The High School Math Word Wall System You'll Actually Keep Up With

I have always believed in word walls for high school math and you can check out this post for why. I have used a word wall in some shape or form since my second year teaching. My issue has always been maintaining word walls. 

Every year, my word wall has improved. Last year? I thought I was at a good point. I loved the way things looked. I had made almost every unit so that I could put it up this year, but honestly, it wasn't working as well as I wanted it to.

My students were using it. It was helping them in the moment, but they weren't retaining any of it. Without walking over or looking at the wall, they had no idea what essential terms meant. Thinking they really needed it for geometry, like supplementary, they still could not remember in April without referencing the wall. 

This created a problem: the things they should’ve internalized were still taking up much of their cognitive load. This made it even more difficult to learn the new skills and apply them.

This was especially true for my English language learners. If students are still using mental energy to remember what supplementary means in April, that's mental energy they aren't using to solve the problem in front of them. I wanted my word wall to reduce cognitive load while students were learning, not become something they relied on forever. 

Why My High School Math Word Wall Wasn't Working 

Teachers are busy, YOU are busy. We have so many little things to keep up with on a daily basis. We have papers to give students, papers to get back from students, grades to enter, online portals to update, and more. Then on top of that, we are trying to ensure there are supports for students with needs all over the board, from implementing accommodations to challenging gifted learners to supports for English language learners. There is always a lot on a teacher's mind.

To me, having a word wall that needed to be updated with each unit was just one more thing on top of everything else. That one additional task that always seemed to fall to the bottom of the to-do list. I knew my students needed it, but I couldn’t find the time. I know this method works for some teachers, adding the words as they are taught, but it didn’t work for me.           

The word wall was creating a struggle, but it would be worth it if I felt it was the ideal solution to support my students. The issue for me is that it wasn’t perfect for them either. They were using it as a crutch when it needed to be a support. For geometry, while not ideal, it worked, but I’m not just teaching geometry this year. I am also teaching Algebra 1, which is a state-tested course.

With all the struggles I was feeling from my word wall setup, I knew something had to change for next year.

Why I Completely Changed My High School Math Word Wall 

I know some people will say a system is good enough, it's working well enough, and then keep doing the same things year after year. I’m not one of those people.

Maybe it’s because I know I can do better. Maybe it’s because I haven't taught the same course two years in a row for any of my 6 years in the classroom. But if I don’t feel like something is working perfectly, I am going to make changes to try and make it better.

My word wall wasn’t working for me, which means it’s time for a new version, one you can actually keep up with. 

My New High School Math Word Wall System

My goal is to create a system that is easy to maintain, supports my students, and isn’t too visually overwhelming. I love having the support for my English language learners, and honestly all my students, but I have to be realistic. There are only so many hours in a day, and I don’t want to burn myself out trying to keep up with a word wall.

Here's the system I'm trying this year.

Step 1: Sort Your Math Vocabulary Into Two Categories 

Not every term needs to be up all year long. For this system, you need to create two groups of terms.

You can do this using an existing word wall or make these choices using only a vocabulary list. I plan on doing a bit of both: sorting my existing word wall cards and referencing the vocabulary list in my district instructional guide. 

In the end, you should have two groups of terms:

• Permanent Vocabulary - These are the words students will use throughout the course and continue seeing in future math classes.

• Highlights Vocabulary - These are words tied to one unit that students need right now but won't use every week for the rest of the year.

• 
  

You are creating levels of vocabulary. The permanent vocabulary includes the essential math vocabulary students will keep using throughout the course. The highlights vocabulary is the language students need to master for the unit they're in right now. 

For this system, I'm reorganizing my existing Algebra 1 and Geometry Word Wall resources instead of starting from scratch. If you've already created your own word cards, you can sort those just as easily. 

Step 2: Build Your Permanent Math Word Wall 

I'm not going to pretend this part is quick. I'll probably spend half a day before school starts setting it all up, and that's after I've sorted the vocabulary. But if it saves me from rebuilding my word wall every few weeks, I'll gladly spend the time once instead of twenty times. Once I finish this step, I’m done for the entire year, and if it works, I don’t have to redo it every year. 

My permanent word wall will have terms like:

• variable

• coefficient

• equation

• expression

• function

• graph

• solution

• simplify

These are the building blocks. Most of these are terms that students should have at least heard before entering the class. They might not remember them or even fully understand them yet. That’s why the reference exists. 

These terms are left in the same place all year, keeping it consistent for students.

Step 3: Organize Your Word Wall Alphabetically

Since most of the terms on my permanent word wall are background terms or terms used throughout the course, they are going to be organized from A to Z. This means that if students don’t know what they mean, they can just look for the first letter. I’m hoping this will reduce some of the cognitive load and make it easier for them to find key terms, making the reference process faster.

These words don’t have a set unit. By grouping them like this, it reinforces the idea that they are the language of mathematics rather than a term from a specific unit.

For my English language learners especially, that consistency matters. They aren't spending extra mental energy searching for vocabulary; they can focus on using it.

Step 4: Create a "Highlights Board"

Somewhere in your classroom, you need a place to highlight the current unit. This is what I’m using my classroom bulletin board for this year. I’m splitting it in half and using one side for each course I’m teaching.

This is the only part that changes, making it easier for teachers to keep up with. I’m only updating once per unit. This is also where I plan to hang my unit vocabulary handouts, reference pages, and student supports, making it a one-stop reference for everything students need to know about the unit.

For example:

While teaching Systems

My “Highlighted Terms” would be 

• Substitution

• Elimination

• Graphing

Then a few weeks later, while teaching Quadratics, it’s updated to new terms like ...

• Discriminant

• axis of symmetry

• vertex form

• Standard form

The “highlights” board doesn’t just have to be vocabulary, though; it could also have extra review, a QR code linking to reference videos, or a checklist of objectives for the unit. The goal is to use the board to highlight what students must know before the end of the unit. This would also be a good place to add the test date.

When the unit ends, those words come down and are added to the unit file, and the next set goes up. The goal is to make this a quick and planned change rather than just trying to keep up. My students, however, keep their vocabulary references all year long; that way they can still go back and reference unit-specific terms. I use the student handout sheets in my word wall sets to give students a way to keep their personal vocabulary organized.

I hope to remove the current unit while the students work on a test review. It’s something I can do while bouncing between students. This way, students know that they cannot use these terms on the test, and they need to have internalized them by that date. I may even make removing it part of the review process as we go over what we should’ve learned. Then while students are taking their test, I can put up the next unit.

Step 5: Decide Which Math Vocabulary Words Stay Up All Year 

The hardest part of this system for me was determining which words go where. I needed some type of criteria I could use to sort out my existing word wall into the two categories. This is what I came up with.

A word belongs on the permanent wall if it meets 2 or more of these criteria:

✅ It appears in more than 2 units throughout the course.

✅ Students will likely encounter it again in future math courses.

✅ Students need the word to understand directions or explain their thinking.

✅ It represents foundational mathematical language rather than a specific procedure.

If a term doesn’t meet two or more of these criteria, then it can be used to create the highlights board or reevaluated to see if it is really needed as a reference tool. 

If a term does meet two or more of these criteria, then I add it to my permanent word wall, sorting it alphabetically. 

For example, I would include these terms in my permanent word wall

• For Algebra

  • Variable

  • Coefficient

  • Constant

  • Expression

  • Equation

  • Inequality

  • Function

  • Graph

  • Solution

  • Simplify

• For Geometry

  • Angle

  • Parallel

  • Perpendicular

  • Congruent

  • Similar

  • Polygon

  • Vertex

None of these terms are tied to one chapter; they're part of the language of mathematics. These terms are essential. They should feel familiar to students and be required for understanding.

Why This Math Word Wall Works Better for English Language Learners 

I don't want my word wall to be something students constantly rely on. I want it to help students learn the language until they don't need it anymore.

For my English language learners, this means the foundational vocabulary is always available. They don't have to wait for me to introduce a word before they have access to it.

For all of my students, it also reduces the amount of visual clutter in the room. Instead of searching through dozens and dozens of words, they'll have a permanent reference for the language of mathematics and a smaller space dedicated to what we're learning right now.

And selfishly? It also gives me a system I can actually maintain.

Instead of changing an entire bulletin board every few weeks, I'm only updating one small section as we move through the curriculum. 

That feels much more realistic.

A Sustainable High School Math Word Wall System 

I don’t think I’ll get every term categorized perfectly this year. I’m not 100% sure I’ll be able to keep up with it perfectly, especially for Algebra 1, which I didn’t teach last year. I’m sure I’ll make adjustments again next year, and that’s okay. 

The goal is to have a system that works better than what I’ve done in the past and to make it easier to maintain. A system doesn’t have to be perfect for you to try it.

Sometimes the Best Classroom Changes Are the Ones That Help Teachers Too

One thing I've learned over the past six years is that a classroom system doesn't have to be perfect on paper. It has to be sustainable because the most Pinterest-worthy classroom setup in the world doesn't help students if it's impossible to maintain by October.

I'm excited to see how this version works next year, and I fully expect it to evolve again. That's part of teaching. We're constantly learning what works, what doesn't, and how to make things just a little bit better.

If you're setting up your classroom this summer, I'd encourage you to look at your own word wall and ask:

Is it helping students build mathematical language...or is it just holding vocabulary?

If you're redesigning your classroom this summer, I'd love to hear how you're organizing your word wall. Leave a comment below or send me a message on Instagram—I always love seeing how other math teachers adapt ideas to fit their classrooms. 

Click Here to Check Out My Word Walls

And if you're looking for ready-to-print vocabulary cards, my Algebra 1 and Geometry Word Walls were designed to fit this exact system. 

I'm excited to see how this works this year, and I'll definitely share an update once I've lived with the system for a while.