Effective displays are essential tools for supporting pupils’ learning and making the classroom feel welcoming and engaging. They’re also something that most teachers enjoy doing—and sometimes overdoing! It’s tempting to cover classroom walls with bright, beautiful and teacher-chosen resources. It’s equally tempting to put up multiple copies of the same thing in order to please all the children in the classroom.

So how can a classroom display be more effective? Read on to find out. Below are 9 tips for making better classroom displays. 

1.Remember that less is more. Covering every possible space will make the room seem cluttered and overstimulating. Leave a good amount of wall space and shelf tops clear. Overdoing it can interfere with your efforts to create a calm classroom environment.

2. Include everyone. All pupils need to know that their efforts are valued, so display work from every child, not just the “best” ones but, there is no need to put 20 pieces of the same piece of artwork on display. Different children’s work can be put on display, as long as everyone has been included somehow.
3. Display drafts and polished pieces. Displaying drafts and finished work side by side tells children that the process of learning is valued as much as we the outcome. It’s a great way to teach children that mistakes are an important part of learning, not something to be ashamed of or to hide.
4. Ask for input from pupils. Giving pupils a say about what is displayed makes displays more interesting to them, reinforces their efforts, and fosters a feeling of community as they see that the classroom is something they create together.  If you can, create a display square for each pupil and let each child decide what to display there.

5. Put pieces at eye level. Children can’t enjoy looking at something they have to strain to see. Things hanging above their heads can sometimes be distracting and annoying so take care when doing so.
6. Choose the right space. Display paintings, writing samples, and other two-dimensional pieces on bulletin boards and other wall spaces. Keep the tops of bookshelves clear for three-dimensional work such as dioramas and models. If you can, create a little more display space with simple wire shelving.
7. Have borders. Having a border around a child’s piece of work gives it that extra sense of prestige and makes it stand out. Also a border around the bulletin board catches people;s eyes and their attention is drawn to it. Think about the colour coordination though so that the borders don’t clash.

9. Keep displays current. After displays have been up for a couple of months, pupils generally stop looking at them. Be vigilant about taking down work that’s no longer relevant.Take down old work. Students usually don’t care about and won’t look at work they did many months ago.

Hope this helps make your displays even better! ❤

Till next time…

Related articles: Things to keep in mind when choosing colours for your classroom.