Want to know how to create the cutest classroom affirmation station? Follow this guide for the best advice on how to create one that not only looks amazing but that your students will actually use too!
An affirmation station makes a great addition to any classroom. If you are anything like me, you love classroom decor that is super cute but also super functional….that’s why I love a good classroom affirmation station!
You are going to learn ‘what is an affirmation station?’, why they are important and how you can make yours as cute as possible!
After reading this post, you are going to be able to create the most adorable corner in your classroom to help your students build their self-esteem and confidence.
This post is all about creating a classroom affirmation station.
Best Classroom Affirmation Station Ideas:
What is a classroom affirmation station?
Before we jump into looking at how you can set up your own in your classroom, let’s first consider exactly what it is and why they are important. An affirmation station is an area in your classroom where you display positive affirmation statements. The idea is that students can repeat them out loud, often whilst looking at themselves in the mirror. You could incorporate this into your morning routine to help give your students the best start to the day, or perhaps have it as part of a quiet area where children can go when they need some down time.
An affirmation station makes a great addition to your classroom because not only do they look amazing (and they are a piece of classroom decor you don’t need to update seasonally – win!) but they also serve a really important purpose. They can form an important part of your social and emotional teaching. Repeating positive affirmations can help students to develop a positive outlook, replacing negative self talk with positive thoughts. This is an important skill for everyone, even adults! It also helps improve children’s confidence, self-belief and resilience.
Help your students build an important life-long skill of positive thinking by setting up an affirmation station in your classroom today!
How to create one:
1. Decide on your location
First, you will need to select where in your classroom you would like to place your affirmation station. If you are short on space, you could always incorporate it into an existing area, such as a quiet area or reading corner. It doesn’t have to take up much room! You could even set it on top of a unit or bookcase, or use a bulletin board if you have one going spare!
2. Add a title
Add a cute title to your affirmation station so your kids know exactly what it is!
3. Add your affirmation statements for students
Now you have chosen where it is going to go, it’s time to create the affirmation statements for students to repeat. You could do this in Canva or PowerPoint, or using whatever software you prefer.
When creating your positive affirmation statements, make sure you follow these three Ps of affirmation: present tense, personal and positive. For example, ‘ I am kind.’ Avoid using negatives, such as ‘I am not mean,’ as we want to be framing everything in a positive mindset. Make sure the affirmation is in the present tense rather than the future, such as ‘I will be kind.’ We want our students to know that these statements are already true!
You can grab my complete affirmation station here to save you time and get your affirmation station up and running in a flash!
4. Add a mirror
Using a mirror is an important part of your affirmation station. Having students look at themselves whilst repeating the statements is super powerful. If you have an empty wall in your classroom, you could attach a full length mirror and stick your affirmation statements around the outside.
If you are using a counter space, why not add a small free-standing mirror that students can pick up to look in when repeating the statements. On a bulletin board, you could stick a light-weight mirror up using command strips and stick the affirmations on the bulletin board around it.
How do I introduce my affirmation station?
Now you have your affirmation station up and ready to go, it’s important to introduce it to your students so they know how to use it properly. You could take some time in your morning meeting to introduce it to your class or dedicate a whole lesson to what it is, how to use it and why it is important.
Make sure you model to your students exactly how to use it sensibly and be sure to explain the benefits of repeating positive affirmations. Be positive and enthusiastic about it and your students will be on board immediately!
How do I make sure my students actually use it?!
We’ve all been there…you’ve created a cute display or had a great classroom management idea but it’s never quite got off the ground. Maybe you sort of forgot about it or your kids never seemed that interested. Well, you definitely don’t want that to happen after you’ve taken the time to set up this super cute and super important affirmation station!!
To make sure your kids make the most of this functional classroom decor, be sure to build time into your day to allow kids to use it. A great way to do this is to add it into your morning routine. As kids are putting their things away in the morning, have them repeat one positive affirmation into the mirror. Or you could use it as the introduction to your morning meeting.
Allowing students the time to use it when they feel like they need to is really important too. When they are finding something tricky, or having a hard time managing their emotions, have students go to the affirmation station for some positive self talk.
