Back to School Bulletin Board Ideas

Teachers understand the value of effective bulletin boards. A powerful back to school bulletin board may inspire reluctant students to become enthusiastic about the new school year.

Starting a new grade or going to a new school has its challenges and for some students may even be traumatic. A successful welcome back to school board may help students feel at home in a new classroom with a new teacher.

Here is a list of back-to-school bulletin board ideas. We’ve broken them up by theme.  Hopefully you will be inspired! Pin this post for later – you’ll be able to find it with no problems that way.

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Welcome Back To School Bulletin Boards

1. Welcome Train Bulletin Board

   

   Personalize the classroom with the welcome train bulletin board. Use the previous year’s student photos in the passenger cars to make them feel welcome. Take your own staff photo and place yourself as the engineer driving the train.

2. Arrgh You Ready For First Grade?

   

   A pirate-themed welcome board for first graders. Students are the sailors on the ship with the teacher as the captain.  Perfect for celebrating Talk Like A Pirate Day on September 19th as well!

3. Superheros Welcome Board

   

   A great way to show children they are important to the classroom.  What kid doesn’t love superheros?

4. You are A Hero

   

   Based on the superhero theme this welcome bulletin board focuses on who the students are and that each student is special. The board reminds students how to treat each other with respect.

5. Picture Yourself In Kindergarten

   

   A welcome bulletin board with open frames for photos. Instead of photographs, students draw selfies that are placed within individual frames on the bulletin board making them part of the class.

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Other Bulletin Board Resources:

• Spring Bulletin Board Ideas
• Winter Bulletin Board Ideas

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Initial Introductions and Settling In

6. You Fit Right In!

   

   Show the students that the classroom isn’t complete without them. Each student and teacher are a puzzle piece that fits into the classroom jigsaw puzzle. Each student decorates their puzzle piece that has their name and with their photo on it.

7. Everybody is Somebody

   

   The bulletin board demonstrates that although each student is unique, they all fit together in the classroom. Also, it helps to get to know each other. Each student decorates their puzzle piece with their interests, hobbies, family, and personalities.

8. Getting To Know Us Crossword

   

   Make notes from the information gathered during the get-to-know-you; activities students participate in to introduce themselves or classmates. Then create a crossword with an online tool for the students to complete the next day.

9. Twitter Social Media Board

   

   A social media theme like Twitter, Facebook or Instagram is a great way to introduce students. Each student describes themselves and then use it as their hashtag.

Following The Rules and Good Behavior

10. Congratulations For Follwing The Rules

    

    A Back To School Bulletin Board to motivate the class to follow the rules. Create a bulletin board telling them what the reward is. Then cut it into puzzle pieces. Each day that the class follows the rules, they get a puzzle piece. With the last puzzle piece, the reward is revealed.

11. Classroom Monopoly

    

    Create a classroom monopoly bulletin board to motivate and reward good behavior. Use street names and places of their town. Make classroom related rules and let students play to collect points for rewards.

12. Shell We Have A Great Year

    

    For a sea theme, add a classroom rule on a shell to display the code of conduct for the year. To help students remember the rules, have them paraphrase the rules on a shell.

13. Ladybug Behavior Bulletin Board

    Encourage students to behave and become a leader ladybug. The bulletin board uses ladybug features to visualize various behaviors. The student is motivated to climb the board to the top.
    (Thanks to Desi Edwards)

Motivating and Encouraging Back To School Bulletin Boards

14. Quotes of Note

    

    Motivate and inspire students to at the beginning of the year or school term with quotes of success. Use it as discussion starters about what the quotes mean, how to achieve goals, and to inspire students to work hard to get good grades.

15. Think Before You Speak

    

    The think acronym reminds students if what they are about to say is true, helpful, inspiring, necessary and kind. Use the bulletin board questions as a group discussion for middle or high school students.

16. Inspirational Bulletin Board For Third Graders

    

    A welcome back bulletin board based on The Lorax (Dr. Seuss) with each child’s name on it. A short inspirational poem is added to the cloud.

17. When You Enter This Classroom Door

    

    Although it is a classroom door decoration, it can be adapted for a bulletin board. The goal is to inspire and motivate students to see themselves as successful individuals. To encourage them to see their future as their dreams coming true.

Extra Boards For Fun

18. Super Hero Helpers Bulletin Board

    Assign custom superheroes to the different classroom tasks. Students can then select which superhero they would like to be.  Supplyme.com provides a free printable template you can use at their website.

19. Egg-Viting! Back To School Board

    
    The versatile egg-themed bulletin board can be used to introduce students, to keep track of progress, or as an information board.

20. A Grape Bunch + 19 other great boards

    

    Purple balloons are used to make up the grape bunch. Write the names of the students on the balloons. Alternatively, place rewards inside the balloons and pop a grape each time the class completes a certain task or behavior.There are 19 more examples of back to school bulletin boards on this website that is worth looking at.