Classroom Tour

I am so excited to begin blogging by showcasing my classroom.  I've been told for years that I should teach elementary school because I decorate like it's 2nd grade.  I don't think that the older students should be deprived of decoration just because of their age!  I've even found that my high school students actually notice and enjoy cool stuff I add to the room.  It's fun for me to make their learning experience a little more enjoyable.  Several of my students do not have a stable home life, so it's super important to me that my classroom feels comfortable.  I want it to be a welcoming environment where everyone feels at home.  Even my students that have a fantastic home environment still enjoy the little touches that make the room home-y. :) This room is still a work in process, but on Monday it will welcome 90 high school students with open arms. (And I will too - I CANNOT WAIT!)

The view from the door - just don't ask how the curtains were hung.  Getting a tension rod that high without a ladder is no joke. 

Several of my students are VERY artistic.  I like to showcase their amazing work on my collage wall.  I'm continually blown away by their many talents.  The students love to see their work displayed - and I love having original pieces of art for decoration. :)

I decided to give each student a number this year.  I try to change their seating arrangement every 1-2 weeks, and writing all of their names on name tags, cutting out the tags, gluing them down, etc. became VERY TIME CONSUMING.  This year, I saved SO MUCH TIME by printing circular labels with numbers, laminating them, and placing a small strip of velcro on the back! I just glued the velcro strip's mate to the desk and BAM! instant seating arrangement.  Now all I have to do is peel off the numbers, and re-stick them where a student's new seat will be. 

Ya'll - THIS LIBRARY GIVES ME LIFE! It is definitely my favorite part of the room.  Over the years I have collected several books (for a great price) from local thrift stores.  You can buy most soft cover books for less than $1!  I'm also going to be implementing a new book check out system this year called Book Source.  It's actually an app for your phone - I'll post more about that later. 

Above the book shelf on the right is a cork board I purchased from Hobby Lobby.  I have my students brainstorm goals for the class and we pin them on the board.  I like for them to have visible, reachable goals all year. It's also SO MUCH FUN when they reach a goal and can check it off their list.

I also keep containers of pencils, pens, cap erasers, and paper clips on top of my book shelf.  If anyone is out of supplies, they can simply go grab one from the jar without having the interrupt their neighbor or their dear teacher ;).

I keep a table beside my bookshelf with all of the supplies my students will need for that day.  When they come in the room, they immediately know they should grab a paper, book, etc. from the table.  It's a nice system and they catch on quickly.  It works well because they like knowing what we're doing before they sit down.  I also like to keep an outline for what we'll do for the week on my board.  The labels on the left of the grid tell my students which activities we do on what days. THEY LOVE STRUCTURE.  (ex. Make it relevant Mondays - nonfiction, Talk about Poetry Tuesday - Poems, etc.) 

Oh! and the You Get What You Get book is for my students who sometimes need to be reminded that life doesn't always go as planned.  

My favorite chair sits beside my Smart Board!  Behind my desk is my wall of "Literary Leaders" - a point system I use as a way of behavior management.  I have another blog post planned to discuss how that works! 

I keep a small table behind my desk for two types of students: those who need to work independently, and those who need extra help from me.  It's an easy way to separate them from the class for some one-on-one instruction. It is also a great way to differentiate.  Most of the time, it's a way for me to manage behavior issues before they begin.  If someone just can't handle life that day, they have to come and sit with me - easy as that! :) 

Here is my table I have prepped and ready for the first day of school! The syllabus for both classes, "What You Should Already Know" literary activity, student surveys, reading challenge sheets, and treat bags, are all ready to go! And ya'll know I have to have my own mini fridge for the endless supply of Diet Coke.  

During the year, this table is used for small group instruction or behavior management.  

Beside my table I keep extra supplies in the yellow boxes.  I also house all of my important binders like my common planning notebook, reading logs, behavior notes, and more.  I like to stash my extra papers for foldables in my black box, too!

I LOVE my wolf wall - there's an even bigger close-up of a wolf face on the wall next to it.  It's definitely a perk of having the old art room.

We keep all of our text books on the book shelf next to the collage wall.  My students know that I'm a crazy person about organization so they're typically pretty good about putting their books back on the shelf in the right order.  I'm also obsessed with my ceramic owl that perches on the bookshelf. I think he adds a little wisdom to the room. :)

Beside the text book book shelf, I have a HUGE bulletin board.  I dedicate one side to the things my students like to make,draw,write, for me! I LOVE it - If I'm ever having a bad day all I have to do is look at all of the wonderful words of encouragement from my kids.  Also, the best mom in the world hung all of the pennants exactly right on the next side.  We'll be adding literary elements, terms, and a basic reading list throughout the semester.  Any of the students (or other teachers, principals) can walk into the room at any time and instantly see what we're learning.  I'm really happy with how this turned out and I can't wait to utilize it.  

Finally, I keep a list beside the door of what my students should ALWAYS do, and what they should NEVER DO.  I draw little cartoons (they actually love what a terrible artist I am) illustrating the expectations.  Basically, they should always be kind and work hard.  They should NEVER be mean (for any reason), give up, OR BE ON THE PHONE. (Some pet peeves never die!) haha!  

I'm sure I'll change my mind ten times and continue adding to the room as the semester advances, but overall, I'm happy with it.  I'm ecstatic to start this blogging journey with all of my friends that are so wonderful about posting their classroom endeavors.  Tomorrow is the first day with new students for me! It's always hard to see a great group move on to another teacher, but I can't wait to meet my new batch of AMAZING children.