FAQ: All About My Classroom Rule Frames & Subway Art

Ever since I unveiled my kindergarten classroom last fall, I have received weekly questions about so many elements of my classroom decor. As popular questions arise, I have been dedicating several blog posts to answering your most frequently-asked questions. Today I am thrilled to finally answer all of your questions about my classroom rules. This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Save yourself some time and purchase your materials online!

This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase through one of my links, which helps to support the blog.

As you can see, my classroom rules can be found in the front of the room, low the ground (at my students eye level when they join me on the carpet) in brightly colored frames.

All of this was intentional and not a single detail was a coincidence.  I LOVE that the rules are posted in the front of the room and are visually accessible to the class.

We reference the rules ALL DAY LONG.

If some one interrupts while I am giving directions, I remind them of Rule Number 1: Listen when someone is talking.

If someone is running in the classroom, Rule Number 5: Work and play safely and quietly.

Sometimes I ask a child who is struggling with a particular rule to go look at it and read it to me. The rules keep my classroom running smoothly and it is only fitting that they are so prominently displayed in our learning environment.

Classroom Rule Subway Art

I take great pride in my classroom decor and I wanted the rules to be a natural fit in the environment so I designed my classroom rules to look like subway art. You can purchase Classroom Rules Subway Art in my TpT store. This is one of my Black Series products that features bright colors on a black background to make a bold statement.

Bold and Bright Frames for Classroom Rules

People are ALWAYS asking about the brightly colored frames that contain my classroom rules. I purchased the frames at Michaels this summer (I'll fill you in on all the details of the frames in a minute) and spray painted each one in a different bright solid color. In a recent blog post about my spray painted file cabinets, I mentioned the importance of priming a surface before painting. The frames I purchased were raw wood and the needed a coat of primer before beginning. You can purchase spray primer, but I had a few quarts of traditional primer nearby from various classroom improvement projects this summer. I used an inexpensive foam brush to paint a light coat of primer onto each frame picture frame.

To find the best colors for my classroom project, I shopped around at several stores and used a few different brands of spray paint. I wanted my frames to have a glossy finish in a color that really popped. People ask me all the time what colors I used to paint my frames. Ultimately, I decided on these 5 colors:

Krylon ColorMaster in Citrus Green (available at Michaels)
Krylon ColorMaster in Sea Glass (available at Michaels)
Krylon Indoor Outdoor in Bauhaus Gold (available at Michaels)
Rustoleum Painters Touch in Berry Pink (available at Home Depot)
Rustoleum Painters Touch in Sea Side (available at Home Depot)

Finding the Perfect Picture Frames

By now, only one question remains unanswered:
Where did I get those fabulous wood frames for my classroom rules? 

The actual frames are from Michaels. They are ArtMinds brand, unfinished wood and instead of glass, they just had a floppy piece of plastic to hold the photo in place. Like most picture frames, they had a back stand and brackets for mounting on the wall.

Cori from Mrs. B's Beehive is also a teacher in a Catholic school. She let me know about the new frames that are in-stock at Michaels and Cori found a creative way to make the frames work for her. Stop by her post and see what she did!

Black “Classroom Rules” Sign

The black sign that says “Classroom Rules” beside the picture frames is a sheet of black chalkboard vinyl. I purchased a set of 3 scalloped sheets at Target last summer. My friend Meggan has the cutest printing ever and she was sweet enough to write the words “classroom rules” on the vinyl. I sprayed it with hair spray to help keep the chalk in place and it worked! This sign hasn't smudged at all this year.

Read More About My Classroom

Want to know more about my kindergarten classroom?
Read about my spray painted file cabinets with lots of tips and a video on the best way to spray paint.

Take a tour of my room and see views of the entire classroom.