Put a positive spin on your classroom expectations bulletin board this school year by turning it into a classified ad, like this board from Debra Henk. Rather than just a list of "Dos" and "Don'ts", each ad calls for a specific trait, skill, or learning philosophy that you'd like to see your students cultivate while in the classroom learning environment.
Example Classroom "Want Ads"...
WANTED: Active participants who are interested in learning.
WANTED: Adventurous souls ready to exercise their minds.
WANTED: Cooperative learners who work well with others.
WANTED: Courageous individuals willing to learn from their mistakes.
WANTED: Flexible thinkers who consider alternative views.
WANTED: Independent thinkers who justify their beliefs.
Classroom Classifieds Bulletin Board
Background: Paper the board with recycled newspaper pages.
Title: "Classifieds: Room 203", "Classroom Classifieds", etc.
Border: Complimentary solid color trimmer.
Decoration: Brainstorm a list of classroom expectations {Debra provides a list of the ads she included in her bulletin board at her website that provide fantastic inspiration for your own!} and use these to create "Want Ads" with word processing software. Since they're reminiscent of newspaper ads, they don't have to be colorful or fancy...
Photo Source: www.read180.00freehost.com/displays.htm
Print the ads onto card stock, mount onto colored paper, and laminate, arranging these around the bulletin board to inspire your students throughout the year.
