The Best Ideas About How To Use Classroom Walls – Please Recommend More Resources

 

Classrooms Don’t Need ‘Pinterest-y Looking Walls’ is a three-week series on this topic at my Education Week Teacher column.

This is definitely not a comprehensive list of ideas and resources – yet.

I hope readers will make more suggestions.

You might also be interested in The Best Posts On The Study Suggesting That Bare Classroom Walls Are Best For Learning.

Here’s what I have so far:

Treating Your Classroom Like “Prime Real Estate” is by Regie Routman at Middleweb.

Is Your Word Wall Really Supporting The Learners In Your Classroom? is by Valentina Gonzalez.

Here’s a tweet from Valentina:

A2 word walls CAN B helpful to ELLs if they are not wallpaper. Interactive, highly visual, & categorized #ellchat pic.twitter.com/Zkl3B4GXiQ

— 🌍 v a l e n t i n a g o n z a l e z (@ValentinaESL) February 7, 2017

Using Classroom Walls to Create a Thinking-Rich Environment is by Eoin Lenihan.

Teach From the Walls is a video at The Teaching Channel.

Walls in #ELL classrooms should reflect students, not just students’ work or words to learn (although WWs r important). Culturally Responsive teaching means creating a space where student say “I see ME in this room!” So fill your walls with culturally relative and relevant stuff!

— Dorina Sackman-Ebuwa (@2014FloridaTOY) January 19, 2018

Interactive Word Walls Enliven Vocab Learning is by Valentina Gonzalez at Middleweb.

If Word Walls Could Talk, They Would Ask For More Student Interaction is by Sarah Said.

Dos and Don’ts of Classroom Decorations is from Edutopia.

If you look at that anchor chart it’s bilingual! We’ve had an influx of newcomer Ss in first grade! These Ts are using all their strategies to keep Ss engaged in instruction! #EllChat_BkClub I also ❤️ that these teachers choose to put Ss first language on the bulletin board! pic.twitter.com/OXtWxQxRoT

— Carlota Holder (@carlota_holder) April 22, 2019

Should We Build a (Word) Wall or Not? is by Timothy Shanahan.

interactive word walls can be comprehensible sources for English Learners.

While traditional word walls may take up entire walls, be organized alphabetically, & be teacher created/led, IWWs are almost completely the opposite. #readingwritingels #sketchnotes #teaching #ESL pic.twitter.com/jQwLXby0uI

— 🌍 ναℓєηтιηα gσηzαℓєz (@ValentinaESL) December 19, 2022

So practical and so powerful! https://t.co/yHJuNOysK9

— Dr. Carol Salva (@DrCarolSalva) March 15, 2023