Theory to Really: Graffiti Walls

I love anything that will engage kids and get them excited. That is why I was so excited to transform last year's "Book Quote" wall into a "Graffiti Wall"

On the Graffiti Wall the kids get to answer all kinds of fun questions, read/add/respond to quotes, draw pictures, and engage with one another. Anything that allows them to (quietly) engage with one another is a win in my book.

I use it to get to know kids or help them get to know each other:

I use it to review content that we don't have time to explicitly teach:

And I use it for some seasonal fun:

Writing a class story one word at a time (theoretically)

But I've got some mixed feelings about this year's wall. At times, it appears to be the best thing in the room. At other times, it seems like the go-to spot for kids to waste time, avoid work, and meet up. Another issue I have run into (which you can see in many of the examples above) is that the first few students will follow directions and use it correctly, but there are always a few who abuse it or misunderstand it and ruin the fun for the rest of us.

Theory to Really - The Verdict: Keep it

I'll keep reworking and improving the wall until I am completely pleased with it, but I am not ready to write this off as a Theory2Really fail yet.