So after 3 years of searching and dead-end interviews, I finally landed an position as a 7th GT and 8th grade science teacher. Now the problem is coming up with classroom decorations. I have posters covered (the $1 store has an awesome selection of motivational style posters), but I'm looking more so on how other middle school teachers decorate.
You'll want to have a lot of content posters - I make my own, and the kids quickly learn to search the room when they've forgotten a word or concept. Makes them feel safe.
My colleague took a bunch of nature photos she took herself (on vacation) and had them blown up to different sizes at Walgreens and laminated them. You can play around with designs on their website. I think she said she waited for a sale and her order ended up around $50.
Is your classroom also a lab? I ask because that will greatly influence how much decorating you can do. I don't teach science, but the guys across from me who do aren't really into much decorating.
Yes. The students will be seated at lab tables - 2 per table. I wish I could have gotten pictures of the classroom.
Start with the motivational posters you've already found. As the year goes on you can add things that fit your curriculum. I agree that you want to be content-based as much as possible. Some schools don't even allow anything on the wall if it isn't content related. What you need to focus your attention on right now is curriculum, procedures, organization, etc. Your room will evolve.
Congrats! My feeling on 7th or 8th is a few motivational posters, only REALLY good ones, with simple excellent advice they'll remember forever and a cool pic to go along with it. Besides that, I add vocab and concepts throughout the year, Word Wall style. Good luck
I pick a theme.. I teach us history so my theme is red and blue with stars... As for decorations, I have about 4 motivational posters and 2 writing posters. I then decorate my walls with student work. The first day I have them write what they want to learn in Ss and hang that up. I usually assign extra credits that have to do with making a poster on a specific topic or translating a document and hang those up. I find that it's more inviting with student work than "bought" work
I agree with having a few motivational posters and basing the rest of the décor on your curriculum. I think that in my school, the science teachers shy away from a ton of wall décor because of the labs - with students heating things, etc. and having a SmartBoard and the vent hood to contend with, there just isn't that much extra space.
If allowed, you could have a class pet with informational bulletin board about the animal. In the past, I have kept easy things like fiddler crabs, rats, and monarch caterpillars in fall. Also plants make the room more inviting, if you are allowed to have them. I also use wallpaper and borders for any bulletin boards. It makes the room seem homier and more welcoming.
