This inspiration board hangs on the wall right beside my desk. It’s become a catch all for ideas that are brewing, kindnesses paid by friends and students, and pictures that bring back wonderful memories. These are the things that are inspiring me right now. The board is important, because sometimes in my work-a-day life, things feel very orderly and tight and controlled.
This is no way to think.
It’s also no way to create, and this is what every teacher is at his or her core: a creative.
Every teacher needs an inspiration board because it keeps what matters most front and center. It also provides a place for you to capture the beginnings of things that you don’t have time to finish just yet. Snapshots. Doodles. If you look carefully, you’ll see mini charts hanging off my inspiration board–I sketch them on index cards, which cost a whole lot less than chart paper, incidentally. I usually revise these little prototypes quite a few times before I settle on exactly how I want the finished products to look or read.
My inspiration board gives me permission to brainstorm and think long and deep about things.
Nothing gets lost, but nothing gets tucked away into boring old file boxes or manilla folders either.
You should have an inspiration board too. You’ll find some lovely ideas here.
