#2getherwearebetter Linky: Bulletin Boards

I am oh so excited to be teaming up with teachers literally all over the globe

to bring you a wonderful linky

#2getherwearebetter.

Thanks to Ashley and Angie for giving us the encouragement to do this.

They are the leads in this, so you know it is going to be

FANTASTIC!!!!

Check out all the action here.

This month we are going to be talking about:

This year I have had a love/hate relationship with bulletin boards.

One of my boards (pictured below) is almost too small to do anything with it.
I have a bunch of ideas, but don't know what my students are going to need,
so until I meet them and get to know them much better,
this will have to do.
We are going Whole Brain Teaching this year and they will not be familiar with the
terminology.  I am hoping this can help them remember.
*** Bonus for me - something's on it!

The chalkboard to the left of the bulletin board has been many things.
It has been our "Moment of Silence" board and our "Today's Special" board.
This year, with it being right behind my reading group buckets,
I am doing a quote or thought.
I don't know if I will change them every day or once a week.
I am getting them from the
365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne's Book of Precepts.

Any ideas you have for either of these boards, is MORE THAN welcome!

This board is probably one of my favorites.

A few years ago we had a school theme of The Energy Bus.

Each room in the school was a bus stop, and I was the Cafe!

Now we are superheroes saving Gotham City (our school), so we get to keep our themes -

Hallelujah!

Since I am the Cafe, I have a lot of chefs and cupcakes all over the room.

My plan for this board is to write recipes for different skills we learn throughout the year.

We will write them on big recipe cards like the ones you see on the board already.

I also plan on having smaller cards for the kids to write their own recipes.

We will place all the recipes in a recipe box, so we can look at them all during the year.

I will admit - I am SUPER excited about where this board can go!

I am sorry this picture is blurry. That's what I get for not checking before I left school.

However, I think you get the idea.

I love this board so much it has not been changed in 3 years!  GASP!!

Before you hang me out to dry, let me tell you what is behind all that fabric - 

A CORK BOARD!

Yes, that's right!  You can't staple on a cork board.  You can't really do much of anything on a cork board except - HOT GLUE.

The first year I had this room, I literally had 2 days to get my room ready.

So, we had to go easy and quick.

Therefore, you have what you see before you. Every piece you see from border to fabric to aluminum pans are hot glued onto that board.

I really dread the day I have to take it down.

This is our student work board inside our classroom.

Each chocolate chip cookie has a name of a student and is hot glued to a clothespin which is hot glued to the pan.

Most of the time, I allow the students to choose what is put on the board.

Sometimes, I request a specific work of art.

Mainly, though, it is their brag board.

The main reason it is their brag board is because I decide what is placed out in the hall.

I know this isn't your typical bulletin board, but it is a place that has been transformed to a place where work, skills and ideas are displayed.

To go along with our superhero theme at the school, we sent each student a superhero to color (that post is coming on Wednesday).  When they come, we are going to hang them out in the hall around our part of the city.

Later, these names will hold the work of students that I want displayed out in the hall.

Here is a closer look at the names....

My whole perception of bulletin boards has changed since I was in college and my first years of teaching.  Here would be my tips:

1.  Choose a simple 2 color theme.  Mine is red and black with a bit of white thrown in as well.

2.  Think of board ideas that can last you almost all year. You do want some boards that are changed during the year, but as you get wrapped up in the actual teaching, you find the boards fall to the back of the list.  I really try to make my boards to where they can have parts changed, but the basis stays the same.

3. Use fabric.  This was HUGE for me!  I was a little worried about the black fabric fading, but both of my boards with the black face a wall that is FULL WINDOWS.  It has lasted me 3 year now.  Once it is up, its stays up.  Our Fire Marshall does make us spray the fabric with a spray that is suppose to help during a fire - I don't know.  We have issues with our Fire Marshall!

I make my letters for my boards with my cricut.

This year I used the cartridge Cuttin' Up!

It's cute and fun.

I do use border and when I find a border I like, I buy a lot of it.  

I cover my clothespins that are hot glued all over my room with strips of it.

I cover ugly parts of whatever with it.

I just like everything to match.

As I mentioned earlier, I would love to hear any suggestions you have!

I am an open book!

Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to come back - especially next month for my FULL classroom reveal!