Classroom Corners: Nurturing Minds with Nature and Design
Imagine a classroom that’s not just a room, but a little world full of wonders for tiny explorers. That’s what we’re aiming for. Just recently, we’ve been busy turning a simple space into this kind of world. We didn’t just think about making it pretty—we thought about making it a place where learning is alive.
On the second day of our decoration adventure, we learned something new. Even though we sold heaps of borders at Ebencuts.com, some teachers were using them to dress up windows. But hey, those borders are actually meant to frame the learning happening on the boards, not just to make windows look good.
We’ve put up three boards in the classroom for showing off what kids are learning. At the front, we set up special spots for reading and math. We call them the Literacy Working Wall and the Numeracy Working Wall. These aren’t just for show; they’re like tools that help make learning stick.
And about sticking—some schools don’t like things pasted on their walls. We get it. So, we use this sticky gum that holds stuff up all year without messing up the walls. That’s how we put up our ‘Memory Working Wall’. It’s a big deal because it helps remind kids about what they’ve learned.
We also painted a huge tree on one wall. It’s not just any tree—it’s a tree that makes you feel like you’re standing right in the middle of nature. We tell schools it’s great to have a tree like this for kids to gather around, maybe for story time or other fun learning activities.
Now, how many displays should a classroom have? It’s not about the number—it’s about what they do. They should help kids understand stuff better, not make things too busy or confusing.
I’ve been pretty caught up with AI training from 2021 to 2023, but I’m back now, and I’ve got big plans. Maybe next year, I’ll run a workshop on all this classroom decoration stuff to share what I’ve learned. For now, you can check out my video on making a motivational display board. It’s all about giving you ideas to make your own classrooms sparkle with learning.
And here’s a thought—what if we put a tray of nature stuff at the back of the room for the little ones? It could be full of things like leaves, rocks, and shells. They could touch and play with it all, and it would help them learn about science and the world.
What do you think about mixing up learning with bits of nature? We’re thinking it could make lessons way more interesting and fun. Let’s chat about it and make classrooms that are not just places to learn but places to discover and grow.