3 Classroom Decor Ideas for the New School Year - #3 Llama Llama Brights

My Llama Llama decor set is near and dear to my heart. This was the first decor set I created. I also used it when I taught my own son in second grade. My classroom was beautiful. I loved the color combo of navy, pink, and lime. It was bright and cheerful without being overwhelming. Let's look at a few of the many pieces in this classroom decor resource.

Llama Llama Decor

I love the llama sayings on this little clip chart for behavior. It is a fun way to keep all the students on task.

These sweet bookmarks are a great gift for students at the beginning of the year or anytime throughout it.

You can see some of the other pieces here as well including calendar pieces, binder covers, posters, alphabet chart, and word wall.

A few more pieces include student desk name tags, labels, and a number line. 

Here is a great way to use the calendar piece in a unique display.

If you want to put a smile on your students' faces, check this out over here.

Classroom Decor Ideas for the New School Year - #2 Woodlands Nature Classroom

I LOVE nature...I mean, I REALLY LOVE nature. Camping, going to the beach, walking in the woods...those things are my jam. I love it so much that I made it my master's degree. I took have my masters in science outdoor education. I want students to enjoy nature as much as I do and find respite in it as well. Nature was my inspiration for this decor. It is a woodland theme with muted natural watercolor elements thrown in as well. Let's take a look at some of the pieces inside this classroom decor set.  

Woodlands Forest Nature Decor

First up is the classroom cash. When I go with a theme, I like to go all in. It isn't just the decor, it is everything. That includes my behavior management system too. I created a set of classroom cash to use with this theme. The cash comes in different increments like real money, but with a woodlands twist. Another part of this is class coupons. I use my coupons in a classroom store. Students can use their money to purchase class coupons for privileges in the classroom. Some of those privileges include things like: take your shoes off in class, line leader for the day, trade spots for the day, show-n-tell/talent show, evens or odds on one assignment for the day, etc. Students go crazy over these coupons. I allow them to be used throughout the year with the expiration date just being the end of the year. 

These are my class book bins. Each student gets one to use to store their library books in. They may have 5 books at a time. I love keeping a neutral colored bin that goes with any theme...black has been perfect, and I have had it for about 5 years. Each year it takes just a few minutes to print out new tags with student names on them. I simply slip them into the pocket on the front of each bin and voila, they are ready to go! I also use these same tags on my classroom library bins.

 

Every early elementary classroom needs a numberline and this one is great in the muted watercolors that are used throughout the set. This line goes up through 120, instead of stopping at the traditional 100. I like my students to see how the numbers above 100 work too. 

Getting a student work display area is a cinch with these full color or blackline posters. I hang student work coming soon posters wherever I will be hanging student work after school starts. It gives each student a spot to add their own assignments in the days ahead and throughout the entire year. 

Students need reminders of keeping the right mindset. These growth mindset posters feature different animals and nature themed pictures with sayings on each one such as, "Mistakes are proof you are trying." or "If at first you don't succeed, you're normal." I love having growth mindset quotes in my class to encourage students to work through the tough challenges. 

This bulletin board display is perfect for the start of the year. Your class of students really IS embarking on an adventure together. This would be the perfect springboard for talking about their hopes and dreams for the year. 

Having math scaffolds are so important, especially as students are learning tough concepts. These multiples posters go up through the 12's and are one of the most used posters in my classroom as students learn their times tables and division facts. 

Having an affirmation station is just an added way to show students their worth. I like having one around a mirror so they can see themselves as they read the affirmations. I have bathrooms in my classrooms, so that is where I hang one. 

I keep a welcome banner on my wall all year. Students see it as they walk into the classroom each morning. It stays all year because I like students to know they are always welcome and a part of my class. 

I like to use voice levels in my classroom to help with classroom management. I can easily use this chart with a clothespin to clip onto the voice level they are suppose to be at. This also has a waiting room to help with class interruptions while teaching small groups as well. 

Up close of some of the growth mindset posters. 

Calendar and other Woodlands themed decor goodness...

You can check this woodlands classroom decor set here. 

3 Classroom Decor Ideas for the New School Year - #1 Bright Emoji Classroom

What type of teacher are you? Do you love a classic classroom look in muted colors? Do you prefer bold and bright colors? Do you want a uniform classroom look? Do you decorate at all? Whatever you do, this blog series of ideas will hopefully inspire you to add a little color to your classroom and give it a look that will excite your students. Let's look at the first option for classroom decor as you set up your classroom for the new year. 

Bright Emoji Classroom Decor

I have had so many fun designs for my classroom through the years. I like to change things up and keep things fresh. Most years I will go with a completely different theme. For several years, I wanted to do a fun emoji theme. I mean, how can I lose out? Students love emojis...it is a part of pop culture right now, so it would be perfect. However, it took me a while to figure out just how I wanted to do it. I didn't really know how to get the vibe I wanted onto the walls of my classroom. So, the idea just stayed there for a few years while I contemplated it. Finally, it all came together for me this past school year. I had a lot of fun combining black and white stripes, neon, and emojis into a place that my students were excited to learn in.

Start with these super fun name tags for your desk. You could also laminate these and give them out for students to use as bookmarks. 

My students went crazy for these classroom coupons. I also have a set of emoji classroom money as well (not pictured here). Use these to reward students for whatever you choose. Some coupons include getting a snack, being line leader, moving their desk for the day, doing show-n-tell or demonstrating a talent, picking their own partner, and many more.

We had a store once a month and students used the money they earned to purchase little prizes like stickers and shoe charms and they could also choose these coupons. 

Number lines are so helpful, especially in the early grades. This neon numberline ties in nicely to the bright emoji line by bringing out the neon colors used throughout the entire set. 

This was how I prepped my student work display before the first day of school. There was one poster for each student and later, the posters came down and their actual work went up. 

Each student in my class receives a book box. Several years back I chose to go with a neutral black color and add in name pockets that could easily be changed out from year to year, but since black goes with pretty much anything, I have been able to make these boxes unique to my theme each year. This one really popped against the black book boxes. I loved it...and so did the students!

Against my large bulletin board, I printed out some of the letters from this set to write the words: choose kind. I added growth mindset posters underneath to inspire the students throughout the year. We went through some of the sayings on the posters and I broke them down to make sure the kids understood the meaning. Then under the board I added large numbers that show the multiples. This was an invaluable chart that students referred to throughout the year to scaffold their learning of the multiplication and division facts. 

I found some super cute lanterns on amazon to hang around from the ceiling and they matched the theme perfectly! 

I even redid my teacher drawers to match my emoji theme. 

Of course you need a matching birthday chart too!

I reprinted labels for my library so they could match the emoji theme. These are the same labels I used for the student reading boxes. I just changed the words and put a number on each label. If you are interested in learning more about how to set your class library up in a way that self-maintains and is super easy, check out this blog post here about my classroom library.  

I have classroom bathrooms, so I hung up a coordinating affirmation station on the bathroom mirror. Students can read positive things about themselves as they wash their hands.

Have you ever used a voice level chart? These are game changers! I love how I can train my students to work at a certain level. In my class, we make the general level number 2, spy talk. That means the students can whisper if they need help or need to ask a quick question. They are NOT suppose to abuse the privilege by talking on and on. If the level needs to be lower or higher, I will let students know. Students can also cause the level to go lower by talking too loudly or too much. When that happens, I will drop the level down. If the level goes to number 1 (Ninja Mode) the students must work silently. I also found this little neon light. I light it up when we go to ninja mode as a visual reminder to my students that they need to stay quiet. 

One of the other things I train my students to do is to work without interrupting me when I am in a small group. Instead of interrupting, they may use the waiting space board. They will simply take the first available number and sit back down, doing what they can. When I get a chance, I will call the numbers one at a time and as they come to see me, they place their number back on the board for someone else to use.

I probably get the most use out of this piece in my classroom. I will not go without this ever again. These large numbers have smaller numbers inside showing the multiples. These have been a game-changer in math class. As students are learning and working with the times tables they have used these as a scaffold. They use them less and less throughout the year as they commit the tables to memory. 

Here is an up-close look at some of the growth mindset posters. 

This banner is not just kept on the wall at the beginning of the year. It is posted throughout the year to remind students that they are always welcome and that they belong. 

Your attitude determines your success has been the mantra of our class throughout the year. I kept this bulletin board up from day one until the end of the year. Students really do have power over their success. A good attitude and willingness to work had definitely determined how they do in class and in life. 

Do you notice the HUGE deficit of students not being able to tell time well using an analog clock? Yeah, me too! I want my students to be able to tell time well, so I remove all digital clocks inside our room and only have analog. These clock numbers are so helpful as students learn to tell time. The words showing quarter after, quarter to, etc. are also very helpful in scaffolding students to be successful while learning to master this skills. 

You can check out the Bright Neon Emoji Decor here.  This decor set comes with much more than you see here, including over 700 pages.

• Bulletin Board Letters
• Affirmation Station
• Binder Covers
• Birthday Chart
• Book Bin Labels
• Bulletin Board Set
• Calendar
• Class Reward Coupons
• Clock Labels
• Decorative Banner
• Desk Name Tags
• Growth Mindset Posters
• Waiting Space
• Student Work Posters
• Table Numbers
• Voice Level Chart
• Communication Binders
• Cursive Alphabet
• Manuscript Alphabet
• Word Wall

If you are looking for some of the other decor featured you can click links below to see the items or similar ones if the original is no longer available.

Emoji paper lanterns

Black and White Striped Paper Lanterns

Colorful Paper Lanterns

Neon Smiley Face Light-up Sign

Emoji Pillows