Good Use of Wall Space in a Classroom

I have had the opportunity to observe a lot of classrooms. Doing so has helped me to reflect on my own practice about effective use of the wall space.

1. Cluster things together to make it easier for students to know where things are. For example, if you like sentence starter posters as a scaffold for good student discussion put those posters all in the same area so students know where to look. Similarly key vocabulary could be in one designated area.
2. Put up things that both you and the students actually interact with. Motivational posters are fine but if they are sprinkled everywhere haphazardly without rhyme or reason what’s the point unless the teacher actually uses them to support students in a thoughtful manner.
3. Have an area for vocabulary related to the content you teach, grade band or agreed upon with your department.
4. Have the standards of mathematical practice potentially in student friendly language
5. Make sure things are easy to read from anywhere in the room.
6. Have things on the wall that are actually useful to refer to day to day
7. Refer to the section of the wall if it is relevant to an activity or let students know where to look. If a teacher does not refer to a part of a wall then students are less likely to do so as well.

For teachers who travel and teach in multiple rooms during the day or share rooms with other teachers you can still incorporate some of this. That was the case for me since I taught in a school with limited space so most of us had to share rooms or travel from room to room. I think in situations like this it can be even more important so that students know where the math stuff is on the wall vs the history class stuff vs. the art class stuff. Maybe this can even be an opportunity for teachers from different subjects to collaborate so that they can have wall space that is beneficial to both.