The Problem:
You’ve probably been seeing these cute felt quotation boards everywhere. I love seeing them in gorgeous home decor settings: they’re so cute in home offices and kitchens, and I love it when people put them in their foyers. I recently got one and it’s been sitting on the floor of my office for about 3 weeks now making me feel really bad. I wanted to use it someplace in the house, but where? In my office? Uh, it takes up too much space on my desk and I don’t have a good place on the wall for it, AND, it’s too tall for my bookshelf. Kitchen? Duh, counter space. Foyer? Entryway table’s too small. Living room? Maybe, but I need time to figure out where, not to mention what I’m going to have it say. So much stress!
The Solution:
So anyway, I always come across great quotes I like to share with students. Sometimes I’ll throw one up on the white board or I’ll stick them into a presentation now and then, but nothing regular. I’ve always loved it when teachers have “official” quotation boards where they put up quotations curated either by themselves or by students, and this is displayed prominently and creatively (and neatly!)Β in the classroom. I’ve never done that, but it struck me that I could use THIS cute little quotation board for that purpose! There are at least 3 great spots for this in my classroom that I can think of right now as I sit here in my home office writing this post.
The Logistics:
Placing the letters on the felt board each week will take time, so I’ve tried to find mostly short quotations. Also, I was thinking I will enlist the help of students. My freshmen puff up with pride any time I ask them to do something “extra” for the classroom, like running something to another teacher or to the office, erasing the board, or watering plants. Yes, really! I used to think elementary students would be way more willing to help out than high schoolers, but in my experience anyway, the high schoolers are just as eager to help (despite what their parents tell me — haha!).
The Location:
I experimented with a few locations in my classroom, but the front corner is really where it fits in, can be seen and accessed by students, and won’t get knocked over.
Here it is close up — I was experimenting with a few different accessories.
The Words:
I want to have a good variety of quotes that I will change weekly. Some will be inspirational, while others will be funny. I’ll allow students to submit their quotes as well, so it can be a fun little quotation community project.
My first-ever display board quote is going to be my own personal favorite: “Work hard and be nice.” Here are just a few of the quotes I’ve brainstormed so far that I think will be perfect for my high school students.
Inspirational Classroom Quotes:
- Whether or not you think you can, you’re right. — Henry Ford
- You cannot teach anybody anything: you can only make them think. — Socrates
- Nothing will work unless you do. — Maya Angelou
- Quality is not an act; it is a habit. Β — Aristotle
- Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. — Confucius
Fun Classroom Quotes:
- If at first you don’t succeed….so much for skydiving.
- Always remember you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else. — Margaret Mead
- A day without sunshine is like, you know, night. — Steve Martin
- If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? Β — George Carlin
- Don’t lick the desk.
Don’t know why that “Don’t lick the desk” one makes me laugh ever time. It’s probably not quite as funny to Pre-K and early elementary teachers, though. π
If you want to see the full list of classroom quotations I’ve started, you can download it in PDF form via the link immediately below. Note: it’s a 2-page PDF, so clicking will allow you to view the 1st page only; if you click the viewable image after the first click, you’ll get access to the full PDF.
Quotes for the Classroom Everyday Teacher Style
I would looooove to be able to add more inspirational and fun quotes to my list. If you have any go-to quotes you’re willing to share, please leave them in a comment below.
