Now, I need to start by saying that my school is already pretty stinkin' spectacular. It was build just a few years ago, after they tore down the old version on the same block. But being so new and sparkly, it needed some more color. It needed more character....more evidence that this was a place for KIDS.
So I decided I would design and put up some bulletin boards in common areas around the school that could be long-term. One of my favorites is pictured below:
The quote says:
"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over... it became a butterfly." (which is an old proverb)
Here is a close-up:
The room this is in is where staff meetings happen, students work with adult volunteers, kids gather in the morning before heading up to their classrooms, and some other stuff, too. This year, my school district has been working on the idea of teaching kids a "Growth Mindset" (see Carol Dweck's work), and I thought this quote went perfectly with it!
I asked a first grade teacher for help making some butterflies, and she delivered! Look how cute those lil' first grade handprints are! My 5th graders also made some adorable butterflies with our first grade buddies (not pictured). The kids painted each others hands and made handprints on paper for the wings (little hands for top wings, and big hands for bottom wings). Then the first graders stood up tall and raised their hands like antenna for a photograph: they were printed and turned into the bodies of the butterflies - they turned out SO cute! I ended up stapling them between the other butterflies already on the board to create a wild array of butterfly beauty!!!
Bulletin boards make me so happy. That is all!
:) Jenny
