Opening Doors - Why First Impressions Count

I have always had a bit of a "thing" for doors - I am often found stopping to photograph an ivy-clad, iron-bolted, doorway. They always hold a certain sense of magic for me: the mystery of what lies behind them...

Like most teachers, I find myself constantly inspired by teachers around me: my colleagues, friends, the Twittersphere and fellow Pinterest users. After perusing Pinterest and finding the images featured in this post, I starting thinking about the significance of the door to our classrooms. I want the children in my class to walk through the door and feel a little bit of that magic and mystery.

First impressions really do count. With the start of term just around the corner, what do you want the children in your class to think and feel as they enter the room for the first time? Imagine the child reluctant to leave their parent in the cloakroom, the excitable children that come bounding in, children anxious about what their new teacher will be like... Think about the first thing that they see of their new classroom. What messages will you be sending them before they even step through the doorway?

I found, via Pinterest, a door sign (similar to the chalk board example below) that i use to inspire my children when they walk through the door. It also helps communicate the ethos and classroom culture I  want to promote. I've got a castles topic coming up, so I'm going to coincide the castle door decor with a "wow" day where the whole of the year group is in-role as historical characters. How much more powerful will it be to greet the children in the morning at the doorway telling them to hurry to avoid the flames from the fire-breathing dragon?

Yes these things take time and resources to achieve, but think of the moment the children see it for the very first time? And how excited they will be about entering your classroom. A door can be just a door, but is has the potential to be something far more magical. If we can start off with excitement and enthusiasm, who knows where it will take us!

Written by Little Dot