i will be teaching high school english this year and need some ideas for a few things?

I liked the coffeehouse idea mentioned above. I think decorations are fine with older students. I remember being in high school and I used to zone out and stare around the room a lot. Its better if there are educational things on the walls. Maybe some famous quotes. Throughout the year you can hang up some class work. My favorite class was always English. One of my high school teachers had us all bring in the lyrics to our favorite songs. We had several assignments that related to these songs. All of the lyrics were hanging on the wall. There was everything from Pink Floyd to 2-pac. Keep things current and your students will definately stay more interested in the class. Maybe have groups work on a comic book. Or, study different types of poetry through the year and the students can make their own book of poems. After that you could bring in some treats and teas and coffee and have a poetry slam.

I’ve been a high school English teacher for 27 years.

I don’t do a lot of decorating, but it’s worth it to make the room interesting and give it a little personality. I have a bunch of posters. I’m also the student council adviser, so after each year’s homecoming dance, I keep a leftover decoration or two in my room.

There are many resources out there for writing assignments; many of your best ideas will grow out of class assignments and discussions, so be open to using those ideas as they emerge.

For literature-based assignments, it’s good to find an assignment that requires a bridge between the work and some other element. It requires the students to synthesize and apply ideas, and it’s less likely to be out there on the web, waiting to be cut and pasted. There’s nothing wrong with “Write about a major theme in Huck Finn,” but “Compare and contrast Huck Finn’s character development with the development of a contemporary film character, or a character from another work you’ve also read for class” can push them outside the box.

Lots of things to consider. With any luck, your school has some curriculum in place that will give you a framework for what you’re to accomplish this year. Good luck!

Think small and intimate (and not intimate in the way HS would think of it.. 🙂 )

You want your classroom to feel comfortable, but professional. It is a place where people are doing work.

Think about places where teens hang out – like a cool eclectic coffee houses or other spot to hang out. Put up a few curtains around any windows – nothing fancy – but it will soften your room up. Take cushions and toss them in a corner. Do a google search for “dorm room decor” and look at the hits and at the images.

Look at the trends for dorm rooms and use those colors (I’ve even used a cool sheet for a bulletin board). Get a cool lamp for a table w/ a table cloth etc in the front of the room (it’s nice to have lighting other than the fluorescent glare). Make it seem almost homey.

You can keep it masculine and to your taste as well.

Old calendars often have great artwork. You can “frame” it with just a cheap frame, or even just mount it on mat board, and hang them up.

You want to make your room a place where the students want to be. It will affect their mindset.

I’ve never really decorated my room too much, but by the second or third week the walls are covered in student work. I think that’s more important than store bought items. Yes, it’s nice to have a soft inviting room, but your attitude and methods for running your class can do that.

I agree with Kirstin. For years I used to decorate my room for the holidays only to find my students (high school) ripping them down, stealing them, or writing on them.

Eventually, I learned that the best decorations are the students’ work itself. They seem to respect it more, and they always enjoy looking at it.

Sometimes, I will put up jokes or puns about my subject area, or articles from the paper that are relevant.

well you see, you are going to be teaching highschool, and seeing the pretty colors, they will think your soft. Just, be a cool teacher. Decorations do nothing