PICTURE PUZZLE
Anderson Mill
Display - Collaborative Classroom Climate
5th Grade
Teachers choose a painting or picture that expresses an important meaning. She takes the picture and draws a grid over the painting. Each student will get a section of the grid to work with. The students will recreate the part that they get on their own paper that is proportional to the piece of painting they received. After each student finishes drawing and coloring their section of the painting, the teacher will piece the painting together to show the big picture. The teacher can talk to the students about how group work is important in the classroom, and that each person has to contribute their part so everyone can succeed as a whole.
This is an idea that gives student a visual representation of the importance of group work. Students can see their contribution to the big picture and how if one piece of the picture were missing, the painting wouldn't be complete. This activity can be done with all grades. For students in lower grades, the teacher might want to consider drawing or printing the lines out for the students and having them color the picture in.
WELCOME DISPLAY
All Grades
Below are just a couple examples of welcome displays that teachers may use near the entrance of the classroom. The teacher should include all the students in his/her classroom to show that no one is left out and to make sure that students understand that they belong in that classroom. The first example is a way you can "define the entrance to your classroom as a doorway between two worlds."
Ms. Lowery, Pillow Elementary, 1st grade
http://www.thevirtualvine.com/images/ccbb/kellyspic.jpg
ACTS OF KINDNESS
http://www.bulletinboardpro.com/BB65.html
Display - Collaborative Classroom Climate
4th Grade
Students write a paragraph about why their classmates are special. In the paragraphs, the students included ways that their classmates display kindness and manners. After the paragraphs are written, edited, and typed, the students create a cut-out of something that symbolizes kindness or something that symbolizes the paragraph they wrote. In the middle of the display, the teacher has the student put together a collage where each student contributes in making it. This collage shows how the class is on the same page when it comes to displaying kindness and manners to everyone everyday.
The writing aspect of this activity can be modified to fit all grades. For the lower grades, students can partner up with another friend in the class, and the students have to write two sentences explaining how their partner is special. This display is a good way to remind students that being kind will create a good classroom community.
GREAT BOOKS
http://www.teachingheart.net/bboard.html
All Grades
I think this bulletin board is awesome and can be kept up all year long. Students can suggest books to be added to the board as they read them on their own or together as a class. This could be displayed in the hallway so other students and teachers can see what your class' favorite books are. Also it could be the students' responsibility to write their favorite books on the "chips." If this bulletin board was in my classroom I would have the "chip" cutouts in the writing center, and students could write one book if they choose while working in that center. They can be books read at home, or favorite books that were read in class. I would make it a rule that only neat writing will be displayed on the board and students will have to practice writing the title smaller to fit on the paper. If there are too many options, we could vote as a class on which books we want to put on the bulletin board for that week.
FABRIC BULLETIN BOARD
http://www.ilovethatteachingidea.com/ideas/051012_Hassle_Free_Fabric_Backgrounds.htm
All Grades
Every classroom has so many bulletin boards in it to display student work. Pushpins are used to hold up student work and board titles, but they are changed out often, thus leaving a lot of pin holes. Buying some cheap fabric will save you time so you don't have to cut butcher paper every month to replace the background. Also students cannot draw on or rip fabric. If you are staying in the same room you can leave these up during the summer because they are less likely to fade. Overall i think this is a great time saving idea for first year teachers!
OUR SCHOOL OF LEARNERS
http://tradingideas.orientaltrading.com/teaching/2009/08/fantastic-fish-bulletin-board.html
Pre-K - 2nd
This is a great first day of school activity. The teacher should have the bulletin board all ready so that all that needs to be done during the day is staple up the fish. We have read that it is important to get student work up on the walls as soon as possible and this is an awesome way to do it. Students can decorate their fish however they want. They do not need an explanation but it should reflect themselves. Also it would not need to be a pattern like these fish, they could draw pictures to represent them and their favorite things.
PROUD PILLOW PANTHERS
Mrs. Lowery - 1st Grade - Pillow Elementary
Pre-K - 2nd grade
Mrs. Lowery had our students decorate these people on the first day of school. I think this bulletin board really creates a sense of community. Many of the students decorated their person just as they were dressed that day. This bulletin board is still on the wall, 3 months into school. I think it would be a great idea to re-visit this bulletin board at the end of the year, maybe have students draw themselves again and write on the back what they learned in 1st grade. They can compare what they were like when they colored their first pictures to what they are like at the end of the year and how much smarter they are (hopefully!)
