This summer, we're combing through our hundreds of blog posts to bring to you some of the best on a variety of subjects and from some of your favorite teacher bloggers. This week, we present great ideas for using your classroom walls to teach, inspire, showcase student work, and more!

Wall Charts for Beginning Readers from Sarah Bledsoe’s PreK–K Class

By Ruth Manna

April 27, 2012
Grades PreK–K

A visit to Sarah Bledsoe’s combined preschool and kindergarten class uncovered this fourth-year teacher's imaginative use of wall charts that showcase a combination of words and pictures. Her version is perfect for her beginning readers and can easily be adapted for older students.

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Bringing Your Classroom to Life With Cycles and Food Chains

By Jennifer Solis and Jenifer Boatwright

March 29, 2012
Grades PreK–5

In a study of life cycles and food chains, using your walls to chart the names of mature and baby animals helps solidify important vocabulary words. Keeping charts big and colorful helps draw focus to the information you're covering.

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Making Wordl Work for You — Beyond Word Clouds

By Addie Albano

March 20, 2012
Grades 6–8

If you favor laptop and printer over scissors and magazines, you should know about  Wordle, a website that allows you to make your own word clouds. Use words from a reading workshop or vocabulary study, choose a design, and see what happens when your class "plays with words."

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Totally Hooked! The Many Uses for Stick-On Hooks in My Classroom

By Alycia Zimmerman

January 25, 2012
Grades PreK–8

The uses for these little stick-on rings is endless, from holding hall passes to keeping technology paraphenalia in place. But one of our favorite ideas is this portable word wall.

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Welcome Aboard! Decorating With a Classroom Theme

By Megan Power

September 6, 2011
Grades PreK–K

Creating a classroom theme is fun and compelling and can serve as a launching pad for lessons throughout the year. Turning an awkward space into a working timeline/treasure hunt where “X marks the spot" helped this kindergarten class cruise through each month on the way to June.

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Geometry Graffiti — Polygons in the Hallways

By Stacey Burt

December 16, 2011
Grades 6–8

Using painter’s tape, protractors, and a graphic organizer, get your students and your studies out of the classroom and into the halls!

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Putting Your Walls to Work

By Jennifer Solis and Jenifer Boatwright

December, 2011
Grades 1–2

Nothing improves the classroom atmosphere more than displaying current student work. So take a peek at these great tips for putting classroom walls to work.

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Interactive Bulletin Boards: Tell Me All About It

By Megan Power

October 16, 209
Grades PreK–K

When students enter a classroom they have a lot on their minds and a lot to say. No teacher wants to squelch enthusiasm, but how to let them share without disrupting the class? Meet the "Tell Me All About It" bulletin board, where interactive does not necessarily mean high tech.

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