Interactive Bulletin Boards

As I've mentioned, the reading board happens to be directly across from a much used rest stop. I often see the students reading the various book covers posted, but I want something more. I'd like them to be a bit more engaged, have some real conversations about what they are reading. Call be crazy!

With that, I decided I'd have a new theme to this year's bulletin boards. Each board must be interactive in some way. My "welcome back" board tied into our summer reading Superhero theme and asks students to find their superhero name. While not leading to deep rigorous discussion, I'm certain it will be fun.

The inspiration for the board came from a few different Pinterest finds. The Cityscape idea from this backdrop idea, Skippyjon Jones and the slogan from this Pin (I found additional characters to fill the board), and the idea for the Superhero name came from this Pin. When I decided to add it to the board, I didn't like the flavor aspect of the last name. I did some searching for "What's your superhero name" and found a few more examples. I wanted a list was elementary school friendly so I did some blending to create my custom list.

Library windows 2014-2015

As with the bulletin boards, I was not as productive with windows this year. I'll blame it on being overly busy teaching. I recycle a lot of my props from one theme to another, using them differently. I love the dollar store, garage sales, the sale aisle of big box stores, and everyone else's cast offs. Creativity is key and the free is good.

No time to decorate? I adapted this idea and asked staff to pick their favorite books and pop in a speech bubble with a short quote. I found my bubbles at my local teacher store and laminated them for repeat use.

I went simple this year adapting this idea and did some paper cutouts that I laminated. 

The house windows are tissue paper.

 

I loved this window idea. I used a plastic tablecloth, printed & laminated letters, plastic spiders 

and super cool eyes that I found at the dollar store. I just need a better way to adhere 

the spiders to the window so you don't see the tape. 

 

The dollar store again, with another tablecloth, fruit, party favors, knight shields (in the other window), 

jewels, a gold plate and crowns

This is actually a pirates chest from the party store. It gets used quite a bit.

Again, just lots of stuff I've collected over the years. Mix and match to use them differently. The kids enjoy looking at them as they line up in the hall going to or from other places. It is a great way to keep them interested in books and reading.

Bulletin Boards 2014-2015

Apparently every time I walked past my bulletin board and thought it needed to be changed, it REALLY did need to be changed, because I pathetically only did a few boards this year. Which obviously becomes goal number one for next year.

We started the year with our summer reading board still up, so I did not change it until fall.

For the fall tree I used my Big Tree kit and an assortment of other fall leaves. 

The scarecrow is from a Mailbox book of patterns that I use for a lot of cutouts.

In January I used the International Kids kit and focused on country books with a travel theme. 

To highlight historical fiction and biographies, I used cutouts from the Mailbox book 
and a few pieces from the Civil Rights Pioneer Bulletin Board Set.

Inspiration comes from Pinterest (who doesn't love Pinterest?) the fall board was from this uploaded photo, the travel was loosely taken from this photo and I'm not certain where I came up with the historic idea since I haven't anything pinned. It might just be an original idea. Gasp!

I did one final board, but I can not show a photo of it because I displayed student work. The kids absolutely loved it and I will most likely make it an annual event. I got the idea from this blog post. Found some clipart that was similar to what she used and made my to fit a half sheet of 8.5x11 copy paper. Some of the work was really quite good and the students enjoyed looking at all the different book titles.

Bulletin Boards

What can I say about bulletin boards except I have a love/hate relationship with them. First of all I have too many of them in the library and would much rather have shelving higher than a three feet, but I make the best of it. Or at least I'm trying. I also have a bulletin board in the hallway in another part of the school. Which I actually LOVE having. Its in a main hallway, across from the restrooms, so there is lots of traffic. I've noticed that if I include book covers I have in the library, guess what books get checked out?

I get a lot of ideas from Pinterest and have a board just for Library Displays. If your interested, you can see where I got my ideas from. October, November (which BTW I can't find an original pin and it drives me nuts), February (pictures are not currently showing on the original blog), and April.

Welcome Back using Carson-Dellosa kit.

October using Carson-Dellosa kit and an assortment of other fall leaves.

I made the basket by weaving together heavy brown paper.

November using the same tree base, a monkey set and some palm leaves.
I had made the tiger and giraffe years ago, they are out of proportion, but what the heck.

February using a variety of hearts from the party store.
We pulled every pink and red covered book we could find.
"Roses are red, Books are red too. If you like great books, then these books are for you!"

Book Fair Fiesta and another trip to the party store.

April - back to the tree along with the kits woodland animals.

My Pinterest board is full of new ideas for this year. I hope to share them more frequently. Be on the lookout. If you adapt any of these ideas, please let me know. Post a photo or a link in the comments. I'd love to see what you did.

Display Windows

Display Windows: I have two, and these are not all of my monthly displays, just the ones I liked the best. Plus I do repeat some of the more popular ones every year. We are located at the beginning of the specials wing and on the way to lunch, so I have found the more "stuff" there is to draw their eyes towards the books, the more action the books get. These are no particular order.

The large letters are painted paper mache from JoAnne's.

The kids loved the hats and boots. I also had a coat on display elsewhere in the LMC.

I found the chandelier at a summer sidewalk sale at Cracker Barrel of all places.

The kids loved the fake marshmallows! I used modeling foam and charcoal pencil.

The snowballs are styrofoam.

The tombstones were hard to find because they needed to be small enough to fit into the windows.

The Halloween windows are consistent favorites. I'm always on the lookout at the dollar store, garage sales, the party store and the clearance aisle of Target and Walgreen for display items. I refuse to pay a lot of money for anything and probably spend more time than I should on the displays. Which is why I tend to leave them up a bit longer than I'd like sometimes. Some displays have been huge hits, others flops. But the students always like them and always comment on them so I must be doing something right.