I love decorating my classroom, and I love a good, trendy theme! But sometimes, I have to reel myself in before I go too crazy. One reason is that decorating a classroom can get super expensive quickly, and the other important reason is that I don’t want my décor to become too cluttered and take away from the learning!
A classroom should be welcoming, warm, inviting, and comfortable—but not at the expense of learning. That is why it is important to make wise décor choices. Math classroom décor should enhance the learner experience, and it doesn’t hurt when it is also cute!
So, I rounded up some math classroom décor options for you with links! Have fun planning your functional classroom decorations!
Math Classroom Décor: Math Word Walls
This is a great place to start! Vocabulary is such an important concept in math. Mastering vocabulary can help anchor students’ learning when the abstract math ideas seem overwhelming. It gives students an entry point into a difficult concept. It also helps lower the stress when it feels like they’re learning a different language. In a sense, they are, and word walls can help scaffold that learning for them. Read more about how I use word walls in my math classroom here (Introducing a New Unit) and here (Interactive Word Walls).
Click the images below to start your own word wall today!
Math Classroom Décor: MATH POSTERS
Using posters in your classroom for décor is a great idea, but make them mathy! Find some fun math sayings or quotes from mathematicians, put them into Canva, find a theme that matches your décor, and BOOM! You have a relevant mathy decoration! Or you can get mine for FREE straight to your inbox!
Math Classroom Décor: BULLETIN BOARDS
Help students find success in math by allowing them to visualize a big picture of each unit. Use a bulletin board for a unit overview with concepts that will be learned in the unit. Seeing the big picture helps students understand where they are going in a unit and what they can expect to learn and master by the completion of the unit. Additionally, it serves as an anchor chart for students to reference throughout the unit. Here are a few photos of my unit overviews for Geometry.
I have created sets of printable bulletin board materials for high school Geometry and 7th Grade Math. Check them out to help your students see the big picture of their learning units.
Math Classroom Décor: MULTIPLES POSTERS
The longer I teach, the more I understand that overall student retention is below where it should be. When I started teaching high school after years of teaching 7th-grade math, I came to a realization. In large part, students did not remember what they learned in middle school math. Even concepts that they mastered. And I knew because I was their teacher! I had a choice. I could whine to them about it, or I could support them. So, I chose to help them recall old skills so that they could do higher-level math with fluency. Using your walls for this purpose is a perfect choice. Surround them with math! I made these Multiples Posters for students to reference and reinforce their number sense, and you get them here for FREE! Just print on colorful paper, and your students and walls will thank you!
