Grim classroom in need of cheap ideas to impress??

[Jellypudmum]

I begin a longish term supply teaching contract in September and the classroom has nothing in it except the obligatory tables etc.
I'm hoping to create a reading/ quiet area and would love to add cheap seating / beanbags but don't want to spend too much as not sure specifically I'm going to be there. Want to make a good impression though as there is a chance a permanent job opening may be on the cards later in the year!
Any help or other cheap ideas to decorate an old and very grim classroom would be really gratefully received!

[BilboTheAlmighty]

Well I work in a secondary school and I LOVE making my classroom pretty

I print and laminate a lot of funny but useful resources to put on the walls (thank you tethersend for the poster link!), and I pretty up my desk area and shelves with pretty pencils, cute labels, nice pen holders, plastic flowers, etc. I teach an option subject so I tend to have small groups (mainly girls!) and they always comment on how homely it feels And it makes me feel happy, which is a welcome bonus!

I don't like it when some colleagues use my classroom and take pens and stationary away with them. Even if it is school stationary, it still comes out of my department budget!! I am rather territorial

PS: hands up anyone who secretly love decluttering their classroom and start the new academic year in a tidy space!

[elephanteraser]

the shop 'tiger' sells some nice decorative tissue paper bunting type shapes, i have the kites. look really pretty but cheap!

[Madaboutthrows]

Could you write away to publishing companies for promo posters etc for your reading corner?

Home bargains may have some gems too!

[Nerf]

Reach for the stars board - dark ble paper background, shiny big stars - get the children to tell you what they'd like to be able to do by the end of the year - tie laces? Catch a ball? Say something in French?

[Nerf]

A learning tree! Hand print in greens of every child and a trunk, make a tree shape and then lots of plain red apples to hand - when a child does something brilliant or learns something, write/get them it write it on an apple and stick it to the tree.

[administrator]

I back the walls from ceiling to floor, then use borders to separate into different areas. Topic, literacy, maths, history, time, shape, etc. Our paintwork is quite grotty, so its just like wallpapering! It does make for a lot of work initially, but after that, it's just the work and lettering on them that needs to be changed. There are lots of websites now that have great ideas and lettering, posters, signage etc to help you. Try twinkl, teachers pet and classroom pixie for inspiration. All v. cheap!

[Beautifullymixed]

four being an artistic person and anal spending more time in the classroom than in my own living room, I get stuck in with enthusiasm. I really enjoy it.
I love my job and it makes me smile each day to come in to a bright, cheerful matching classroom.

[fourcorneredcircle]

I wish I had my own classroom! (Secondary) Having said that I'm not sure I'd have enough energy to care enough to go to town likes some of you. It's very impressive! I'd just be happy with somewhere to store all my books and my own desk!

[Wellwellwell3holesintheground]

Do check if there's a colour for certain subjects - all maths displays were blue throughout the school where I worked.

[Beautifullymixed]

OP you will have to come back and let us know how you spruced up your classroom. There are some fab ideas here, you could really go to town.

Did you get a chance to look at my link at all? I'm sure it's not to everyone's taste, but I work with ks1 (no SN) who adore bright and visual.
I love the coordinated look anal and have based my classroom theme on garden party, yellow, green and orange for all boards/baskets, with red gingham fabric and oilcloth.

Shall brighten my day.

[Jellypudmum]

I love that Tethersend!!!

[Happy36]

That´s lovely, tethersend.

[tethersend]

This is a great way to create giant, striking images with just an A4 printer.

Word of advice though- number the back of each sheet as it comes out of the printer!

[Happy36]

It is a bit stressful and sad to see new staff, students and parents disillusioned by the physical state of the environment they walk into for the first time. The summer school runs throughout the holiday so the maintenance and cleaners have only the same 4 days as the teachers to do their jobs getting the building ready for the new term. Some of our classrooms as used as dormitories or other non-teaching areas by the summer school which means all of the furniture is removed and piled up anywhere that it will fit. I appreciate that the school wants to make money but if the summer school ended a week earlier they wouldn´t have to pay the summer school staff so I don´t think the profits would be affected too much. And it would make life so much easier with everyone involved in running the actual academic school from September to June.

[Beautifullymixed]

That's disorganised by the school tbh. We have work done each holiday, including this summer (new windows) and the work will be finished in time allowing us to get in, sort the furniture out and so on.

Then the cleaner come in ready for the next day, welcoming the children and the chaos.

Your start sounds stressful indeed.

[Happy36]

Hi Beautifullymixed, yes, it is a shame, on the day before term begins we have a "parents´ day" where parents and students can come in informally and walk around the school and meet teachers. New students and their parents always come and I feel horrible to see their disappointed faces as they walk around a dusty, messy school (and witness their future teachers rushing around, often with dust in our hair (helps with the mad professor look, at least), trying to find enough chairs for our classrooms and using colourful language whenever we trip over a maintenance man drilling something in the corridor!)

[Beautifullymixed]

That's a shame happy.

I'm a TA with a fantastic teacher who lets me run free. I am going in two days before we go back to 'do up' the classroom, not sure if she'll be in. She loves what I do and will print out whatever I ask her and give me time to finish my displays.

It helps that she is ultra professional and able to cope on her own (some teachers sadly are not). We are a great team and when we are reshuffled next year I shall shed a tear if we're separated.

[Beautifullymixed]

That's a shame happy.

I'm a TA with a fantastic teacher who lets me run free. I am going in two days before we go back to 'do up' the classroom, not sure if she'll be in. She loves what I do and will print out whatever I ask her and give me time to finish my displays.

It helps that she is ultra professional and able to cope on her own (some teachers sadly are not). We are a great team and when we are reshuffled next year I shall shed a tear if we're separated.

[Happy36]

Good luck, enjoy!

Our school operates a "just in time" policy i.e. classrooms still have wet paint on the morning before the kids return(!) and during our prep days the maintenance are still laying cables, replacing windows, and most of the classrooms are filled with junk (we have a summer school that ends the day before teachers come back) so we don´t get to decorate in advance. Personally I think it´s a bit sad but some of my colleagues are relieved that they don´t have the burden of creating an attractive classroom.

[Jellypudmum]

I am so excited to get started!!!

[thatsn0tmyname]

I made some really cheap bunting the other day using a £4 pack of coloured paper from Hobbycraft and 15 metres of bunting tape from a local wool shop. I ran it through the sewing machine and 45 mins later I had 15 metres for £7.45

[Wellwellwell3holesintheground]

Another one - maths targets as branches of a tree and the kids faces on little monkeys that climbed up as they made progress. They loved that one.

[Wellwellwell3holesintheground]

I made Winnie the Word Witch - witch silhouette and large black cauldron. There was a curriculum based theme eg this week Winnie is collecting adjectives or connectives. We wrote them on laminated rectangles of paper and then stuck them up with blutack. The children could then take them off and use them in their work. They could also add their own.

Also did similar - Burglar Bill with huge sack on his back being a word thief - any time the kids came up with good words we added them to his bag. Looked really effective and was very easy.

[Jellypudmum]

Had done the numbers on a chain and months of the year: forgot all about that!
Love those pegs too!

[Happy36]

Also a paper chain. Just need coloured paper, scissors, marker pen and a stapler.

I don´t know which age group you are teaching but you could put a tricky sight word on each link or a key spelling or vocabulary with the colour of the link indicating which part of speech it is, or vocabulary connected to a certain topic, (names of animals, foods, countries) or numbers, equations, etc.