Certificates and Diplomas
I am moving into a new office space next week. It is a pretty nice space and has windows. I have been without a window for 5 years, at least now I’ll know if it is day or night. The office has been freshly painted and when confronted with all the wall space I was wondering how to decorate. What do you hang on the wall? What will inspire me when I feel the job is impossible and what will inspire others as they come in and out of the office?
I was thinking about what I see in other offices. The only offices I visit are those of Doctors and Educators. Doctors have diplomas and certificates on their walls and well Educators do not. Why is that? If we want our students and fellow educators to peruse further education should we not honor our own accomplishments and display the diplomas, certificates and awards we have achieved. I have not done this as I have not really had my own space in a while. But why did I not do it in my classroom?
I wonder if I have not done so because I think there is more to learning then formal education. Maybe it is because I am slightly embarrassed when my schooling is brought up. Or maybe I am too lazy to move them from my home office to school.
Do you hang your diploma’s in your office or classroom? Why or why not?
7 thoughts on “Certificates and Diplomas”
In 2006, I won several awards and was given plaques for each one.
They sit in my garage, wrapped in bubble wrap.
I always imagined, if I had an office, I would move them in. But I have an office now — and there they still sit.
Not sure why I still have them around — yet hesitate to just toss them. Interesting, huh?
But for your office, I would suggest family pictures, scripture references for inspiration, and knick knacks.
🙂
Jen
I DO hang my diplomas on my classroom walls. I feel that I put a lot of time, effort and money into my education and I am very proud of my MEd. Sometimes students will comment, but parents who visit my classroom take note of the “paper” on the wall. I think it gives the classroom a professional atmosphere.
I really like the idea of teachers hanging their diplomas in the classroom. I’m no longer a teachers, but would certainly do so if I were still in the classroom after reading this post.
My diploma does hang in my office now. Why? Honestly, because my mother had it beautifully framed but there is really no appropriate space for it in my small condo. It’s triggered a lot of conversations from co-workers who drop in, plus it fills up a blank space on my wall.
I have my diplomas and certificates posted in my office at home. I always thought that too about our Assistant Principals at school how they have all of theirs posted. I actually just post paper certificates of achievement on the walls of my students. After all, I am there for my students and not for me.
I like the idea of hanging diplomas and certificates in your office, if only to celebrate and share with others the drive for learning that got you those pieces of paper. I tend to “decorate” with quotes – inspirational, funny, inspiring, whatever – but may now add my diplomas! Thanks for making me think about this.
I am just a special education teacher in the state of Oklahoma and we are required by our school to have just our teaching certificate to hang on the wall. My diplomas are just stuck in a drawer in my home office. I have just never gotten around to buying frames for them or even had the time, since graduation I went straight into the classroom 14 years ago and haven’t stopped long enough to take a breath. I do have family photographs hanging on the walls of my classroom in what I call the teacher’s corner. These are to allow my students’ parents a bit of a small insight into my personal life, hoping to make them feel comfortable and able to discuss their concerns about their own children with me. If I were you I would go with the family photographs, mine encourage me on those days I feel overwhelmed.
I believe technology use within the classroom is a wonderful tool and brings about creative and novel learning. Incorporating pictures and music into the classroom on a daily basis is something that enhances the children’s learning. When the class went to a farm, the teacher took pictures of the children riding ponies and feeding pigs. The next day Sara printed out the pictures into large images and shared them with the class. She went over each one and they had a change to reminisce. I noticed how each child felt so special when their picture came up. It was a perfect way to recap what they did at the farm the previous day. Sara is always eager to take pictures of the children during a lot of the activities throughout the day. I think it would be really beneficial if she posted some of these pictures on a website that the parents would have access to. That would help the parents keep in touch with the children’s daily routines and activities throughout the day. Some sort of communication like this would really help parents become more involved in the child’s education.
Sara has a few books on tape that read as songs. These tapes get the children singing familiar songs while following along with the story. She communicates to the parents in her classroom through phone calls and uses email to communicate with related services. The children go to computer lab on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They are given time to explore and play games involving letters and numbers. Many children in this school do not have any experience with computers and the fun software it comes with so this is their opportunity to learn while having fun. I also noticed in the school library there were books for parents, as well as, computers for them to use if they do not access to a computer. I thought this was a great resource with them. The more educated the parents are, the more they can teach their children. I think computer/library centers for parents in a school is a wonderful way to keep parents in the loop and involved with the school and their child’s learning.