Author: TCR Staff

Classroom Management, Teaching Tips

How to Use Bulletin Boards

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As a teacher, it is always a good idea to have interesting bulletin boards and displays around your room. These can satisfy a variety of needs, including the presentation of student work, the imparting of important information, and the reinforcement of key elements in the curriculum.

Classroom Information Bulletin Boards

Choose a bulletin board somewhere conspicuous in your classroom. Post important classroom management information. This information is helpful in establishing routines for children, parents, and other visitors. It is also vital information for substitute teachers.

Suggested information for the bulletin board includes the following:Headliners

  • emergency information including evacuation route
  • location of substitute folder
  • daily schedule
  • bell schedule
  • lunch and rainy day lunch schedule
  • class lists (without addresses and telephone numbers as these are sometimes confidential)
  • class rules or expectations
  • times that students leave the room for special services, such as assemblies

Use large headings or headliners to label bulletin boards so that they are noticeable and easy to read. You can also line up headliners along a wall or above a chalkboard or whiteboard to create borders and classroom calendars, or use them to label classroom centers, reading areas, and much more.

Inspiring Bulletin Boards
Bulletin boards can also be used as an opportunity to create a positive learning environment in the classroom. Use headliners with encouraging words to liven up classrooms and inspire students to do their best.

Featured Author/Artist Bulletin Board
Featuring an author or illustrator in an area of your classroom is very motivating for the students. It allows students to enjoy the talents of creative people. This type of bulletin board teaches students to appreciate the different styles of authors and artists.

Some suggestions for this bulletin board include the following:

  • name of author or artist
  • facts about the person
  • interest baskets with the featured author or artist’s works (Keep these interest baskets in the reading corner upon completion of featuring this author/artist. Children will enjoy going back to familiar works and will be on the lookout for more to add to the collection.)
  • book jackets or prints of works
  • cassette tapes to accompany author’s work
  • duplicated copies or pages from an author/artist’s work and tracing paper (The children will trace and very closely recreate a particular drawing using various art media found in the art area.)
  • a graph or tally sheet for students’ critiques of a book (Give two choices from which students will choose. Select, for example: Which book do you like better?; Which character would you like to be?; or Is this book reality or fantasy?)

Bulletin boards can be used for all sorts of purposes. Above all, the key to using bulletin boards is this:
EDUCATE, DO NOT JUST DECORATE. Never put up bulletin boards just because you have to they can be extremely effective teaching tools.

For more tips on how to use bulletin boards, check out the bulletin board section in the Jumbo Book of Teacher Tips and Timesavers.

Classroom Management, Teacher Resources

Tips for Classroom Organization

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As a teacher, the way you organize your classroom is extremely important. Whenever you decorate or organize your classroom, keep in mind how you can develop your classroom environment to provide quality learning.

Student Benefits
The prime benefits of a well-organized classroom will accrue to your students. Your organization and procedures (or lack thereof) are, after all, ever-present reminders to the children of how to behave, how to conduct their business, and how best to be effective without discord in a group. Respect for others, consideration, efficiency, pride of accomplishment, security in knowing what, how, when, and where to do something all these positive elements are the hallmarks and characteristics of students who learn in well-organized classrooms. Children like a predictable, safe, and orderly environment and they like going to a school that provides that environment. For these reasons alone, it behooves any teacher to pay close attention to good organization.

Teacher Benefits
Aside from the benefits to students, good organization brings powerful help to the teacher.

The immediate benefits of a well-organized classroom to the teacher are less wasted time and therefore more efficiency. Not so immediately apparent, perhaps, are the following very significant elements:

  • reduced teacher fatigue
  • improved student-teacher relations
  • improved parent-teacher relations
  • increased job satisfaction
  • increased enthusiasm for professional growth
  • increased student academic progress

Here are three important points to remember when organizing your classroom:


1. Create a positive and safe environment for your students.
2. Create an environment that will maximize learning.
3. Create an environment that will minimize the frequency of behavior problems.

Desk Arrangement

  • Check these suggestions to include in your decision-making when arranging the desks in your classroom. Remember that the classroom is there for your teaching and the students learning.
  • Observe how other teachers have arranged their classrooms and choose the arrangement that best suits your needs and goals.
  • Desks or tables might be arranged in one of the following ways: (1) half-circles with a front row and a back row (2) in groups of four or five (3) the traditional way, with chairs lined up, one behind the other.
  • Arrange your room so you can have eye contact with all your students.
  • Arrange your desks so that the students’ attention is on the teacher.
  • Make sure that each student is able to see chalkboards, whiteboards, and other modes of visuals.
  • Desks should not be placed in front of windows. The glare can be distracting and difficult on the eyes.
  • Note where the “high traffic” areas will be. Try to keep this area free of congestion.
  • Students need to have easy access to those materials that will be used frequently.
  • Students should be able to find their work easily and quickly to promote learning.

 

 

Behavior Management, Classroom Management, Lesson Plans, Teacher Resources, Teaching Tips

Welcome to Teacher Created Tips

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You are a teacher. You’ve learned the ins and outs of child psychology, effective classroom management, curriculum development, and even how to create a PowerPoint presentation—but now what? Now you’re in the classroom, on your own, and all that wonderful training may not seem like quite enough to get you through the real world of teaching. Rest assured, your teacher training is excellent groundwork for the path ahead; however, your real training is about to begin—in the classroom.

Written and compiled by veteran teachers, this blog contains useful information that will help make your first year a smooth and comfortable one. You’ll find tried-and-true tips, lesson plans, and other resources for every new teacher, covering such topics as:

  • classroom management, organization, and decoration
  • educational and discipline techniques
  • teaching tips for reading, writing, math, science, social studies, and art
  • suggestions for whole-class and independent learning
  • student behavior management
  • motivational ideas
  • parent and student communication
  • how to use a substitute effectively
  • cross-curricular worksheets and activities
  • lesson plans and ideas
  • and lots more!

Of course, even an experienced teacher will find a great deal of support and new ideas in the following posts. It is never too late to learn something new!

When all is said and done, learning how to create a PowerPoint presentation is one thing, but knowing when to use it and who to rely upon for help is even more useful. With the supporting ideas here, you will have the time and energy to put all your classroom training to effective and positive use.

Good luck and best wishes as you embark on this exciting and rewarding new career! Teacher Created Resources will be there to help you along the way.