Want Classroom Transformation Ideas? See How I Get My Science Classroom Ready for Fall

August 12, 2022

Are you searching for science classroom transformation ideas? Then look no further. I will show you how I have turned my dull, cold classroom into a warm and welcoming environment for students.

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Classroom Transformation Ideas

I love a good transformation. It seems that there are a lot of people like me who do too. Just think about how many home renovation shows there are on television. I mean tons! There are also a lot of great ideas on Pinterest (find me and follow me while you’re there) showing these incredible classrooms. But I noticed one thing, none of them are High School Science classrooms. They are these cutesy elementary classrooms or even high school but never science. I wanted to show you that you can have a cute, inviting, yet functional science classroom.

There are many themes you could choose from or color schemes to decorate with. I chose the boho theme with more neutral colors. I do have some pops of pink, just because I love pink! My classroom is a mixture of things I have purchased, inherited, and created myself. I am also fortunate enough to not only have these cool desks that are compact but also 3 very large lab tables so students can move to when needed. I am able to set up labs without them being in the way and students do not have a messy set-up at their desks.

Classroom Design Layouts

Each science classroom is unique, and a lot of the furniture cannot be moved, such as lab tables. However, we can work with what we have in order to create the best face to face setup for our students. I wanted to create a flow that made sense and wasn’t crammed. This will also depend on how many students you have in your classes. If you have 33 in a class that is not very large, then it will be tough to make it not feel cramped. I know because that was me last year. Fast forward to this school year and I have the smallest classes I’ve had in years. This has given me some more breathing room in my classroom and I can definitely feel it in my energy.

So, first I arranged my desks to suit not only the design of the classroom but also how I wanted students to be seated and my desks to be arranged. Next, I arranged some tables I had in my room to be tucked up under the bulletin board. I have one table with a lamp, some hand sanitizer, paper towels, Lysol wipes, and a pencil sharpener. The middle table I have there contains 2 desktop computers. The last table under the bulletin board is for students to access their mailboxes. More on this later.

My area has a tall table and a short table. The tall table contains large Sterlite drawers where I organize papers. The short table is where I keep all of my binders, papers, and lessons for that unit. My teacher’s desk contains my laptop and handouts that students pick up at the beginning of class.

Face to Face Classroom Setup

I have a variety of things hanging on my walls and bulletin board which all serve a purpose. My affirmation station is one of my favorites. I love how it turned out and it is not only useful but inspirational. The larger posters on the wall towards the back of my classroom were a gift from Flora Maria Shop and compliment the room so well. That wall is very long and it was blank for quite some time. I love having the posters here because its visible to the students and cover the entire wall.

Another wall I struggled with is where I placed my Prefixes and Suffixes Word Wall. I found a huge need to have these major terms displayed for students because they are seen so frequently in my Anatomy and Biology classes. The beehive pattern makes them fit together perfectly and gives it visual appeal.

I split my bulletin board into 3 smaller sections. The first section contains important information for students, such as login help, bell schedules, and lunch rotations. I left extra space in case I need to add something else. The middle section contains my Scientists of the Month Posters. The third section is above the student mailboxes and has content-related materials to help students in each class. I post the quiz/test dates as well as Quizlet vocab links for them to easily access.

Ok, I said I would come back to the mailboxes….so here we are. This is by far one of the best organizational hacks I have found. In the past, I would grade papers and forget to pass them back. I am notorious for doing this. They would just continue to pile up and eventually I’d get around to passing them back and it would take FOREVER! When I saw this mailbox idea a lightbulb went off! I have one crate per class. Each student gets their own hanging file folder. Once I grade papers, they get filed into their mailbox. I can also stick papers into a student’s folder when they are absent so I can ensure they receive a copy. The way to keep up with this is to either file it as soon as it has been graded or nominate a student to be your filer. Students are free to check their mailbox whenever they want to, but I do remind them each Friday to check their mailbox and collect their items. A weekly check ensures their mailboxes do not get too full and students receive their work at least weekly.

I hope you enjoyed my science classroom transformation ideas. It has taken me years to make my classroom one I enjoy coming to that is also super functional. Best of luck creating your happy place!

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I love sharing helpful content with y’all and would love to connect on IG or Facebook. I’m on TikTok too! Follow me and send me a DM with what you need more of because I’m here to help! If you are looking for even more inspiration, find me on Pinterest!