Bump It Up Walls – Relax! Just Watch Your Students Grow

bump it up wall display

Bump It Up Walls are exploding in classrooms around the world, and if you aren’t already using them, you are probably stressed to the max, researching the best way to implement one in your classroom. You are probably researching online, peeking into colleagues’ classrooms, and making notes on what you are going to include.

My advice? Relax. Start small.

Start with one thing: work samples for the levels that you want to display.

You can add in annotations, ‘I Can’ statements, highlighting, student goal and name-tags (if you choose to use them) and anything that comes to mind, later. But for now, just begin with your work samples. Find some online (shameless plug here); use student work samples from last year, co-construct some with your class, or simply write them yourself.

Why?

After using Bump It Up Walls for a while, I have noticed one thing that happens when I use a BIUW, whether I think it’s complete, accurate enough, or enticing enough. There is always  an ‘A-ha’ moment where you know that something on the wall has had an impact on your students’ learning. Even just one thing, that’s better than an empty wall, or a wall filled with beautiful but ignored posters, right?

Normally, this ‘A-ha’ moment is because students have seen a great work sample and adapted something from it into their own work.

So that’s why work samples are where I suggest you begin. Once you have that part of the Wall mastered, move onto adding ‘I Can’ statements, colour-coded highlighting and annotations, and student goals.

Do one thing at a time and do it well. 

After all, that’s what we ask our students to do. We scaffold their learning, one thing at a time. Why would we ask anything different of ourselves?

Take care, 

Ana – Teachie Tings x

bump it up walls little sprouts

What is a Learning Wall?

what is a learning wall

What is a learning wall?

Learning Walls are visual classroom displays that center around a LEARNING INTENTION and include elements such as text scaffolds, word walls, and bump-it-up walls.

They support students on their learning journey, becoming a reference point for them as they work towards knowledge, understanding, and application of skills. Anything that builds on your students’ knowledge as they work towards their LEARNING INTENTION can be included. The wall is not linear like a Bump It Up Wall – it grows in any direction, depending on your students’ needs.

Why do I need a learning wall?

  • Learning walls simplify your teaching because you focus on the ‘big rocks’ – what is really important
  • Your students will know exactly HOW to improve and demonstrate a task’s success criteria
  • When used with a check-in/feedback cycle, student progress is accelerated
  • Your principal or leadership team is probably starting to expect that you are using  learning walls in your classroom

So how can you improve your student results, and impress your leadership team?

Get a learning wall happening in your classroom ASAP! I know this feels like another thing you have to do, but trust me you’re already doing the work. A learning wall is the final piece of the puzzle that will help you to be more effective, and even make you look good (if that’s what you need in your classroom right now!).

I believe that being an effective teacher should feel AWESOME, not overwhelming.

So to help you out, here’s my mini-guide to begin using learning walls in your classroom:

  • Start off with a large wall space in your classroom that is visible from every student’s desk, and easy for you to access during lesson time.
  • Make sure you include learning intentions and co-created success criteria, marking guides/rubrics so that students know how they are being assessed, modeled responses, and word/vocabulary walls.
  • You can also include a means for students to self and peer assess. This may be a personal tag that they can move to mark their learning journey.
  • Your walls should be co-created with students. Through the course of your lessons, students can contribute to success criteria, anchor charts, goals, and other parts of your display. The greater ownership they feel over the wall, the better!
  • Want to know more? Grab a copy of my Teacher Guidebook.

Can learning walls still be themed and complement classroom décor?

Yes, of course. In fact, you can still share your teaching personality AND co-construct a learning wall with your students.

Check out my different décor options here – your learning wall DOES NOT have to be boring!

Your learning wall should show your students’ learning journey and be an amazing artifact at the end of your unit of work. How it looks at the end is completely up to you and your students!

Let me know how you go – I’d love to hear how you implement learning walls in your classroom!

P.S You can also find my learning wall kits in the Teachie Tings Shop!