Teacher Week: Classroom Reveal!

I'm linking up again with Blog Hoppin' for Teacher Week to show you my classroom!

Unfortunately, I did not get any classroom pictures before my classroom was "lived in" for almost two weeks. OH WELL!

I was lucky enough to get to move into the BIG kindergarten classroom this year! WOO! So although I'm in a new room, I had a good idea how I wanted to set it up from teaching kindergarten last year!

Here are some pictures of the whole room:

I use the "less is more" ideal when preparing my classroom. I feel like some classrooms have SO many posters, resources, decorations, etc. that I can't imagine how the kiddos concentrate! Why put up a resource before a kiddo knows how to use it? I hope my classroom is a happy medium of welcoming and non-distracting!

My computers

My meeting area

My teacher area...no desk for me!

Art supplies/missing color drawers

View of some student tables

Front view of the library! Love my hungry caterpillar!!

Side view of the student library

This is my writing center! It also shows an example of my students things. We don't have desks or storage of any kind, so their journals/books and such are kept here. They each have a book box. Then in the blue bin are their: calendar journals, math journals, poetry journals, writing folders, and math books.

Science center, puzzles, listening center, and my safe spot!

Student mailboxes

Character education board!

Home center!

Student frames and hooks!

Math and word work centers

Art center

Alphabet, word wall, and reading resource wall!

Blocks/building materials

Math resource wall

Phew! That's my room :) Please feel free to comment if you have any questions about how I did anything!

Back to School Mode!

Hey all! Hope you are enjoying the last few days of summer. It's down to days now! AHH! I am trying to soak up as much sun as I can, and spend lots of time with this foster pup! 

Isn't she the cutest? How the heck does she lay like this?? Hopefully girlfriend will get adopted soon!

But unfortunately school is calling me back. Its actually screaming at me to come back. The chaos that is my classroom right now is making my skin crawl. Look at this mess!!

I'm hyperventilating a little....I moved classrooms this year, just right across the hall. But apparently moving 10 feet is a bigger deal than I realized :(

However, I knew where I wanted most of my stuff before I moved it! I don't know if you all have read Debbie Diller's book, Spaces and Places: Designing Classrooms for Literacy, but it is AMAZING.

I learned so much about how classroom organization and management of spaces can affect your classroom environment! Debbie suggests that you make your classroom plan before you touch your furniture. 

I think we know that as teachers who want the perfectly functioning classroom, we tend to *ahem* change our minds fairly often. She says to use sticky notes to create a topographical map of your classroom, that way you can move everything without straining your muscles (or without redrawing a map of your classroom 200 times)!

I have done this in the past, but have now found something even better! It's a website that you can use for free called floorplanner.com. It gives you any classroom furniture you could use/need, and also gives you a 3D view of what it looks like! So awesome!

I'll keep updating you as my classroom gets more and more put together :)

For the exciting news, make sure that you come check back in August 1st! Myself and tons of other bloggers have gotten together to create a bloghop/giveaway that is going to be AMAZING!

I've seen some of the products in the giveaway and they are fantastic. You do NOT want to miss this!!

Have a great Sunday!

Teacher Week Day #2: Classroom Digs

I'm linking up with Blog Hoppin' for Teacher Week 2013!

I love decorating so I'm excited about this day :) These are my classroom digs!

 

 These are a few overall views of my classroom :) I tried to take them from all angles!

 

 

 

Now that you've seen the overall....here are some close-ups! Right inside the door are my hooks. No cubbies, no lockers, just hooks :) I have them named and numbered and use the space below them to store extra books and materials. (Obviously the boxes aren't usually there!)

 

 

This is on the other side of the door. I LOVE this for changes (like going to a friend's house) or for subs!

 

 

I don't know if you can use any of these, but if you would like a copy, you can get yours here! The pretty frames are from The Creative Chalkboard and the other pictures are from Google Images.

 

From the door, you can see a little peek of my frames. Here they are! My Hall of Fame is where I post art projects, writing samples and more! The kids love seeing their work on the walls. Below them, you can see my classroom computers.

 

 

 

Right next to the computers are my student drawers. These are where they keep their personal school items since we have tables. This holds their writing folder, math journal, poetry journal, etc.

 

 

 

Moving around the room, this is my listening center. Obviously, the box of CDs and CD players needs to be organized!

 

 

 From this view, you can get a little peek of my library. You can see the guided reading portion of my library, but I did not get a picture of my "dessert" books. These are favorite characters and authors, and other themed books. I made the puff balls out of tissue paper and pipe cleaners and I made the tree. I hate it right now. I need to add student work to it to make me like it better :(

 

 

As a full day kindergarten teacher, I am lucky enough to still have time scheduled in my day for learning centers! This is my dramatic play area and building area. I also have a blocks center that I did not get pictures of! GRR!

 

 

 

 

Next to dramatic play is my math center. This is where I have our math manipulatives and our math tubs for math stations.

 

 

 

 

This is my teacher catch-all. I guess it's technically an easel, but for me it's: big book holder, whole class materials holder, morning meeting materials holder, brain break materials holder, shared writing board, interactive writing board, etc. The list goes on and on. The next picture shows where I sit between the board and my computer that connects to the Smartboard.

 

 



Behind my computer and document camera is my non-computer calendar. The kids don't really participate in this one, it's mostly just for reference during writing. I do all my calendar work on the Smartboard.

 

This is my teacher area. I took the plunge and got rid of my desk! I hope it works out :)

 

 

These are my file cabinets turned to make a magnetic surface for word work, and my mailboxes to keep my papers for the students for the week. You can also see my birthday balloons, stuffed animal bin, and my TBM (to be made) brag tags.

 

 

These are pictures of the art center. I have an easel, drying rack and two shelves of art supplies. I got the wonderful idea for the color drawers on Pinterest! Any of the other labels I used for reading (GRL A-Z and various themes), math (all manipulatives) or art (supply and crafty) I made for my classroom. Once again, I don't know if they will be useful for you, but please feel free to pick up your copy here! I have a high ESOL population, so I tried to use as many real pictures as possible.

 

 

This is my sensory table. I fill it with science materials throughout the year!

 

 

This is my behavior board. I am going to use a mix of the 7 Habits/whole brain teaching this year. I am not trained in either, but am using the research I have done to mold my practice :) Missing is our class promise and class rules! TBM this week!

 

 

I'll leave you walking out the door on my paw prints!

 

 

I hope you enjoyed my classroom tour. You may notice I don't have many resources up on the wall! I like to make these with the kiddos and hang them up throughout the year :) I find they use them much more when they are a part of making them!

 

Stop by tomorrow to check out my classroom management skills!

 

Sarah