Here is the moment that you all (or at least I) have been waiting for! My classroom is DONE. After at least 21 days my room is actually ready for children to come in, feel welcome, comfortable, and start learning. This post will walk you through each area and I'll explain my organizational rationale. I'll talk about the things I'm proud of, and changes I wish for/plan to make.The first thing I'm generally proud of is my classroom decor. My general decorating goal is sort of a "less is more" mentality in that I like to limit the colors and patterns in each area, as well as the room as a whole. My colors palette is focused on teal, lime green, and aqua in order to coordinate with the existing teal furniture. Of course there are some things I could not change, but I'll talk about how I worked in my colors into those areas as well. My pattern is mostly polka dots. I find chevron too "busy," and although I used some stripes as well last year, they didn't find their way in this year. Instead I've added "pond critters" to create more visual interest (and little kid appeal).
Pros: I'm happy with this area because the bins are a cohesive size and shape (for the materials that fit). The lids are all one color, so it's less visually overwhelming. The blue bins have Fundations materials since the reading area is right behind.
Changes I wish for: The rug is old, grungy, ripped, and too busy for my liking. If I have the time and energy this year to try Donor's Choose, it will be to replace this. Another change is the third shelf looks messy; I'd love to cover that with fabric, but I'm thinking that ease of access to the dice and calendar box is more important so I'll leave it. The top shelf needs to have the fabric stapled/cut/folded more neatly but I just ran out of time; easy fix.
Pros: I'm happy with the colors and headings, the height of the board (why do so many teacher hang them too high for the children to reach?) and the size of each component. I think the fact that there are so few components, it will be less overwhelming for the first week of school.
Changes I will make: I read the Everyday Counts manual for September, and then learned that that's not actually what we do in first grade. BLAH. So, pieces will be added and removed as time goes on. That's just how it goes normally to keep things interesting and cover everything, but it may happen sooner rather than later. I'd also like to cut out the letters instead of having them on white strips, add the heading to the calendar over on the door (and level it while I'm at it,) and update the seasons, year, "yesterday, today and tomorrow" pieces.
Pros: I spent a lot of time and a bit of money on this area. I replaced half the baskets so that they are all large and white, and as a result, I was able to fit more books in and the look is much more organized. The labels are all updated for a cohesive look that fits my color scheme, with graphics for the little ones, and coded labels to help them learn how to find/return books that they want to read and finish with.
Changes I wish for: People to stop giving me their hand me down books! I'm half kidding because of course I appreciate it, but when the assistant principal told me she had some "to start my little library," after I spent the better part of 2 weeks on this, I really had to be careful how I replied, haha (I really should have just walked her though the changes I did make). I still have 3 stacks here at home to label because so many people keep bring more in for me. I guess they don't realize the former first grade teacher and I left nearly all our old books in the rooms where they'll most help the clientele. :)
Literacy Area (Back of the room)
Pros: The leveled books are organized with new labels. The obligatory Journeys focus wall poster is up. The word wall has all our names, with cute froggy headers and KG primary lined letters. The character education posters are up with cute Educasong graphics. The computer set up is a bit better than it was, with mouse room as well as the printer and CDs accessible. The reading group leveled books are accessible, and the other literacy materials that aren't used on a daily basis are hidden with color coordinating fabric.Changes: I need chairs for the reading table. It's also very bare, which is actually a pro for now, but of course as time goes on I'll figure out what I need to have at my fingertips and it will fill up/need more organizing ideas. The radios and listening center sign need to be moved; the whole idea of a listening center is so new to me that it's going to take a little time. The bulletin board on the right is a work in progress; I feel like I should have taken down those cards; the text is too small to be of any use. Plus the pocket chart is an idea in progress that hasn't been fleshed out yet. I'm thinking that this board will have Daily 5 posters and/or a reading group rotation chart. For now it's okay that this is not done; no one starts reading groups on the first day of school. :)
Pros: The utensils and napkins are accessible. The caddies are neat and labeled, with items shouldn't touch well out of reach. The sign to remind students about hygiene matches my decor and adds that little needed bit of color to the area. The fabric ties in the color and hides the dozens of extra bins I have stored below.
Changes: Two of those bins are purple but they are not a priority; this space is fine! I was actually sneaky and printed extra large labels in my classroom colors in order to hide the purple and I think it works. :)
Closet Doors:
Changes: A lot of blank slates here! I need to get my headings up for the behavior board. Classroom rules and "Good listener" expectations will go up as we discuss them on our first day of school. I have job chart pieces ready to hang but just didn't have time yet. That leaves me with 2 empty boards, probably one for math and one for our weekly themes in science and social studies. Actually I might have a second board for math if I move that Fundations poster to the classroom library area.
Pros: This space is very functional, with lunch information, money collection, bathroom sign outs, sharp and dull pencil cups, paper, colored pencils, grips, and spacemen. I had to clear space for a fifth caddy since I got 2 new students bringing my total up to 19. The mailboxes are decorated with my colors, binder clips have their names. Their writing journals and Fundations notebooks are under the mailboxes in those crates that were originally just to elevate the mailboxes (I knew I'd find something to put in there). There are bins for students' lunches near their mailboxes, which I think will be useful for dismissal.
Changes I might make: I'm thinking about moving stationery items to the table near my desk to make it a "writing area." This would actually be close to the markers, rulers, extra crayons/scissors area as well. I'm not sure what I'll put on this shelf instead; I like the top as is (other than the pencils which I'll move to the table).
Pros: The noise levels and directions cards are easily accessible at the front of the room, as well as posters to aid with letter formation. I put a "chill chair" and mirror with the intention of setting up this system to help students who need redirection or downtime. The schedule cards are hard to see here, but I moved them to the side of the metal cabinet (on magnets) because they were not visible to half the class when they were on the polka dotted side.
My corner
First of all, just a (long) aside. If you've been following this blog from the start, this is the first time you're seeing this part of my classroom.
That's because up until 1 pm on Friday, there were papers ALL OVER. I put off sorting until the last week. THIS is where I spent most of my unscheduled time this week. I categorized as well as thew out hundreds of pages (why keep 20 copies of something paper clipped together all year?).
Finally, at 1 pm I had to admit defeat. I was not going to have a perfect classroom at the beginning of the year. There were going to be files full of pages that I haven't seen or sorted. But it's O.K. I did it my first year at the school. As long as I could walk out of the room today ready with the room looking attractive for six year olds, and I could arm myself with enough activities to put them at ease as well as start to get a sense of our routines, I did my job for now. Of course I still need to go through stuff, but not now.So at 1 pm, I hid stuff.
Each of those crates has a file folder with a sticky note over the tab that says, "Need to file." They're not huge folders! I really did get through loads. My husband helped me at the start of the summer to sort the social studies and science themes. The math and literacy items are a little trickier while the curriculum progression is all new to me, so I'm guessing this will be a process that takes months. Again, that's okay. I'll at least look through the files so I get a sense of what I have so I don't buy redundant supplements.
The file cabinet is a little more embarrassing. Two drawer halves just have a pile of center "bags" full of stuff. I know that those centers represent lots of work sorting and cutting and the kids will enjoy them more than worksheets (how many worksheets can the average 6 year old do in a day? I'm guessing not many if even fourth grade limited their use). I know I really need to go through these items and figure out good storage options. Hands on materials are the lifeblood of primary teaching, I'm thinking. But anyway, aside over:
Pros: This setup for my teacher corner is similar to my old one. The colors all strongly tie in with my theme, including the hard to see fabrics that cover my teaching books shelf. With my desk near the window I have all that shelf space for my crates (organized by subject, except two are devoted to weekly themes that combine social studies and science within each week). My file cabinet with clerical papers is within reach, and I'm keeping that small bulletin board for me instead of for my job chart this year (I hear you get lots of "love notes" in first grade). I kind of love having the metal cabinet there so more materials are within reach. I think with the younger kids I'll be using them on a daily basis, not a weekly basis.
Changes: The table was going to be an extension of "dumping space" for me because with my fourth graders I had used it as a "distribution" area for me and them (extra papers, weekly worksheets, and so on). But if I use a different area for centers I shouldn't need this table too. I might make this a writing area. The custodian thinks I'll get sick of the metal cabinet there. It does corner me in a bit, and make it harder (but not impossible) to see the door. But I don't expect to be at my desk much while the children are there.
So that's the grand tour! I will start my first day teaching first graders on Tuesday. I spent Friday morning labeling their books and putting them in their desks, as well as photocopying the items I had ready for the first day. This weekend I need to fine tune my plan, really prioritize what needs to be talked about on the first day and how to balance the minutia with making those little ones comfortable and happy to be in school. And I'll try not to have a panic attack Monday evening. Please wish me luck.
My Teachers Pay Teachers Store
My Pinterest
No comments:
Post a Comment