What I Keep on My French Classroom Walls (and Why)

If you're like me, you’ve probably stood in your classroom before the first day, stapler in hand, wondering: "What should I actually put on these walls?"

The truth? It’s easy to go overboard with French-themed decor that looks cute… but doesn’t really do anything. Over the years, I’ve simplified. My goal is always the same:

Put up things students will use, reference, or connect to. If it doesn’t support their learning or create a meaningful environment, I don’t need it.

Here’s what I’ve landed on: visuals that help with routines, boost confidence, and make the space feel like our French-speaking classroom.

1. Student Work as Decor... Making the Classroom Theirs

   
   

The quickest way to make the classroom feel like a space students belong in? Put their work on the walls.

At the start of the year, I use activities like the “Tout sur Moi” pennants, the “Je me présente” T-shirts, or the “Mon téléphone” template - not just as icebreakers, but as display pieces. Students share who they are (in French), and their work becomes the first thing that greets them when they walk in.

It’s not just French class , it’s their French class. Their words, their personalities, their presence : visible and celebrated.

These pieces stay up for weeks, and they do more than decorate: they remind students that they’re seen, that French is personal, and that their voices matter from day one.

👉 Explore student-centered visuals here

2. Rejoinders & Useful Phrases Posters

   
   

This one is a must. I use these every year, and they make such a difference, especially with speaking.

I post a variety of sentence starters, rejoinders, and expressions all around the room (or on a bulletin board) so students always have something to say, even when they’re stuck.

Things like:

C’est pas possible ! Tu rigoles ?

Je suis d’accord / pas d’accord

Moi aussi / moi non plus

These are not textbook expressions, they’re real, everyday French that teens love using.

3. Anchor Charts + Visual Supports

I keep a few anchor charts up, not to decorate, but to support learning. The most useful ones for me:

• Question words (Qui ? Quoi ? Où ? Pourquoi ? etc.)

• Conjugation reminders (especially for beginners)

• Transition words for writing

  
  

I rotate them throughout the year depending on what we’re working on — and keep them simple, colorful, and easy to read from across the room.

👉 Shop Grammar Anchor Charts

5. Keep It Student-Centered, Not Pinterest-Perfect

I’ll be honest, I used to stress about having the “perfect” French classroom aesthetic. Now I focus on what’s functional, meaningful, and kid-powered. My walls might not match a color palette, but they reflect student voice, real language, and tools they actually use.

That’s what makes the space feel alive.

Bonnes classes!

Sandrine