5 Ways to Improve Your Bulletin Boards
Author: Felicia Ferguson
Capture and Hold Student's Attention
Bulletin Boards are a mainstay of classrooms from kindergarten to high school. They showcase students, provide information, or even simply entertain. In the digital age, however, students will spend more time on screens than ever before. So are bulletin boards still an effective use of classroom wall space?
Yes!
Capturing and holding today’s shorter attention spans on something other than a screen requires a bit of ingenuity and more than a little creativity.
- Go interactive
Interactive bulletin boards are often student-created or student-managed which can lead to increased buy-in and use by the students. From sharing personal stories to specific skill building, these types of bulletin boards will capture and hold a student’s attention because their participation in the activity is required.
How should an interactive bulletin board be constructed? Provide prompt questions for students about their personal experiences, current topics of study, or even motivational quotes. Then utilize the prompts for classroom discussions, journaling opportunities, or mutual encouragement among their classmates. - Focus on STEM
Math and science skills and learning can be reinforced using postcards printed with related themes or locations. Students can solve math problems or track their growth in problem-solving in order to progress from one postcard to the next. - Be Flexible
Think outside of the traditional framing. Bring in actual picture frames, and utilize a clothesline and clothespins to hold up pictures of targeted topics. Utilize wrapping paper or newspaper instead of the solid color rolled paper. Or even add temporary display shelves to highlight students’ achievements. - Go Digital
If there is a computer and monitor or TV available, create a virtual stream of information using Canva’s whiteboard or presentation templates. From brainstorming techniques to flowcharts for work progress, these will provide a visual prompt that can compete with the gifs, images, and TikTok videos that claim students’ attention. - Educate Students on Mental Health Issues
Student mental health is an important consideration for effective teaching. Stress, worry, depression, and even trauma are being seen across the student population in greater numbers. Bulletin boards can help teach the students effective strategies to combat these issues and provide a visual reminder of how they can be used. These can be as simple as how to maintain a positive mindset in the face of struggles or loss or even as in-depth as coping strategies for students who are living and learning post-trauma. Even meditation practices and executive function skills can be presented to encourage students to understand how to better regulate their emotions and reactions.
Bulletin boards are a tried-and-true mainstay of classrooms. But with a little modification and ingenuity, they can be an effective tool for increasing student engagement. For more information on how to decorate your classroom, check out Classroom Storage Tips and Tricks
About the Author
Felicia Ferguson achieved master’s degrees in Healthcare Administration and Speech-Language Pathology, but is also an award-winning fiction and non-fiction freelance writer. In her speech-language pathology career, she worked in both the school and geriatric settings evaluating and treating students and patients with articulation, cognitive, and language disorders.
