Get Ready for Back to School: Fun and Functional Classroom Decor Projects

6 great ways to decorate your classroom to prepare for student success after the summer!!! 

When July hits it is easy to start thinking ahead to how we want to decorate our classrooms in order to be ready for students to return. Our classrooms are like a second home for our scholars and it is important to set it up in a way that is warm, welcoming and encouraging. Students should be able to see that they have a place in your classroom and that without them the class would be incomplete. These bulletin boards are some fun ways to communicate to your students that they are valued and that their ideas, goals and dreams are seen and encouraged.  

1. Class List Board 

A simple way to share your students' importance in the classroom is through a class list board. This can look like a number of things but going with a theme is a fun and creative way to highlight who is in the classroom. This is an example of a punny board that you can connect back to the hard work that students will be giving in class. Get out your MARK 5 Die Cutting Machine to cut out your die cut pieces for this board. You will also need to use an alphabet set, the example here is the Vintage Alphabet - 4" Die Cut Set. You will also need to use the Bee #3 Die Cut, the Border-Grass Die Cut, and the Flower and Leaves #4 Die Cut.  You can choose to write your students' names either on the bees, or the flowers or on both. Students will love to see their name already posted when they come to school for their back to school night.

2. First Day Selfie’s Board

The first day of school is so exciting and nerve racking. A great way for students to share a little about themselves with their classmates is to have them draw themselves and then share a few fun facts about themselves. Depending on their age they can simply create the drawing or they could also write a few sentences about themselves along with the picture. For this you will need your MARK 5 Die Cutting Machine. You will also need to use a letter set, the one used here is the Block Alphabet - 4" Die Cut Set. After you cut out the words for first day selfies you will need to use the Hashtag/Number Sign Die Cut, you will also need to cut out one Selfie Die Cut for each of your scholars. Allow time for each student to create and draw their selfie as well as give them time to showcase and share about themselves with the class. This is a great activity to do in the first day or two of school starting.  

3. Emoji Expression Board 

Another great introductory activity for the school year would be to give your students a chance to showcase themselves as an emoji. Start by using your MARK 5 Die Cutting Machine to cut out a face for each student using the Emojis Die Cut. You can also cut out a lot of facial pieces for the kids to pick from as they create their emojis. You will also need to cut out name bubbles using the Thought Bubble Die Cut. Kids will have a blast making expressions for their faces- they will also love sharing why they decided to make the face they did with their peers.  

4. Make a Difference Board 

This is a great way to have kids start thinking about ways they can be a difference maker, not just in school or that year but in their lives. For this bulletin board you will need to use your MARK 5 Die Cutting Machine and an alphabet set, the one shown in this example is Shout Alphabet - 4" Die Cut. You will also need to cut out arms using the Arms Die Cut. Add some fun by cutting out stars using the Star #3 Die Cut. Give your scholar's time to think about how they want to make a difference in the world. You could introduce this idea by doing some read-alouds or sharing some personal examples of times you worked to make a change. Then they will need to write their idea down, they can then type it up and you can print them out to add it to the board.  

5. 5W’s and 1H Board

Digging into stories and content by asking meaningful questions is essential as a learner. Creating this board at the beginning of the year is a great first step to helping students focus on diving into their reading by asking these types of questions. Begin by using your MARK 5 Die Cutting Machine to cut out the words for this board, this example is using the Shout Alphabet - 4" Die Cut. Then you will need to use the    Hippopotamus #2 Die Cut, you can use the Jumbo version for the larger hippos and the long cut version for the smaller hippos. Name the who, what, when, where, why and how questions on the larger hippos and define them using the smaller hippos. Having this board ready at the beginning of the year allows you to have a great reference point throughout the year as you discuss new learning. It is also a place students can go to independently as they do some of their own learning and reading. 

6. Super Work Board

One of the very best uses of board spaces in a classroom is to highlight students' stellar work. This is something I have used in my classroom the past few years and scholars beam with joy and pride when they get to display work they are proud of. To make this board you will need to use your MARK 5 Die Cutting Machine to cut out the words. Feel free to use any alphabet set you have, this example uses the Shout Alphabet - 4" Die Cut. You will also need to the Super Hero Emblem #1 Die Cut as well as the Rectangle 8 1/2" x 11" Die Cut, these will be used as frames for the work that you select to put up on your bulletin board. I would select student work and rotate it every week or so, making sure to keep track of who had work displayed so all students had a chance to see their work showcased. 

There are countless ways to use board space in a classroom, I have seen many instances where boards were decorated in cute and creative ways but many of those boards did not have a connection to learning or growing the classroom community. When making choices about how we decorate our rooms it is important to make sure that we make decisions that will promote both learning and community, keep the decor cute, fun and creative but also make sure to give it a purpose. These seven board ideas all encourage the classroom culture while also giving students opportunities to grow their minds. I hope these ideas bring you some sparks of inspiration for your own classroom as you start to think about what you will do with your room this upcoming school year.  

Written by Amy Pinegar.