My seniors are graduating. My classes are ending. My days are opening up.
The other teachers will be off, but since I’m a contracted worker, I will be working full-time through the March break (the Japanese school year ends in February and begins in April with a two month break in July and August). Though I will fine tune some of the curriculum I planned last year, I won’t be able to make any solid changes until I meet the new teachers I will be team-teaching with in April (the teachers I work with also change with the new school year).
So what is an educator to do with no students and virtually no lesson planning?
Make Classroom Tools!
I spent a few bucks at the local Daiso (dollar store) and got myself a black oil marker, some watercolors, and a giant sheet of paper. Six hours later and I had this beauty to hang in my classroom!
What is the difference between a classroom tool and a classroom decoration?
When I imagine a classroom decoration, I think of those rolls of paper for sale at teaching supply stores for taping around the borders of the class bulletin board. They are fantastic for brightening up a classroom and drawing attention, but outside of those functions, they don’t necessarily serve a direct, educational purpose.
A classroom tool is a visual, tangible, or other sensory mechanism by which students can derive educational information. Most classrooms are covered in them, from posters to reminder notes to hanging displays. They are a great method of creating a learning space and giving the students the tools to remind themselves of key learning concepts or learn independently.
Obviously the there isn’t a solid line separating decorations and learning tools because there’s no reason why a classroom tool can’t be decorative. In fact, classroom tools should be decorative! Visually pleasing posters and notices will get a lot more attention from students, especially spacial and visual learners, which is why it is important to make educational tools clear and pleasant.
At all of the four schools I teach at, only one school gives me a set classroom, and it is that classroom alone that is decorated…with Spanish posters. They don’t even offer a Spanish class anymore! These posters are relics of a bygone era.
So that’s what I’m doing with my March. I’m going to renovate my one single dedicated English classroom. It will be beautiful. It started last week with my new Months of the Year poster.
I will keep you posted on my progress.
Ms. Lee Makes Lessons 