If you don’t have the time to update your door every week, decorating it for the season may be easier. Cover the door with colorful paper and hang photographs taken during that season on top. Decorating with items related to holidays that fall in that season will also catch your students’ eyes. For instance, in winter hang pictures of a Christmas tree, a dreidel for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa candles and a lantern for the Indian celebration of Diwali.
Using your classroom door to advertise your schedule for the week has multiple purposes. Not only will it make the door look interesting, but busy parents will be able to glance at the door and see what’s coming up for their child rather than having to ask you. Cover the door in colorful paper and tape a copy of the month’s schedule at the top. Write in pertinent information like days school will be closed, parent meetings and field trips. Tape other notices to the door, like requests for parent volunteers or pictures of activities that students did in the past week.
Whether you’re decorating a board for preschoolers or high-schoolers, using literacy as your inspiration is always appropriate. For young children, cover the door with the letters of the alphabet and simple words. For elementary students, write out new spelling or vocabulary words that you’ll be studying in the coming weeks. Take the door a step further for older students by posting passages and quotes from poems or books that you’re preparing to study. Posting some simple grammar rules like “I before E, except after C” may also help students keep these rules straight.
At least a few of your students are bound to be struggling with various issues at any one time, and seeing motivational sayings on their way into the classroom can lift these children’s spirits. Write out inspirational quotes from world leaders as well as quotes from singers and movies that are popular with your students. Anything from “Just do it” to a 19th-century quote about the importance of believing in yourself may inspire your students.