Bulletin Board Ideas for Math

Teachers plan and prepare lessons, attend meetings, help students, create resources, grade assessments, communicate with parents, learn new teaching strategies, learn technology…and the list could go on forever. With so many things to do, I find that thinking of a new way to decorate my room each year can become daunting.  Don’t get me wrong, I love decorating my walls and bulletin boards, but it’s the with what that sometimes stumps me. 
After searching the internet, I discovered some amazing ideas and came up with a few of my own. I divided the ideas up into four main categories –  informative, interactive, student work, and motivational. Check out what I found and am using in my classroom this year…

These types of bulletin boards display information that provides students with visual reference throughout the year.
 
1 – Word Walls
Love them! Scaffolded Math and Science has the most amazing ones and she explains why they are so important for high school students on her blog.

Photo thanks to Scaffolded Math and Science

The beginning of the Word Wall in my classroom.

2 – Graphing Calculator Reference Sheets
Students constantly forget the steps they need to use on a graphing calculator. These sheets are great for students to put in their interactive notebooks, binder, etc. I hang them up on folders and then place the sheets for my students behind the picture so they are ready to go whenever they need them. Read about them in my blog post or snag them in my store.

Calculator board from my classroom

3 – Math = Love Blog
All of her ideas are awesome! Her blog is filled with so much creativity, which includes ways to decorate your room with math. I used her Perfect Squares and Perfect Cubes sheets this year and my students were so appreciative, especially for the simplifying radicals quiz.

Above the whiteboard in the front of my classroom

Bulletin boards where students engage with the pieces on the board. There are several types out there, but I found this one to be great for math class.

4 – Boggle
Students interact with this vocabulary Boggle bulletin board designed by Math Giraffe. Learn about this idea and how to set up a classroom that works for teens on her blog. This is great for stations, bell ringers, or even early finishers. Lessons with Coffee also has a Boggle bulletin board for math expressions which you can find here.

Photo thanks to Math Giraffe

Show off your student’s hard work!!!

5 – Math is Everywhere
Every year I use this bulletin board idea from the Middle School Math Man. I have my Algebra 2 and Calculus students think of a place they see or use math in the real world. Then they are to create a sheet that includes one Algebra skill, one Geometry skill, and then one more math skill of their choice (Algebra, Geometry, Statistics, etc.) that ties to the real world setting. I have added a rubric, example, and bulletin board letters for this activity in my FREE Resource Library, so SUBSCRIBE to my email list to get instant access!

Math is Everywhere bulletin board in my classroom

6 – iMath resources
A fun spin on student’s favorite iPhone Apps – Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, and iMessage. Students add sheets to their phone throughout the school year to show what they know and document their growth. At the end of the year they use it for review before their final exam. Check them out here.

iMath bulletin board in my classroom

 7 – The Fridge
Easy way for student’s to display their hard work! Check out how Scaffolded Math and Science sets it up in her class.

Photo thanks to Scaffolded Math and Science

8 – Math Pennants
Scaffolded Math and Science does it again! Her blog is full of fun and witty ideas. These pennants are a way for students to confidently display their knowledge and understanding of math topics.

Photo thanks to Scaffolded Math and Science

We can all use some inspiration in life, right?! 
9 – Growth Mindset Posters
I’m all about GRIT this year, which you can read more about in my blog post on To-Do Lists and True Grit.  I used Mrs. E Teaches Math’s growth mindset posters to encourage my students to be gritty. Check them out here.

I hope you found some ideas to use in your classroom! I would love to hear about more cool ways to decorate a math classroom, so send me an email at [email protected] with ideas.
*All photos are from my classroom, unless otherwise noted in the photo caption.