Give your classroom and school a new look with these bulletin board ideas. These non-seasonal bulletin boards are perfect for keeping your classroom fresh and engaging all year round. Explore various creative and educational concepts to inspire your students.
When I decided to update the bulletin board section of my website, I watched dozens of YouTube videos to see what new ideas and trends were going around. I was impressed by so many creative suggestions, but Molly's ideas were so exceptional that I decided to share her video on my website and add my thoughts to her ideas.
Using fabric and gift wrap for bulletin board backgrounds has been a popular practice for years, but Molly's use of fabric is extraordinary. She mentioned purchasing all her fabric simultaneously to ensure the colors coordinate. When watching Molly's video, note her borders and lettering. Molly uses black and white borders and often black lettering to create a cohesive look for her classroom.
While viewing numerous YouTube videos, I noticed some teachers using the reverse colors of Molly's. They covered their boards in black paper or fabric and used bright colors for lettering and borders. Both approaches look fantastic. One point that came to mind is that whichever option you choose, the students' work also needs to coordinate with the lettering and border colors to keep a uniform appearance.
For example, suppose you have a writing board that you plan to keep up for the entire school year, and you cover it with a black background with an orange border. In this case, it will look great during the fall months, when students may create writings illustrated with pumpkins or fall trees. However, you may want to change the border and lettering to red or green for December. Changing titles and borders is quick since you will not need to change all the board elements, but it will take a little time. If you use a bright-colored background with black lettering, you may want to select a color that works well throughout the year for various seasons and holidays. Blue, green, or purple colors can be great choices as they are versatile and blend well with various seasonal accents.
The bottom line is that both bright-colored backgrounds accented with black and white or solid black backgrounds accented with bright colors are great choices. The key takeaway is to keep multiple boards uniform by using the same style of lettering and borders on all boards.
Dressmaker fabric is usually 44 to 45 inches wide. This width is too short for many standardized bulletin boards. Upholstery fabric and felt come in wider widths of up to 72 inches. Measure your boards before going to the fabric shop. If possible, avoid piecing fabric.
Teachers have invented many quick ways to change how to display student work on bulletin boards. I have seen teachers use clothes pins, tacks, push pins, magnets, and Velcro. Molly's idea was new to me and quite genius. She uses file folder prong fasters. Watch the video to the end to see Molly's idea in action.
One thought I had with the writing board is to keep a two-foot margin down one side of the board for decorative displays. For example, Molly had students write about constellations. Adding brightly colored stars down one side of the bulletin board would add extra interest and make changing out the student work more noticeable.
I remember a trainer saying that if you keep a bulletin board up for over a month, you might as well take it down and burn it because it has lost its effectiveness. Students see it as just part of the background and will no longer take notice. Adding a decorative element down one side of the board will help maintain its effectiveness.
Creating engaging and educational bulletin board displays is an art form that can vary greatly between schools. I'll compare the approaches taken by two different schools—School A and School B—to showcase how bulletin board requirements can vary greatly.
Bulletin Boards at School A
When I first began teaching at School A, we had metal stripes to hang student work in the hallways. Some hallways had the strips with cork for push pins, while others had tackless metal paper holders. Both were great for quickly putting up displays. However, after a new fire marshal inspection, the school was required to purchase bulletin boards for the hallways due to fire hazard concerns.
Guidelines and Requirements:
Example Project: Dominate and Recessive Genes - This bulletin board featured a project directly related to a lesson. The teaching standard was displayed to align with the academic focus.
Bulletin Boards at School B
School B, on the other hand, encourages a more flexible and creative approach to hallway displays. Teachers are encouraged to showcase all types of student work, and the school hosts various competitions and events to make the displays more engaging.
Creative Freedom:
Example Displays:
While School A follows a more structured approach to ensure academic focus and compliance with safety regulations, School B embraces creativity and student engagement through flexible and themed displays. Both strategies have their unique benefits and reflect the schools' educational philosophies. Ultimately, the goal remains the same—to create an inspiring and educational environment that showcases students' hard work and creativity.
By exploring these diverse approaches, educators can find inspiration and adapt strategies that best fit their own schools' needs and goals.
