Settling In V Getting Something To Put Up On Display

[Guest]

Okay - So as an NQT last year I did not spend enought time modelling how to use areas, tidy and class expectations. This year, after a week in school l'm already seeing the difference. Last year I recall that after 2 weeks we started 'teaching' and planning around children's interests and by week 4 we had paretnts in for a celebration afternoon and there was work on display to show what they had been up to.

 

 

By spending the first half term this year focusing adult led tasks to model how to use areas when should I start planning around an interest or theme - IE all about me, dinosaurs...

 

I'm worried I wont have enough up on my walls for parents or visitors to see.

[Guest]

Personally i'd say don't worry about it. It will all come together in the end.

The most important thing in my opinion is settling the children and embedding routines etc.

We have painted our backing papers this week for the boards (about 120 sheets in total they have worked hard!)and they have been put up but as for the rest of their work they will evolve over the next month. My advice would be continue as you have been doing and if possible get your backing paper up ready for the work as this briightns your classroom environment no end. Good Luck

Vicky

[Elfy]

Hi

 

Over recent years I have tried to create more displays that don't require the children to all do 'a piece of work'. We have a Art Gallery where we put the pictures children create of their own accord in school or at home, we have a 'We have been talking about' display where we display the children's responses to our 'talk topic' in speech bubbles and we have a celebrations display where we ask children/parents to send in pictures or momentos of thier celebrations, such as family weddings, christenings, new siblings, birthdays, etc.

 

Elfy

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[Guest]

Hi

 

and we have a celebrations display where we ask children/parents to send in pictures or momentos of thier celebrations, such as family weddings, christenings, new siblings, birthdays, etc.

 

Elfy

x

 

I love this idea, might steal!

[Guest]

Use photos of what you have been doing to record a class learning journey - annotate so people can see what you have done and achieved with the children and so the children can celebrate.

Create a learning intention board - ask all the children what they would like to learn this year and create a display of what they say. You can then refer back to it throughout the year and add photos and examples to demonstrate how they are moving towards it.

Create an "All About Me" board - photo of each child and then pictures or labels around each photo toi indicate the interests of each child - parents can add their own comments to it.

An art gallery where children can display their own creations.

Just a few ideas...I'll keep thinking

[Guest]

I have been doing as you and have been spending the least 2 weeks talking through each area of the classroom with the children a group at a time. As we have half a class in at a time my TA and I have had a group of 7/8 each and explained each area, modelled play, allowed about 20 minutes free play in each area and then practiced tidying it up. Whatever the children have produced in this time has been displayed along one wall (which we call our wow wall) as well as photos of them doing it. It's not the tidiest display but it's what we've been doing. I won't begin really with a theme until we are all in full time which is the week after next. Last year I rushed into things being new to reception after about 8 years even though I've taught for 15. We launched into themes and activities right from the word go and freeflow play from the beginning and as a consequence the classroom was trashed because they didn't know how to tidy up and then we had to backtrack. I guess teaching in Y2 and Y3 for so long I had forgotten how much had to be explained from the outset! Already like you I can see a massive difference and what is really good about doing things this way is that all the children are experiencing all the areas of the classroom and enjoying them and hopefully will return to them when they have the choice instead of always favouring the same activity. Don't beat yourself up you are doing the right thing and so what if the displays are not as they were last year.

Deb