Tired of the same bulletin boards every November? This year spice things up with some boards that can be used throughout the busy weeks leading up to winter vacation. Customize them to your studentsâ grade and ability levels for even more learning fun. Since they are non-holiday specific, they can even be used into the start of the new year!
November Bulletin Board Ideas
Quiz Bulletin Boards
This great idea comes from Sue, a 5th Grade Teacher, in Moorpark, California. âEach year, I put a lot work into creating informational bulletin boards and displays, but felt like many of my students hardly noticed them. Now, I make up an âOpen Bulletin Board Display Quizâ to get their attention. The quiz asks students questions that can be answered from information on the bulletin boards and displays. For example, to quiz students on my United States display, I might ask: Which two states are not part of the continental US? (Alaska and Hawaii). To quiz kids on a board featuring different kinds of maps I might ask: On what kind of map is CA the color pink? (political map). Each child totes his quiz sheet around the room to the various boards and jots answers on the page. Students earn points for each correct answer. My students love this and my displays now hold more meaning for them.â
Bye-Bye Negativity
By November, students are settled in and bad habits start to take hold. Nip that negativity from the start with this idea by Marcy, a 4th Grade Teacher, from Phoenix, Arizona. âMy students and I are always searching for better ways to express ourselves when we speak. To this end, we created a display of words that contain expressions we decided we should avoid. We included words and phrases such as I can’t, stupid, shut up, and Do I have to? For the display itself, I covered a bulletin board with white craft paper and then painted on a large red circle with a slash through it. As the year progresses, we add more undesirable words and phrases to the display as they pop up. The circle helps us maintain a positive classroom community.â
âBrag Wallâ is a Total Time Saver
Have bulletin boards already started to overwhelm you? If so, take heart, there is a quick and easy way to keep your classroom looking great all year long. This idea is from Tiffany, a 2nd grade teacher, in Crossville, TN. âI switched from 4th grade to 2nd grade last year and was busy with everything new. It almost became a hassle to worry about my bulletin boards and what creative things I would put up next. So, I laminated colorful construction paper sheets with each students’ name at the top and hot-glued wooden clothespins to each sheet under each name. I then hot-glued the laminated papers to wall in front of my classroom. Every time the students completed a project or paper they would want to show off, they would go to the âbrag wallâ and clip their paper in the hallway! Great time-saver!â
What are some of your favorite November bulletin board ideas? Share them with us below!