Page 4 - Motivate to Create, Using Posters!

Greetings, it's me, Alberto, but you can call me The Makerspace Guy!

Do the walls of your classroom inspire and motivate your students to create?  Or do they look similar to the walls of a solitary confinement cell?

My current room is located behind the school in a portable building.  Upon joining the staff, the principal gave me a walk-through of my future classroom.  When I entered I cringed, because my first thought was, "This looks like a dingy bar!"

No way, no how, was it a space conducive to any kind of creativity!  The room needed a total makeover!  ---  NOTE:  More on the attack plan I used will be shared in a future blog entry.

In addition to artwork, it's my opinion that colorful, motivational posters are essential for elementary school Makerspace areas.  On countless occasions, I've had kids come up and show me a project they created that was inspired by a sign they saw hanging on the Makerspace wall.  Or they'll quote a motivational poster out loud to another student to offer encouragement.

Keeping the posters topical rather than thematic will even work for students with sensory issues.  (For example displaying posters that reflect the topic of Makerspace, rather than the theme of "Kitty Cats" just because you like kitty cats.)

By the way, I purchase and own most of my classroom posters, so I can hang on to them, in case I move to a new school or town.  (Speaking from experience, starting from scratch isn't always fun.👎)

Now, here is my all-time favorite motivational poster.  "TA-DA!"

PRODUCT INFORMATION:

Measurements: 13 3/8" wide x 19" high

Brand:  Creative Teaching Press

GTIN:  00030554072888

The price range, as of this post, is about $3.39 - $10.16 online, depending on the vendor.  Shipping is usually separate.

TEACHING TIP:

Just because the poster is hanging on the wall doesn't mean children will understand the meaning.  Motivational posters make more of an impact on your students if you explain what they mean.

PRACTICAL TIP:

"Save the staples, save the wall!"

I love using Poster Putty (a.k.a. Mounting Putty, Adhesive Putty, Tac 'N Stick), but since I teach inside a portable in Texas, the weather right outside the walls often causes my posters to fall down if I use putty alone.

Adding a staple or two to the top of each sign was a quick fix, but left holes in my posters and the wall.  However, recently I started fastening binder clips to the top of each poster.  I then hang the binder ring on the wall with a pushpin, and lastly secure the edges of the decoration with Mounting Putty.

Adjusting posters is now so much easier too!

Also, I try to hang new posters in the same spot as old ones, so there won't be pushpin holes all over the walls.

 

MONEY-SAVING HACKS:

• Create posters!  Search online for motivational slogans which apply to your class.  Then hand out poster boards to your students and have them draw signs of the slogan while including their original artwork!   ---  NOTE: I hardly ever give out full-sized 22" x 28" poster boards.  Instead, I cut the boards in half by using the giant guillotine-style cutter in the teachers' workroom.  This not only saves money, but since my classes are only 50 minutes in length, it makes it easier for the kids to fill up the blank space of their posters.  

• Use white poster boards.  They're cheaper than color and they don't fade as easily.  Also, the artwork shows up better on white.

• Have your students come up with their own original motivational slogans and images!

• Laminate your posters to give them longer life!  Make sure there's enough laminating film in the machine before you put each sign through the process, so they won't get ruined.

BRIGHT IDEAS:

• Plan a lesson or unit around the poster's message.  Example: Ask your students to come up with 5 items located in the classroom which they can use to draw a picture.  Take samples of those items (pencil, crayon, marker, color pencil, chalk) and place them in a box.  Preferably a clear box.  Now give the kids 10 minutes to create a quick and simple picture of a flower WITHOUT using items like those in the box.  Explain that they can use various items found in the room.  Afterward, have a discussion about the true meaning of "Think Outside the Box."

• Ask your students to come up with examples of famous creative people who thought "outside the box", or maybe share about a time they themselves had a different approach to something.

• Take a picture of the poster, or find the exact image online, and include it in your PowerPoint or Google Slides class presentations.

Well, friends, I hope this blog entry has given you all some helpful and exciting ideas to try in your own classrooms.  Please feel free to leave any questions or suggestions in the comment section.

---  Stay creative, The Makerspace Guy

(Pictures collected for the collages, as well as the photos used for this blog entry were all found online.) 

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