My Plant Themed Classroom

CraftingTeaching
Written By Kelli Casey

I started teaching in the fall of 2010. At the time, teaching positions were incredibly difficult to find. Before graduation, our professors advised us that teachers were going without raises to save teaching jobs and to take whatever position is offered to us first.

I spent 7 years in the classroom teaching at both the middle and high school levels in both English Language Arts and reading before I took a position as a reading coach. I spent the next 6 years in this support role at both the school and district levels. While I could go on for ages about the dysfunction on all levels, I can also share that there are also great people at all levels that genuinely show up and do their best every single day and love our students like they love their own children.

Last year, I spent the majority of my time covering our teaching vacancies. The uninterrupted time with the students in the classroom helped me realize how significant the job is and showed me how much I miss being with them every day.

This year, I returned to a middle language arts classroom to teach 8th grade students. I was determined to make it a fantastic year of both academic and personal growth and chose a plant theme to match my goal.

Bulletin Boards

This year I have the most bulletin boards I’ve ever seen in any classroom. I have 6 boards: 1 extra large, rectangular one measuring at 93” x 44” and five smaller square bulletin boards measuring 41 1/1” - 42 1/2” x 40” - 42”. Here are the supplies I used:

I am a HUGE fan of layered cardstock and foam, adhesive dots. Here are the Cricut DesignSpace links I used to design and cut my bulletin boards:

Every good classroom has a signature font, right? This year, I used Delighted Panda and Magic in Valentine from DaFont for my bulletin boards and labels.

I just love the way the bulletin boards turned out!

Decorations

Here is the Cricut Design Space link for the labels I cut on adhesive vinyl for my supply bins and colored paper drawers. Look for the pictures of our colored cardstock, paper trays, and drawer labels under the Supplies subheading below.

Here is the Cricut Design Space link I used to create stencils for this painted chalkboard. I painted all the layers before removing the adhesive vinyl and love the way it turned out.

Plants

A botanical classroom would be incomplete without the plants. I’m already so impressed with how much these plants have grown in just the first quarter. I must also admit that I was certain a few of the students would get curious and maybe pick at the plants. I figured the worst-case scenario would be replanting or replacing a plant or two. I also figured it was worth it to have the added ambiance and pops of color. I haven’t had a single issue with the students bothering the plants and I have one on each side of their turn in bins above their textbooks and notebooks. They have plenty of access and don’t mess with them. I like to think they appreciate the plants in the room as much as I do.

One day I’ll add a monstera deliciousa and a fiddle leaf fig tree. I think they’d look great in large pots on the floor between the shelving along the back windows.

Supplies

Here are the other miscellaneous supplies I included on my classroom wishlist. The mini Sharpie markers, broom and dustpan, and wireless doorbells are my favorites.

Teacher hack: Store your dry erase markers upside down and 1 pack will last you most of the year. Yay, gravity!

If you’d like to support my classroom, please consider restocking some supplies that are running low from my Amazon Wishlist.

Kelli Casey
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