Picture this – you are a first-year French teacher excited to decorate your classroom. So you head to the Teacher supply store and they have one whole corner dedicated to French stuff. Everything is outdated, the fonts are so ugly, and the posters are so boring. Let me tell you that it does not have to be this way. In fact, this whole blog post is dedicated to inclusive, effective & gorgeous French classroom decor for the modern French classroom.
If you have 20ish minutes, please go ahead and watch my video where I share some important information related to French classroom decor!
Before we begin, you should note that I print all of my own classroom decor! I have a subscription to HP Instant Ink and I pay $5.99 a month for 100 pages. Ink shows up at my door weeks before I am in need!
If you are interested in trying out HP Instant Ink (and getting 1 free month of ink!), click here!
STOP! BEFORE YOU SCROLL – DOWNLOAD THESE FREE POSTERS
The problem with French classroom decor
The classroom decor products sold in teacher supply stores are so boring! I am not just referring to the aesthetics, but also the grammar and vocabulary. So many of the posters have way too much vocabulary listed on them and it is information overload for our Core French students.
Plus, a lot of the posters are the exact same French posters that my own Core French teachers had up in their classrooms. This reflects the fact that the companies making these posters are out of touch in regards to how French pedagogy has changed in the past 10+ years.
I certainly do not teach the same way that my High School French teachers did (still love them though) and I need my French classroom decorations to be reflective of that.
What makes ‘good’ classroom decor for Core French or Immersion?
Good French classroom decorations should be targeting our students at their level of language. Therefore, if you have advanced FRIMM students, your posters and decor should reflect and challenge your students’ language level.
Basically, it boils down to the fact that classroom decor isn’t just for aesthetics. French classroom decor should be a tool for your students. Classroom decor should serve a purpose!
Francophone musician posters
I am a huuuuge fan of teaching French music. For me personally having posters of Francophone musicians was a no-brainer!
These posters would make an excellent addition to your French bulletin boards and unit displays! This set includes posters of 26 francophone singers.
This is a prime example of the fact that French classroom decor should also inspire your students and bring culture into the world language classroom.
French common expressions posters
If you teach beginner French students or intermediate French students, you likely teach students who need visual reminders of major French expressions.
These French expression posters are an absolute must French classroom decor item in any Core French and/or Core French classroom!
Poster versions :
- Colour + French only
- Colour + French & English
- Black & white + French
- Black & white + French & English
French accents posters
Hands up if you get tired of being asked “which way does aigu go Madame??”.
That was a major problem I had in my first year of teaching.
So I made posters on all of the different accents. Now when I get asked this question, I just point at them.
Effective and functional French classroom decor for the win!
These are free too 🙂
French reading comprehension strategies posters
French classroom decor shouldn’t just be pretty, it should serve a major purpose. These French reading comprehension strategy posters do just that. These French posters are especially ideal for Core French students (grades 5+). If, after months of teaching, your French students ever say “but MADAME…I can’t read French!!!!” – you need these posters in your classroom ASAP.
What strategies are included?
In total, there are six different strategies. I’ve included strategies in this resource that focus on the skills that students HAVE currently and strategies that will help each student feel more confident the more and more that they read. I’ve actually broken down all of these strategies in a blog post, so please read it at some point before you put these up in your classroom!
French subject pronoun posters
Another essential set of posters!
Which ‘pronoms personnels’ are included in this French decor set?
- Je
- tu
- iel
- elle
- il
- qui
- on
- nous
- vous
- iels
- elles
- ils
French command posters
As Core French teachers we tend to repeat certain French verbs or French commands in class. These French command posters serve as visual support for your students as you are teaching your lessons.
They are ideal for beginner or novice French students or intermediate French students. All you have to do is print, laminate, and put them up.
I like putting magnets on mine and put them up on the board as I teach them in the target language.
Here are some examples of French verbs included :
– regardez
– écoutez
– écrivez
– levez-vous
– parlez
Essential question posters
If you teach Core French and/or French Immersion classes, having visual support for the essential French classroom questions is key!
As soon as I teach these, the expectation is that students will ask these questions in French!
I have these up in my high school Core French classroom and my students refer to these dozens of times a day. Posters include “est-ce que je peux” and “puis-je” options so you print whichever one you prefer.
French calendar sets
Say AU REVOIR to boring French calendar sets!
Whether you teach Core French Elementary or Secondary or Elementary French Immersion, calendar sets are essential. I actually have my beginner French students (Grade 8s) do a calendar routine every single class in order to practice essential questions and vocabulary.
REPETITION is key, y’all! Seriously, ditch the vocabulary lists and quizzes because that is not what will help them remember French vocabulary.
I do the calendar routine for the first month or so and then I have a different student do it everyday!
My French calendar routine consists of the following :
- Greetings/ça va
- quelle est la date aujourd’hui, quelle était la date hier, quelle sera la date hier
- combien d’élèves sont en classe aujourd’hui?
- quels sont les jours de la semaine?
- quels sont les mois de l’année?
French grammar posters & French verb posters
Okay, so here’s the deal – French grammar posters can actually be a very helpful tool for your students. However, I do not put ALL of these up on my classroom walls given the fact that that would be information overload.
So here is what I ACTUALLY do – after implicitly or explicitly teaching certain French grammar concepts, I put some of the French grammar posters in the photo below on my bulletin boards.
The posters I choose to put up reflect the current needs of my students. Therefore, I often switch up the French grammar posters when that need changes.
This is particularly important if you teach multiple levels of Core French or French Immersion!
These French grammar posters include the following posters :
What grammatical concepts are included?
- déterminants définis, indéfinis, démonstratifs, partitifs, possessifs
- pronoms personnels
- noms
- verbes
- adjectifs
- adverbes
- exemples de participes passés
- conjugaisons des verbes -ER au présent, -IR au présent, -RE au présent
- la négation (ne…pas, ne…jamais, etc)
- pronoms réfléchis, relatifs
- participes passés DR MRS VANDERTRAMP
- prépositions et les prépositions de lieu
- comment écrire une phrase
Be inclusive with your posters
This is the trifecta of posters at the entrance of my classroom.
During the summer of 2020, I created these free printable posters and I have them posted by my classroom door. It is important to show our students that BLM wasn’t just a trend to us. These posters are physical proof of our solidarity and activism for our Black students.
Click here for the Chaque enfant compte posters.
The Pride poster is from Oui Madame Oui. It’s part of a beautiful set!
French pronunciation posters
During the summer before my third year of teaching, I had the idea to create French pronunciation posters. I had noticed that my Core French students had been really struggling with French sound patterns.
These posters boosted their confidence as they were subtle reminders of common sound patterns. I have a whole blog post dedicated to how I use these French pronunciation tools in my French classroom if you are interested in learning more.
French Inspirational Quote Posters for the Classroom
Who says that French motivational quote posters have to be ugly (e.g. at the teacher supply store). Look at these beauties!
Save 20% with the full French classroom decor bundle
