Sprucing Up Schools
Posted by Amy Erickson on 10 Aug 2009 | Posted in: Classroom Routines, Organization and Supplies, Teachers and Teaching
I’m pretty particular when it comes to how my office looks. Since I’m at work a good bit of the day, I like my office to be neat but homey. I felt the same way about my classroom. I always made sure it was cheery and inviting. The institutional-green cinder-block walls weren’t a big help in that respect, but curtains, rugs, rockers, and pillows went a long way toward brightening things up!
In one school where I taught, a custodian had painted murals in several rooms. I was on
e of the lucky ones who had a room with a mural. It was a gorgeous marsh scene, and it certainly made my room look interesting and fun. Recently I visited a school where it is a yearly tradition for students to paint a mural on a hallway wall. It not only spruces up the school but also gives kids a sense of ownership. Can you imagine how the kids feel, knowing they created something that others will enjoy for years to come? How cool is that? I’m always inspired by the ideas teachers come up with to make their schools and classrooms inviting.
Congratulations to Linda Powell of Powell Family Child Care in Eureka, California. She is the winner of a copy of Math Melodies, PreK-K.
27 Comments |
Subscribe
|
Email This
27 Responses to “Sprucing Up Schools”
More Comments Pages: « 1 2 [3] Show All Comments
More Comments Pages: « 1 2 [3] Show All Comments
I give each of my students a Ziploc bag and invite them to bring in a special item or photgraph, which we then find a special spot for on a wall or bookshelf. Each student introduces the item, and tells about its meaning. They help take care of the area their item “lives in,” which helps keep the room tidy, and are invited to swap out the item at the start of each quarter. It’s a great was to decorate the room and bring in kids’ personalities, while building a sense of community respect. To get the project started, I send home the following invitation:
Please bring in a personal joy item that can be displayed in class. This special momento or item should be something that brings you comfort, and can fit inside this bag. It should be something that has meaning to you, but would not cause heartbreak or financial burden if it were to be damaged or lost. It the past, students have brought in small stuffed animals, figurines, baseballs, ribbons, or photgraphs of items too precious or large for this project. We’ve had pictures of pets, grandparents, fishing holes, and even one of a bat hanging from a student’s dining room chandelier!
I have never had the opportunity to do a mural or in the school where the children do the mural. I can see how it would be very rewarding for them.
When I was in 3rd grade, they let us help paint a mural on the cafeteria wall of a farm scene. My pig is still on that wall and it makes me happy to be a part of that school’s history. In highschool, we got to help paint the library walls a fantasy theme…..my astronaut is still there,too. So, you are definitely right about the sense of pride it gives children to be a part of something like that.