One Stop Bulletin Board

Looking for unique ideas for setting ups your classroom bulletin boards?

It can be so time consuming to constantly have to change your bulletin board every month:  figuring out WHAT theme to put up there, digging out the supplies, cutting out the letters, pulling down the old materials, stapling up the new the new items only to step back and realize it is crooked so you repeat…

For me, I am all about streamlining any classroom processes that I have do more than once (and as we know, that is a lot of things).  {Need help streamlining your processes too?  I teach my systems HERE at Simple Classroom Systems.}

One particular system I knew right away I needed to streamline was regular bulletin board rotations.  It took so much time and quite honestly, even most of the students didn’t seem to be interested in the changes.  All that time with so little reward.

So I came up with a solution that worked better than the traditional monthly bulletin board swap.

Here’s the 411:  Simply find a way to use your bulletin board that you only need to change PIECES of it regularly rather than the entire thing.

That way, you do most of the steps the first time and don’t have to continually look for new bulletin board ideas, cut or punch out new slogan lettering, or even trade out the bulletin board background.

How can I decorate my classroom bulletin board?

Something like the following might get your wheels turning:

Option 1

Create a student spotlight/star student bulletin board where you set it up and then weekly simply print off the pages for the next star student to fill out and change it the following week, making sure to do a quick presentation about the student.

Your bulletin board will continually be “refreshed,” yet you don’t have to change the theme or any of the major components every single time.

And more importantly, you won’t be tasked with having to research or think of a new theme every single month.

Saving time is really important for teachers – they never have enough to begin with and certainly aren’t able to lose what little they already have.

Option 2

Make a data board in your classroom that has charts or graphs on it.

Data plays a crucial role in education as it provides valuable information about student performance, instructional effectiveness, and areas where additional support may be needed.

By analyzing data, educators can identify patterns and trends, make data-driven decisions, and tailor instruction to meet the individual needs of their students.

There are various types of data used in education, including formative assessment data, summative assessment data, attendance records, and behavioral data.

I have used this idea with third graders in the past and it works really well – and a bonus feature is that administrators also really love it!

On my board, I would have different graphs for each subject.  One for spelling tests, one for math chapter tests, reading chapter tests, homework completion, attendance, science, social studies, and anything else.

After grading major assessments, I could easily find the class average.

Once a week (usually on Monday afternoons), I would grab my grade book and head over to our different line graphs to add the recent test data.

As a class, we had 2 goals:  One was only to have a “class best” average, which means even it was only 1% better than our best, it counted.  The other was just do “do better” than the week before.

Students always held their breath as I made a big deal of the data before plotting it and adding the line segment to show our progress.

And if we hit one or both of our goals, they broke out in celebration!

It was such a fun way to showcase our growth a a team unit – and not as individuals.

Need a set of blank graphs to make your own? Grab them below for free!

Option 3

Have the students choose their display!

A bulletin board is an excellent platform for showcasing student work and achievements. It provides a sense of pride and accomplishment for students when they see their creations displayed for all to see.

Consider displaying artwork, writing samples, and projects that highlight students’ talents and progress.

Create designated spaces on the bulletin board for different types of student work.

Use colorful borders or frames to draw attention to each piece. Consider adding labels or captions that explain the significance of each work and provide context for viewers.

This not only showcases individual achievements but also fosters a sense of community by celebrating the collective accomplishments of the class.

The idea is simple:  grab some large photo frame mats and foam letter stickers.

On Open House night – or even the first day of school – have students add their name to their frame.  You can also use extra decoration foam stickers such as sports shapes, party shapes, etc.

Hang each frame up on your bulletin board depending on the size or a large wall, and then use sticky tack to place up the first “assignment” for the year.  Usually I like for it to be a fun get to know you activity or a coloring page.  Something fun and simple.

After that point, the students get to choose what they want in their frame all throughout the entire school year.

If they want to draw a picture and place it in the frame, I swap out the page and send home the old paper.

If they want to showcase a writing assignment or test they really worked hard on, I place that up.

For logistical reasons, I only swap out the papers once a day at the end of the day once students leave.

But they LOVE having the say in what is featured in their own space and not just the same piece of work that everyone else has up for comparison sake.

Of course, you will get some students who will never ask to have their paper changed at all throughout the entire school year.  And that’s ok too.

But as far as visitors who come to your room can tell – the board will be in constant change with some sort of updates regularly.

How do you make a class bulletin board?

In all honesty, you can choose any of the above or something totally different to make your all-year class bulletin board.

I love how whatever I choose can coordinate with my annual classroom theme too!

Want a bulletin board template for the Student Spotlight option from above already done for you?

Check out the Organized Educator Packs ready to print and display right away – including the lettering, borders, and student pages!  In a ton of different themes!

Click HERE to see what sets are available now.

Want a jump start with a free set of blank data graphs for a data bulletin board? I’ve got you covered!

Click here to email your freebie

What other fun ideas can you think of that wouldn’t involve changing the entire board constantly during the school year?  Leave a comment below to share!

~Charity