Picture the scene: you are about to start in a new school as a science teacher.

The pupils are due back in one week.

You have lessons to plan and resources to prepare.

You walk into your lab for the first time and see, with a sinking feeling, that the display boards are bare.

What on earth do you fill them with?

I knew exactly where to turn: www.tes.co.uk, the resource bank for teachers which had never failed me before ... until now that is, I found nothing except for generic stuff which was, to be brutal, a little bit rubbish. A Google search revealed nothing inspiring either.

What next? Well I decided to consult with the educational research, surely somebody has done some analysis into what makes an effective display board? Google scholar: http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?q=classroom+displays&hl=en&as_sdt=1%... : less than useless.

Finally I found a book: http://www.worldcat.org/title/classroom-spaces-that-work/oclc/48042373 with a chapter entitled "Classroom displays: Tool for teaching" - brilliant!! Exactly what I need to help me make some displays. Except that the book isn't available online and my library doesn't have a copy. Back to square one!

So, 7 days, no ideas, no resources and no help - I had to rely on my instincts.

What do you think?