career, I have so many tips to share with teachers! I'm including two categories of tips in this blog-"general teacher tips" and also "classroom decorating tips on a budget!" The classroom tips will be highlighted in tan for easy reference! Thanks for being a part of my journey!
1. Decorating Your Classroom on a Budget: How the idea began: I love thrift store shopping and on a recent Goodwill shopping trip it hit me that I could combine my love of thrifting with my passion for helping teachers! Yes! (And now I also have an excuse to go thrifting- it's for my "business!") This video chronicles the day I thought of this idea, and gives some tips for finding bargains that will make your classroom fun for students! Please come back as I keep adding "classroom decorating on a budget" ideas!
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2. Front Board Idea: It only took me a decade of teaching to figure this out! LOL! It seems so simple, but this idea helped me so much in my classroom! This an amazing way to remember what you taught the previous day ad week and for students to see that they missed (and be held accountable...No more "I didn't know we had homework!" CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
3. Get Amazing Student Artwork: Raise the level of. your student artwork by using my "Art Rubric. Students will tape the rubric to the back of their art project and grade themselves. Then you add your grade. It really makes them aware of the expectations, and totally raises the level of their work! CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD!
4. Inspiring Video: This is such an inspiring video...a tear-jerker for sure! It's a story of overcoming hardships, bullying, and working hard for a dream! Your teens will love this! CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
5. Discipline with Dignity: This article helped me so much in connecting with my disruptive students, and being able to make a positive impact in their lives! Download article
6. Choosing a Classroom Decorating Theme: There are so many great themes you could use for your classroom (and you really don't even need a theme-but it does help when your thrift shopping to have an idea of what to look for!)
One theme idea is "Whimsical/Dream Big!" I couldn't believe all the prints and picture that Goodwill had. Here is a thrifting video of all the great wall art all in one place-I would have bought almost all of these and put all together on one wall in my classroom! Below are photos of more "Whimsical/Dream Big" theme from my thrifting finds!
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7. Vinyl Record Album Wall: This is a totally fun theme to use, especially for a high school classroom! The albums are usually about $2.00 to $5.00 each at Value Village or Goodwill, but you also might just ask friends, family, or staff members for old album covers and get some that way!
Look at these 4 great ones I found at Value Village on my last shopping trip - "To Sir with Love"- how cool is that or $1.99!
There are many different ways to hang the album covers, but below on the right is an idea of something you could purchase from Amazon for a 6-pack vinyl shelf wall mounts. It's a bit pricey, but it would last for years7
8. Using Thrift Store Pictures for Your Classroom Wall: I cannot believe how many amazing, inspiring, and awesome pictures are hanging on thrift store walls that would be perfect for classrooms! (And they're affordable too!) Click here or on either photo below to see my full video of just one visit to Value Village!
