Here's my classroom as I left it right before Christmas Break. Don't you love the yellow? It's a lot brighter than I thought it would be, but I like how cheery it is, so it gets to stay. Plus it took two weeks to paint since cinder block is rather difficult to paint!
After seeing another teacher's writing space recently, I decided that I must have one too, so I "stole" back the table I put in the hall and declared it the writing table! I also updated a few bulletin boards and printed out the cue pages, which I then taped to the reading table for easy reference. There are a few other items that I'd like to add to the math board, but I'll wait until after the break - happy last day of school until January 5th, yay!!
My classroom!
The door goes to a girls and boys bathroom - one stall for boys and one stall for girls.
I want to change the sign to reading and writing or some such phrase at some point.
Here's the writing table with writing workshop items on the table, and reading workshop centers and other bins (i.e. homework files) on the counter.
The science, social studies, and math bulletin boards with math manipulatives under the counter.
I like not having a desk! Here's the reading table/my desk with the phonics cue cards (white squares - laminated) taped in the middle.
(It took three pictures to get all of the cards together. Please excuse my mash job!)
The red language arts books (Reading Wonders program) sit along the front wall with a math balance on top and balance balls! The balance balls have helped a few students SO much!!
I love our calendar area complete with our SmartBoard, hundreds chart, moon phase of the day, etc.
Chapter books are on the back of the kiva along with our leveled library (black bins)
Christmas decor - our unused door as a fireplace! Love :) And the listening center - desk with a CD player and multi hookup adapter for up to five students to listen at a time. I put five chairs in a semi circle around this desk and change out the book every few days. If I run out of books for the month, then I just cycle through the books again.
Along the brick wall is our not-very-used word wall and our reading couch - the rockers are also definitely a class favorite!
The Star Student (birthday student) poster goes in the frame. The books on the wooden shelves are all picture books that they students are allowed full access to.
Our volunteer table
The boxes and books above the coat cubbies are all non-fiction. These books are extremely popular! This class LOVES non-fiction books!
Oops, we forgot to take our ornaments home! Here is the view from the reading table to the main door into the side hall.
That's it for now :)
Merry Christmas!
Now that I've revived this old blog of mine, there should be some fun sharing happening! I look forward to compiling some of our projects here. I've kept a blog for my class for the last year and a half, but have needed to make it private to protect the students. This one won't have the students' pictures, but will include what we're up to :)
