My Classroom

My Home Away from Home...

I love decorating my classroom!  I tend to spend many vacation days on pinterest looking for creative ideas to pull my theme together.   It is amazing what some butcher paper, Dollar Tree finds, and creativity can do.  I kept my room pretty much the same as last year decor wise (bright colors) so that I could focus on organizing (throw away , labeling... and some more throwing away!).  Here are the final results.  Some of these pictures were taken about the 3rd week of school, so in some pics you can  see that "lived in" look.

Here is the view of the back of my room.  This year I have a small class so these are all the desks I need!

 Previous years I had a group towards the front of the room. Here's the view of the front of my room.  I love the space I have with my classroom. 

  

Math Manipulatives

Closer look of the math manipulatives.  These bins were old student kits that came with the program, but there were so many things missing, it was just easier to put all the like resources together.  The green bins were found at Dollar Tree.

I made the number labels to use for bins, coat hooks, and just about everything else . Grab them for free  here! 

Literacy resources and center bins.

Standards -  This is where I post my standards mainly for observers.  I use a flipchart with the essential questions, standard, smart goals, and I can statement for my kids to refer to during our lesson.  I bought the standards here (very first thing I bought off of TpT!).  I created my own health, science, and SS standards because they are specific to our state.  Grab them  for free if you are a GA teacher!

Science    Social Studies  Health

Reading Nook -   My students are allowed to read anywhere in the classroom during their reading time so there was no need for a massive space.  I do love having a black rug with my bright bins / labels! I got the labels here.

 My teacher desk area. This is a picture from last year, but it's exactly the same as last year.  I used colored duct tape where as in prior years I've either covered the cabinet doors in butcher paper or trimmed it with border, but that was a pain to get the glue off.  I didn't have to take it down for the summer and it didn't have a problem lasting.  I did hot glue gun the corners.

  Writing Center  - Thanks to a Cupcake for the Teacher for the writing center start up kit!  The Writing Process Posters are in my store for just $2  You can find them with a chalkboard background or ink friendly like mine!  The blank space on the bottom is for a seasonal word wall.  The top hand corner will be for an exemplar writing from a student. 

I use to have the students bins in the main entrance, but I like the easy access to check homework, notes and forms.  When they were by the entrance, I didn't check the notes until later in the day.

 This is below my Promethean board.  Larry Bell's power words.  I reference them often with my students.  They are part of my "Sports Theme Classroom Decor Pack."

Student Work Board - This year I opted to use clothespin to hang their work.  I used table cloth from Party city for the backdrop. I lined the clothespin with some duct tape.  The border is made up of scrunched up strips of tableclother!  It was easier than using paper. 

 Small Group Table - This is where I meet and  store the materials for my reading small groups.  I used to have a big bin where I would put all their material into different folders, but this keeps it so much more simpler!  I just open and place whatever resourced I need in the drawer on Friday and I'm set for the upcoming week.  Also , it isn't as much of an eyesore was an open bin with all the paper sticking out.  I have a bin with math resources (the first two pics do not show it, but I keep some math mats and manipulative in there and it will change depending on our skill).  I usually pull small group with the students who are not grasping the day's skill and then I will walk around to the other math stations for their small group work so there wasn't a need for another set of drawers.

Hope you enjoyed my classroom!