I am still beaming from our week of celebrations at the end of term! We celebrated all the achievements of our students, ourselves as teachers and the support of our friends/families. By the end of each term, I’m usually partied out. But I’m also ready to get stuck into my FAVOURITE part of the school holidays… having a classroom makeover!!!

Often, I’ve been so focused on Acing Assessment or I’ve been watching too much Queer Eye… that I haven’t noticed how much my classroom has worn itself out. There’s posters falling down. Grubby, dog-eared desk tags. So I am ready to Fab Five my classroom from drab to fab!! Here’s how I love to have a little classroom makeover….

#1 Replace anything the students have destroyed!!

What’s one thing I love about creating teaching resources? It’s that once you’ve bought it, you can print it and use it as many times as you like!! Unlike a cushion from Kmart that needs repurchasing once it’s had PVA glue smeared all over it, MJLL resources are the gift that keeps on giving. Something as simple as a reprint makes such a difference towards how you (and your students) feel about your classroom.

Below are the items that I like to refresh mid-year. Little hands using them for two terms definitely has an impact! And if your resources are covered in Vegemite, grime and are very, very sticky… that’s GREAT because it means students are engaging with those teaching tools and resources.

Here’s what I like to replace:

1. Alphabet Desk Strips (variety of fonts available)
2. Students Goal Mat
3. Word Rings
4. Student Name Labels
5. Classroom Jobs Display Board

#2. Switch up your door display

I find that my students are always SO excited for the start of each term. So I really like to show them that I’m excited too and that it’s going to be a great term together! One way that I communicate this is simply by putting up a new Door Display. This is because the first thing they see when they walk in is a new greeting for a new term. To me, it symbolises a new season together. Especially at the start of Term 3. Assessment is done, the Golden Term is about to begin and we’re going to have the BEST time together!!

Here are a few options from my Tropical and Cactus Decor bundle. There’s two in each, so if you’ve used one for the first half of the year… get the second one out and surprise your students with your classroom makeover.

#3 Classroom makeover with a new Bulletin Board or Bunting Display

Like us, our students have been staring at the same four walls all year. After a while it’s a bit like the washing pile… you learn to not notice it’s there! So mid-year is a great time to create a new Bulletin Board or Bunting Display. It catches the student’s eye as soon as they walk in. It also gives you a new window to really engage them in a new concept or area. I recently shared about Growth Mindset and how to create a bulletin board that models how to use different language to move from a fixed to a growth mindset. If this really resonates with you, it could be a great time to put this up in your classroom. (Just remember to cut out the middle of the D or you’ll blow up the internet like I did!!)

If you’re short on space, consider simply putting up new Bunting that catches your students’ eyes. (I have 8 designs available!!) It might simply be naming a space like your Reading Corner or creating a WOW Work sign… or you could use it to create a whole new area in your classroom!

It’s *Your* turn for a classroom makeover now!

Good luck as you give start your classroom makeover this week! Remember, if it’s not Back to School season – don’t spend your whole holidays chained to the laminator. Just do what’s going to give you energy and help your students feel GREAT about stepping back into your classroom.

What are you most looking forward to refreshing? I’d love for you to tag me at @missjacobslittlelearners in any photos of your fab classroom on Instagram!