There is a very divided school of thought on the value of display. It’s a real “Marmite” situation, which I’d almost see as a Primary/ (some) Secondary divide. While I have visited schools for ASD children where the walls are blank in order not to cause sensory disruption and aggravation, most children can cope with a variety of media being present. They live in a very busy world, so have to develop the skills to unpick the range of stimuli and interpret what they need to find.
Love them or hate them; people do for a range of reasons, not good at display, so argue against, arguing that they are distracting, that they serve a passing need, so lose their value quickly, that they take time that could be spent elsewhere. During my career, I have heard all these and more, but, as a life-long Primary practitioner, I am convinced that the value of display outweighs the negatives. Children who know their work might be displayed in some form will put more effort into their work, as there is a defined, visible end product. If all work is in exercise books, they become secretive efforts, with only the classteacher to respond. Interestingly, there are simultaneous arguments against marking. One or the other serves a purpose in providing a response to effort.
Displays serve a variety of purposes within a school classroom. They should allow individual interpretation, not be part of corporate working.
Love them or hate them; people do for a range of reasons, not good at display, so argue against, arguing that they are distracting, that they serve a passing need, so lose their value quickly, that they take time that could be spent elsewhere. During my career, I have heard all these and more, but, as a life-long Primary practitioner, I am convinced that the value of display outweighs the negatives. Children who know their work might be displayed in some form will put more effort into their work, as there is a defined, visible end product. If all work is in exercise books, they become secretive efforts, with only the classteacher to respond. Interestingly, there are simultaneous arguments against marking. One or the other serves a purpose in providing a response to effort.
Displays serve a variety of purposes within a school classroom. They should allow individual interpretation, not be part of corporate working.
For the past nine years, as an IQM and LPPA assessor and ITT Link Tutor with two universities, I have visited many classrooms. Some are awash with displays, in Primaries especially, where there’s usually a large word list wall, some kind of number-line, behaviour chart, timetable for the day, WALT and WILF or LO/SC and posters with useful “facts” supporting writing, such as ISPACED or RUCSAC, always presented on colourful backgrounds, ensuring a very vibrant feel to the work space. I am often aware that it can be overwhelming to the senses and occasionally offer that view. Quite often, children’s work is often displayed in corridors, so the classteacher may not be making use of the potential for modelling expectations, although that can be part of working walls.
As a classroom teacher, I felt it was my role to create the best possible working environment to support children in their learning. We decorate our homes and choose art work or ornaments that are pleasing (display), organise things for ease of movement and access (space and resources) and adopt similar ideas in classrooms, especially if they are “our own”, as in Primaries. Children deserve a pleasant, well organised and well-resourced environment within which they spend several hours of their day. Working with a number of very talented teachers, I learned the craft of display, by imitation, copying their short-cuts, learning colour coordination, arrangements that caught the eye and encouraged engagement, to avoid the problem of displays becoming just wallpaper. Throughout my school lifetime, displays were seen as needing to be changed regularly, to ensure continuing interest, but also to avoid them becoming decoration. They had to serve a learning purpose.
Regular turnover of displays, linked with the current topic allowed flexibility to ensure that every child had a chance of having some aspect of work shared with the others. I found it a very pleasant end to a school day to put up a display that would be noticed the next day. A good display can enhance the wellbeing aspects of a classroom, especially if incorporating children’s work.
Regular turnover of displays, linked with the current topic allowed flexibility to ensure that every child had a chance of having some aspect of work shared with the others. I found it a very pleasant end to a school day to put up a display that would be noticed the next day. A good display can enhance the wellbeing aspects of a classroom, especially if incorporating children’s work.
Celebration and valuing effort. There is a great feeling in having something displayed publicly, whether a child or an adult. This can be in print, a Twitter retweet, or a child’s efforts, mounted with care and within a display. The act of display is a celebration. I still remember my seven year old writing printed in the school portfolio, or the colourful fish painting after catching my first perch. The dynamics of learning are enhanced by such celebration. I wrote about this further after a school assessment, where a local hall had been the venue for a display of children’s work, visited by wider family and the local population. The feedback being positive, the children were galvanised to greater effort.
Sharing good work and Modelling thinking. It is almost self-evident that displaying work allows for sharing, but it can have a very positive impact on an individual and can also offer opportunities for evaluative interactions with an outcome, leading to further improvement. If the process is also displayed, for example, with the earlier drafts leading to the final product, this allows insights into the personal thought processes involved. Learning how people think is as valuable as passing by a nice piece of work. Encouraging engagement with post-it evaluation comments creates an interactive element.
Teacher modelling should be incorporated within displays, with hand-written rather than computer printed headings to model the school approach to writing and writing expectation; if a teacher writes badly, why should children be different? Careful questions embedded within the display which encourages further thought, together with post-its to enable responses, makes the display interactive and, in some case, evaluative. Mind maps of ideas or carefully selected images provide useful visuals from which discussion can be generated.
I wouldn’t have a general word wall, or large, bought charts. If words are important, they should be beside the child, for ease of access, a one side of A4 essential word list. Topic words could be written on a chart. Charts for memory jogging should also be with the child, filtered as personalised targets, not generalised statements. As “fold-out” sheets attached to the edge of an exercise book, they serve a closer purpose. The bought charts are usually very easily replicated by a teacher or TA, modelling school writing expectations.
Technology allows for temporary display to a purpose, through the IWB, for example. Images are really important, especially for children who may experience working memory issues.
Sharing good work and Modelling thinking. It is almost self-evident that displaying work allows for sharing, but it can have a very positive impact on an individual and can also offer opportunities for evaluative interactions with an outcome, leading to further improvement. If the process is also displayed, for example, with the earlier drafts leading to the final product, this allows insights into the personal thought processes involved. Learning how people think is as valuable as passing by a nice piece of work. Encouraging engagement with post-it evaluation comments creates an interactive element.
Teacher modelling should be incorporated within displays, with hand-written rather than computer printed headings to model the school approach to writing and writing expectation; if a teacher writes badly, why should children be different? Careful questions embedded within the display which encourages further thought, together with post-its to enable responses, makes the display interactive and, in some case, evaluative. Mind maps of ideas or carefully selected images provide useful visuals from which discussion can be generated.
I wouldn’t have a general word wall, or large, bought charts. If words are important, they should be beside the child, for ease of access, a one side of A4 essential word list. Topic words could be written on a chart. Charts for memory jogging should also be with the child, filtered as personalised targets, not generalised statements. As “fold-out” sheets attached to the edge of an exercise book, they serve a closer purpose. The bought charts are usually very easily replicated by a teacher or TA, modelling school writing expectations.
Technology allows for temporary display to a purpose, through the IWB, for example. Images are really important, especially for children who may experience working memory issues.
I would have a drawer or paper trolley with pre-cut coloured sugar paper ready for display. There is a debate whether to have these cut just larger than A4/A3 or to cut down the A4/A3 writing/drawing paper. Either way, there’s some preparatory cutting to be done.
But, I wouldn’t double or triple mount. In the words of one mentor, the venerable Peter Dixon,
Single mount= I really like this piece of work,
Double= I really, really like this piece of work,
Triple mount= I like this piece of work, but I have time on my hands.
Children, including infants, can be trained to mount their work for you, or at least find the right paper and put them together. As a classteacher, I did not have the facility of a class Teaching Assistant. I met my first one when I became a head, and that lady was largely helping in the office, rather than the classrooms.
I would have an interactive/working wall, based on a current topic, with some essential starter images and questions, but which, over the timescale of the topic, changes to the needs of the class and allows celebration of different aspects of working. It might from time to time be a little scruffy, as on-going mind maps, or post-it notes are incorporated, but it should be about learning.
I would have time lines, either as story boards for literacy, or within a history context, to embed concepts of time and associated vocabulary.
I would have displays, not too fussy, but each to a purpose, supporting a specific aspect of learning, so changeable daily if necessary, but always seeking to celebrate children’s work enhancing their self-esteem, so encouraging further effort.
But, I wouldn’t double or triple mount. In the words of one mentor, the venerable Peter Dixon,
Single mount= I really like this piece of work,
Double= I really, really like this piece of work,
Triple mount= I like this piece of work, but I have time on my hands.
Children, including infants, can be trained to mount their work for you, or at least find the right paper and put them together. As a classteacher, I did not have the facility of a class Teaching Assistant. I met my first one when I became a head, and that lady was largely helping in the office, rather than the classrooms.
I would have an interactive/working wall, based on a current topic, with some essential starter images and questions, but which, over the timescale of the topic, changes to the needs of the class and allows celebration of different aspects of working. It might from time to time be a little scruffy, as on-going mind maps, or post-it notes are incorporated, but it should be about learning.
I would have time lines, either as story boards for literacy, or within a history context, to embed concepts of time and associated vocabulary.
I would have displays, not too fussy, but each to a purpose, supporting a specific aspect of learning, so changeable daily if necessary, but always seeking to celebrate children’s work enhancing their self-esteem, so encouraging further effort.
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