ANSWER:

First of all, thank goodness this teacher is thinking about decorating her room!  YAY!  Just because a teacher is at the middle school or high school level, doesn’t mean a classroom can’t feel welcoming or attractive.  I applaud this teacher for wanting to make her room “fun and inviting!”

Here are a few guidelines to follow:

1.  I wouldn’t choose a classroom decorating theme or add cutesy critters to my design.  Instead, I WOULD focus on a COLOR SCHEME.

 I make sure to create all of my collections WITHOUT the cutesy clip art…this makes it versatile for every taste and grade level.  For example, I created my Woodland Animals collection with and without the animals.  You can either use the trendy red and turquoise color scheme alone OR add the animals for an elementary school theme. 

2.  After you choose your colors, cover every bulletin board in your classroom with the SAME color!  Use a coordinating border to frame each board.  If you have extra border, you can add it to bookshelves, windows, door frames, or your whiteboard as well…this will pull your color scheme together.

3.  Use my pennants to create a name banner for your desk or entryway.  Pennants also look GREAT draped above windows or a whiteboard.

4.  Add some coordinating personal items on your desk.  If you have family photos, make sure the frames are the same (use three different sizes OR the same color).  Stick to your color scheme!

5.  Buy coordinating baskets to organize your supplies.  Label everything with my coordinating multipurpose labels.  I’ve never taught this grade level, but I would think that blank nameplates would be perfect for creating your schedule, classroom rules/expectations, grading scale, etc.

6.  Add three poms, daisies, or lanterns in the corner of your room (possibly by your desk) for a POP of color and FUN!

That’s it!  It really doesn’t have to be complicated.  Just think COLOR SCHEME and COHESIVE!

See you tomorrow!