Have you had a peak at the classroom displays on Pinterest?

It’s quite something to behold. It’s less a photo-reel of classrooms, more an awards entry list for set design at the BAFTAs. 

That site can be a rabbit hole. 

Quick read: How to turn your weekend adventures into CPD

Quick listen: What you need to know about the problems with ‘school readiness’

Want to know more? How to beat teacher stress

And, as the minutes and pins go by in a blur of impeccably produced creations, it’s easy to feel resentful. A sense of anxiety can consume you as you compare yourself to the design whizzes who created these displays. It can quickly breed unrealistic expectations of what we should be providing for the children we teach. 

Pinterest classroom displays

We need to take a minute and ask ourselves some important questions. 

What is the process behind the displays? How did the children engage? What characteristics of effective learning were evident? How did the activity evolve? Which language were the children using?  

The Pinterest pages fuel an obsession with how displays look, not what they are there to do. We should not get drawn in. 

What works for you

Instead, it’s important to bring ourselves back to reality, reflecting on our practice, the space we have in our classroom, the children and their interests, and the ethos of the school or setting. 

Displays need to reflect all of this and be manageable in the time, budget, space and staffing support we have available. 

An idea might look fantastic on Pinterest, but it may just not be achievable in reality or be that effective when it comes to learning. 

Carry on pinning if you choose, but I’m stepping away from what I feel is having a negative affect on my practice. Instead, I’m favouring a more organic approach: thinking and creating alongside the children in their environment.