Back 2 School — Time for Teachers to start thinking about Classroom Displays…?
Obviously, Classroom displays will be ever evolving and will change throughout the academic year to encompass changes in Topics etc. but, as we enter the summer term all teachers will be thinking ahead to fresh and new classroom displays for the new academic year.
So why have classroom displays? Well, the simplistic answer is that we live in a very visual culture and we are surrounded by images that are designed to catch and keep our attention. Displays can just be purely decorative — they can make the classroom a brighter more interesting place. Children can use displays as learning tools, not just in their content but in their creation. Environment can have a huge impact on learning and children who feel engaged in their classroom are more receptive to learning. In short, a stimulating learning environment makes for a stimulated child. In more mercenary terms, school displays are now often included in performance management and teachers are inspected on their room environment (and graded) regularly. For those teachers still fighting their way up the pay scale that can impact on their pay. And then of course there are the dreaded OFSTED inspections to consider….
And whilst the temptation in the past has been to cover every available surface with some kind of display — either displaying pupil’s work or displaying teaching aids — more recent research has shown that children learned more in rooms without a lot of stuff on the walls. Displays need to be relevant and useful. Visual clutter on every wall, window, door and many things dangling from the ceiling are not going to be conducive to a good learning environment.
Consider using more temporary displays that can be updated regularly with minimum effort but equal impact — perhaps a number of felt backed boards and everything attached with Velcro for example.
These can also be used for more interactive learning displays and pupil lead learning, such as boggle displays. See http://displays.tpet.co.uk/#/search/boggle for resources.
For more traditional displays, blu tack, adhesive spray mount or Sellotape products can obviously be used.
It’s also wise not to underestimate the importance of whiteboards/dry wipe boards. Most classrooms will have an interactive whiteboard , possibly with one dry wipe board as a back up, but why limit yourself to that? Multiple whiteboards can be fantastic learning aids. They’re temporary, useful for encouraging interactive learning (which child doesn’t want to be let loose with a marker pen?!) and when there’s nothing relevant or current needed, then they create the all important “blank/white space” which research has shown is beneficial.
They are available in all sizes and can even be given to each individual child to be used effectively as a “notepad”. To a child (or even an adult!), a blank whiteboard with the ability to quickly erase or correct mistakes is likely to be much less intimidating than a blank piece of paper. If they need to write a story — encourage their creative flow with a story board. And think of the environment and savings in paper! A weekly spelling or maths test? Do it on the whiteboard, check it, record the results somewhere and wipe clean ready for the next use.
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