Every school administrator and teacher has probably felt it somewhere between those additional boxes full of certificates, ribbons, and trophies: “Wait! These are going to be shown, aren’t they?” The conventional trophy case is almost full up; hallway bulletin boards are plastered, and yet more amazing student accomplishments worthy of recognition await—the really wonderful problem, but a genuine challenge, nevertheless.
If you have had difficulty coming up with unique ways to honor student accomplishments while resisting a cluttered mess of wall space at your school, you are in high company. The good news is that contemporary schools have been discovering new ways that efficiently save precious real estate while truly bringing student accomplishments to the forefront and gaining deserved celebration.
Why Traditional School Trophy Displays No Longer Work
Enough of praising and advertising these means, for physical display of students’ achievements is hardly ever used. Glass trophy cases proving hallways of honor-roll student works and certificates; several walls behind an imaginative display, and these have served schools in honor of hundreds of years—one classic barrier behind it.
The infamous thing about traditional displays is that they occupy some space and so cannot be viewed all at once. Waiting for the space to be filled means something has to be removed to give room to the new. In many cases, older achievements wind up being shoved into storage boxes, leaving students feeling as if there is an expiry bar on their achievements. Their very nature means that these displays are incapable of telling the actual story behind an achievement since visitors and students get only a brief viewing of names and dates.
Guards, unkind weather, vandals, and any other general wear and tear can damage physical displays. Extreme maintenance goes in behind refilling or repairing them. This upkeep becomes just another item on an already lengthy to-do list for the busy school staff.
Digital Student Recognition Ideas That Save Space in Schools
Forward-thinking schools are thinking digital by overriding student achievement displays and their interactive solutions. Excellent digital displays or interactive screens can show thousands of contents in a rotating form, ensuring that no student waits for an opportunity in the spotlight, to the disadvantage of others.
Such systems allow schools to build multimedia presentations that far outshine simple random scrolling of names. Imagine celebrating a student’s first-place show in a science fair with pictures from the event, a short video interview of the student, and some detailed information about the project. This sort of extensive recognition simply cannot be done on traditional static displays.
Interactive trophy case kiosk software and touchscreen solutions are becoming particularly popular in school lobbies and common areas. Students, parents, and visitors can browse through achievements by category, date, or individual student, making the recognition experience more engaging and personalized than ever before.
Low-Cost, Space-Saving Student Award Display Ideas for Schools
Not all approaches have to be super-high-tech. Lots of schools are finding good success rotating display systems that squeeze the most out of the space they already have.
- One mobile display on wheels could be the whole recognition-based experience—all the way around the building to wherever students spend their time, instead of being tied to a particular hallway location.
- Set up themed recognition weeks in which different types of achievement take center stage. One week might be dedicated to academics, followed by a week for athletics, another for artistic achievement, and finally community service. This keeps all recognition fresh and well-recognized.
- Overhead hanging displays capitalize on often-ignored ceiling space and can be viewed from many vantage points throughout large spaces like cafeterias or gymnasiums. Such banners can recognize everything from perfect attendance to championship victory without taking up a single inch of wall space.
How to Make Student Recognition More Meaningful and Engaging
The intent of saving an actual wall space is, therefore, overshadowed when recognition is put on creative and prominent ways that really makes an impact on students about their accomplishments. Students truly begin to associate their hard work with recognition when creative displays present their achievements in prominent locations and inspire the pursuit of even greater achievement.
Digital platforms allow for dynamic front-facing updates so that students’ achievements can be recognized instantaneously rather than on the next available opportunity to refresh the bulletin board. The integration into social media means moments of glory go out in sharing with families and communities much out of school’s reach.
Schools are also discovering that modern display methods encourage more interaction with achievement information. Touchscreen solutions allow students to spend time browsing through classmates’ accomplishments, creating a culture of celebration and mutual support that traditional displays rarely achieve.
The Future of Student Recognition: Combining Digital and Physical Displays
With learning changing faster than ever before, it is safe to say that celebrating successes to a great extent will also be changing. The most successful techniques rely on the warmth and tradition of physical recognition but are supported by the versatility and interactivity of the digital medium.
By no means should solutions be looked at individually, but rather each should fit into your school’s culture, budget, and set geographical barriers keeping limelight focused on celebrating the incredible accomplishments of your students.
What novel recognition methods have your schools employed? How do you juggle the trade-off between tradition and social modernity when it comes to student success? Share your story and suggestions because fellow educators are always seeking a new twist on this common dilemma, and maybe your answer is precisely what another school needs in order to better recognize their students’ achievements.
