Communication is not just a skill our students develop, it’s something our walls learn too.
We understand that communication is more than speaking or expressing; it also involves listening, responding, and engaging meaningfully. Our classroom walls do just that. They listen first, to the learners, to the community, to the energy in the room and then they begin to speak, gently at first, and then more confidently, echoing the voices, values, and visions of those who inhabit the space.
In the opening week of school, before any unit launches, our classrooms are in a gentle state of becoming. The walls aren’t yet filled with content or inquiry questions, instead, they begin by listening.
Teachers use this time to orient students to the MYP framework, helping them understand not just what they will learn, but how and why they will learn. The displays reflect this beautifully.
Classrooms have come alive with essential agreements co-constructed by students, setting the tone for collaboration and respect. There are visual reminders of ATL skills and Learner Profile attributes, School Mission, Vision and Values, serving as anchors for the year ahead. Some walls showcase reflections on personal learning goals, introductions to interdisciplinary learning, or prompts to explore what Service as Action might look like in the real world.
It is the time when timelines are being drafted, vocabulary walls waiting to be filled, and creative “About Me” posters begin to reveal the individuals behind the desks. These early displays are not yet about subject content, they are about building community, fostering ownership, and welcoming learners into the MYP with clarity and purpose.
They mark the beginning of the conversation and are a promise that these walls will soon speak, not just for the teacher, but for every learner in the room.
Empowering Learners Through Flexible, Visible Learning
One of the greatest strengths of the MYP framework, and something we embrace fully at The School of Raya, is the flexibility it offers to design learning that is responsive to the needs of each learner.
This flexibility allows teachers to vary instruction, assessment, and engagement and empowering students to take ownership of their learning. We recognize that one size does not fit all.
Our walls reflect this approach. They are dynamic, shaped by student voice, evolving questions, collaborative thinking, and changing interests. From multilingual vocabulary displays to concept maps and student-led timelines, the environment adapts to the learner, not the other way around.
This is how we prepare our Rayots to face the unknown with confidence, by fostering learning spaces that make them feel seen, supported, and challenged to grow.
Speaking walls are not the work of one teacher alone, they are the shared canvas of a learning community.
The notion of ‘speaking walls’ has taken even greater meaning after we engaged in a powerful workshop on Universal Design for Learning. It helped us rethink not just what we display, but how we display it, in ways that honor learner variability, offer multiple entry points, and ensure that every student sees themselves and their thoughts come alive in their classroom space.