Hey, hey teacher friend! Welcome back to the Online Classroom Setup series in the Simple Tools for the Online Teacher Podcast. Today is episode 3 of 4, and its a fun one. Today we are designing your classroom background. There’s options for the artsy and the keep it simple. There’s options for the tech savvy and the “I don’t even care, just get me through the lesson in the quickest, cheapest way possible” teachers, too. Remember, all of the information in this podcast series in written down for you in an easy to digest PSD download that you can grab for free today at onlineteacherallyson.com/setup. So far in this series we’ve covered the technology required for a successful online teaching experience and the 4 Best Lighting Options for an Online Classroom. I’ve been enjoying this journey with you, and can’t wait for today’s episode. Let’s get started!
Let’s get to it!
How’s your summer? Are you vacationing? Are you teaching summer school? Are you taking your own classes? Are doing things you love as much as humanely possible? I hope so. When I started this podcast, I thought I would hate it. It’s a commitment. And there was a huge learning curve. But, helping you all learn and master the things I’ve done as an online teacher since 2019 has completely filled my cup. It has given me a purpose and has renewed my love for teaching. LIke I mentioned earlier, this is episode 3 of 4 for our online classroom set up series and today we are exploring all the different ways you can decorate your background for your classroom. They range from, you guessed it, completely free to pricey. Just like the last two episodes we are starting at free and moving up. There’s something for everyone in here, and I can’t wait to see it.
Work with what you got
Ok, let’s get into it with the free option. Many of you have likely already done this if you taught at home for any part of 2020 or 2021. The free option uses what you already have to create your classroom background. Do you have an office area with a minimally decorated desk or shelf behind you? Perfect. Do you have a favorite wall at home (with all things school appropriate, of course)? Perfect. Do you just have a plain wall and leave the space free for anchor charts, posters, and more? That’s perfect too. Just like your in person classroom, your online classroom will also reflect your personality and teaching style. Some teachers pour their heart and soul into a Pinterest ready classroom, and others put their efforts elsewhere. Neither is right or wrong, and it’s the same for your virtual background as well. How’s this for a bonus? At one point, my online classroom was very simple, and just had a whiteboard mounted on the wall. I found this for less than $20 at Hobby Lobby. That was it. That was my background. The downside to it? There was a glare from my light. With a little more finesse, I’m sure I could have fixed the glare problem, but instead I just avoided that corner. I’m telling you. Make what you have work.
Dollar Store Background
The next background option is what I like to call the dollar store background. If you grabbed the PDF download that goes with this series, then you’ve seen a dollar store background. Honestly, it’s one of my favorite backgrounds so I mean no disrespect with the name. Why is it called dollar store? Because, you guessed it, I grabbed it all in the dollar section at Target. Well, almost. The actual background itself is actually a roll of wrapping paper that I also grabbed at Target. It was $5. The alphabet, colors, and star lights all came from the Dollar Spot. Around the corner, I also have some posters hung up that I downloaded for free off Teachers Pay Teachers and printed at home. All in all, it probably cost me $20. One of my favorite things about dollar store backgrounds is the creativity it allows for. Grab things you already have at home or go shopping! Since it didn’t cost a fortune, you wont feel bad changing it up when you need to look at something different.
Photography Background
Let’s move along to our next background choice. This one isn’t necessarily a best kept secret among online teachers, but knowing how to find it is. Many people buy these backgrounds at a higher price than they need to. Search “photography backgrounds” on Amazon. There’s tons of seasonal and themed options. You can also find neutral backgrounds – like shiplap. There’s options for everybody and they are pretty cost effective, too. Since you are listening along in my podcast, you’ve probably seen my cover art. The watercolor map you see behind me is a photography background. I purchased a 7x5ft and it cost me about $25. It has worked very well for me. These are also very easy to switch out as well. I’d argue they’re easier to switch than my dollar store background. My dollar store background is held up with tape and thumb tacks. My photography background? Two thumbtacks in the corners. Once you have the proper height, its easy peasy lemon squeezy. Are you a kindergarten teacher teaching about farm animals? There’s a background for that. Are you a geography teacher teaching about the different states? There’s a background to help for that as well. Just want something neutral and homey? That’s covered too. I love the versatility and ease of this option.
Deluxe Backgrounds
Customized
And finally, we are at the last background option. These are what I call your deluxe options, because they are pricier. For the most part, they’re pricier because they’re customized. If you look on Etsy or just a quick Google search, you will see that there are options for customized teacher avatars, spots for your name or your school. These are super cute, but not something I have invested in myself.
Green Screen
The second deluxe background option is a green screen. While it isn’t expensive to buy in and of itself, it does require additional software, some of which cost money, some are free. A green screen will allow you to project just about anything under the sun behind you, as long as you have a green, or sometimes blue, background. They’re tons of fun and interactive and can be customized for any lesson. There are permanent green screens that you can hang up like any of the other backgrounds we’ve discussed today, or more temporary ones that slide on to the back of your office chair. If you are interested in green screening you will want to look into Manycam, OBS, or Camtwist. Personally, my hardware isn’t up to speed to support a green screen along with all the other demands of online teaching, so this is something that doesn’t work for my classroom. If this is something you’re interested in, be sure to check out episode number 8, or this blog post. Here we break down all the tech requirements needed to teach online, and mention green screening as well.
Let’s chat again soon 🙂
Ok teachers, that is it for today. Which background choice is your favorite? Do you already have one set up? Are you keeping it or changing it up for something new? I’d love to see what you design. Tag me on your Instagram post or stories, and I’ll share it mine! Teacher.Allyson. Remember, you can get all this information already written down for you at onlineteacherallyson.com/setup. And you get a preview and head start for next weeks episode – the final one in this podcast series! I hope you are enjoying your summer, and I’ll see you next week!
