Classroom Design

Since I am not in a classroom this year, I have compiled several ideas from my classroom over the past seven years, as well as several other wonderful teachers'. These teachers have created masterpieces in their classrooms that help keep organization throughout the year, while making it easily accessible to students, and -of course- extremely engaging!

The classroom library is always my favorite area in every teacher's room. When done right, the creativity that is used to engage students is impeccable! Due to 'fire codes' I was refrained from decorating my classroom to any extent other than a palm tree (thanks to Deanna's wonderful idea/tutorial), 2 mini aderondacks and some pillows.

  (library in 2013)

See. I had to make the most with what I was allowed to do. I actually had to take down the 'floating' beach balls. I also used the kids cubbies as our classroom library.

I also love using this organization system to help me and the kiddos keep all the books where they belong and easily accessible!
I am currently working on a Plain Jane Library Organization kit! :)
 OBVIOUSLY, this little packet needed an update!

Now for some inspiration...

 

Reagan Tunstall 

The colors, the rug, chairs, the black bulletin board area that will soon be filled with reading strategies/anchor charts...love it all! So cozy and inviting!

I love how Lindsay made her library area an large, open space. It seamlessly falls with the rest of her class and, again, looks so comfy and inviting!

I love the bench that Maria added to her library, the gorgeously bright and engaging colors, and those floor mats! Perfect for those kiddos who want to grab a book and curl up somewhere else in the classroom.

I also love this idea from Learning in Wonderland! No more bothering you with broken books during your small group time. :) 

 I also first saw this lovely bench on her Instagram feed and fell in love!!!
I will most certainly be using this in my next book nook area.

 In my previous school, the standards for this area of our classroom seemed to be ever-changing. 

Inspiration for my next room:

 Growing Kinders NAILED it!

 Learning in Wonderland has a quick video on her blog and Instagram that shows you how she displays and uses her objectives board. Simple and keeps them all in one place. Gotta love that!

 Jessica from The Teacher Talk created an area in her room that allows for students to place their name in an area they would like to focus on. 
This idea is so much better than placing your kids clothespin on a learning scale/rubric. Love, Love, LOVE this idea!!!!

This, to me, needs to be the most inviting and organized place in your entire classroom.  I spend a lot of my day with my kids 'on the carpet.'  I want this space to be open, safe, and set up so that I can snag anything I need at the drop of hat! I always set my room up to have a pretty open area, but never really got it figured out... Here's some inspiration:

Regan Tunstall

Everything always seems just so functional in Reagan's classrooms! :)

 

Deanna Jump 

Open, simple, students can easily move around, lots of room for learning games, etc...  Deanna has a wonderful organization packet that is filled with awesome ideas on how to organize your whole classroom, but my big takeaway was organizing my rolling cart!  Check it out HERE.

Palm tree directions found HERE

 For me, space was limited and I just couldn't 'see' where to functionally place a writing wall/area in my classroom. SO, I used a folding back board! My area was not very functional.  It worked, but not the way I wanted.

Here are some much better examples on how to successfully impelment a writing station...

I absolutely love Deedee's Writing Station packet. 

It is perfect for building confidence in your emerging readers/writers.

 

Simple and all the materials are stored under the table! 

I could spend hours looking though other teachers classroom photos to find ideas to use and implement in my own classroom.

Now you can, too!

Click either link below to see how thousands of other teachers have designed their classrooms.

 

 

Favorite Pins Round 3

This has seriously become my favorite little weekly linky!  I have learned so much and have added so many things to my ever growing 'to-do' list! It amazes me how much I don't see on Pinterest {when I feel like there's nothing I could possibly be missing}.

Here are some of my favorites from this week.  We'll start with what I love most.... FOOD

 Nature Box

Just A Taste

Can you tell my favorite things to eat are breakfast foods?! I could seriously eat breakfast for every.single.meal.

Clothes

I'm a sucker for fashion.  I do not have the paycheck for it, but that's neither here nor there! :)

Polyvore

I am in love with this outfit!!

Webstagram

LOVE this color combination! Perfect for Fall!

Polyvore...and everything's sold out :/

And of course, I had to through in my game attire love!  I do LIVE in Nole Nation.  It's only fitting! :)

For the Home

Imperfect Home Making

Please tell me you've seen this pin already?  I swear every single one of my friends has 'pinned' this!  It's a step by step on how to fold your bedding all nice and pretty.  Tried it out and it worked!  Not as pretty as the picture but that's because I'm impatient when it comes to folding. :)

Beach Bright's Ideas

How brilliant is this idea...those are shoe box tops covered with fabric!!! shut up!!!! Get out of TOWN!!  Can not WAIT to do this! 

My Home Ideas

I wish I could call on Mary Poppins to complete this task for me!

School Love

Sew Fantastic

Umm...brilliant!  Love this idea for my kinder babies!

The Navy Stripe

Another little 'aha' moment.  Use zipper pouches to store puzzle pieces!!  I have taped and re-taped so many puzzle boxes!!  Can't wait to get into my room and do this.  Seems like a space saver too! Double bonus! :)

Mrs. Heeren's Happenings

Magnetic glass tile! How stinkin' adorable are these?! *love* Blog has an excellent DIY step-by-step.  Another item added to my 'to-do' list!

Don't forget another great organizational tool! :)

On sale in my TPT store for the rest of today!  It goes back to regular price tomorrow.  Thank you to all who participated in my FB giveaway and for all your sweet comments.  I sure do *LOVE* reading them! :)

Don't forget to head to Cara's blog to snag some more amazing ideas.  Click HERE to follow me on Pinterest.

Organizing OCD

I'm not sure about you, but every year around this time my mind goes straight into organization mode.  Sad thing is, it has nothing to do with my home but everything to do with school!  I start loading up my Pinterest boards and adding so many items to my 'to-do' list.  

Wait till you see my Pin-it Friday list!!  {obviously, that will be tomorrow} :)

Today, however, I want to share with you a file I just created and posted.
As many of you know, my hubby and I have started trying to have a baby.  When I started thinking about the thought of possibly leaving my classroom and kiddos at some point this year, I began to hyperventilate.  The thought of someone taking over is....well...dreadful!  I'm slightly OCD and like to have things done my way.  I began searching all over for tips and tricks for leaving your classroom and came up short-handed.  This led me to create a binder that I will be {hopefully} using sometime in the near future.

This 91 page packet has everything you will need to leave with your long-term sub and leave you at ease {well maybe just a little less stressed}.  I like to leave extremely thorough and detailed information for my subs {I feel sorry for the ones that just take over my room for half-a-day.  They get a two page+ plan}.  This packet has everything I could think of that I would want my long-term sub to know.  There are pages for classroom information, school information, references pages for all things academic, and so much more!

You can check it out at my TPT store where it is marked at a discounted price! Or head over to my Facebook page where you can win it for FREE!

Can't wait to share all my favorite pins from the week with you tomorrow!!  It's my *favorite* linky party! :)

Pirates aarrgghh COOL!

I am excited to join Tara in my first Made it Monday!

I have had a pirate-theme classroom for the past two years.  My room, however, was not very put together in terms of a color-scheme.  You couldn't really tell that it was a pirate-theme unless you really looked.  SO... I wanted to make some staple pieces that would color coordinate and tie it all in together!

So I made this!!!

You get calendar pieces, number posters, shape posters, a pennant word wall with the first 220 dolch sight words included, an alphabet banner, name plates, center rotation cards and signs, and items to use to create a behavior clip chart, birthday wall, and ship-inspired job chart.  Each of those are shown below.

Job chart

Behavior clip chart

Birthday Wall!

I've made each item available individually or you can just purchase the bundle. If you purchase the bundle you save FIVE DOLLARS! Imagine what else you can buy with those five dollars! Ha! 

Because I love all my awesome followers I'm making the BUNDLE on sale for $6 instead of $8 today only.  That means you save seven dollars!

I am so excited to get it all put together in my room.  I refuse to go in early this summer.  I really want to enjoy every second of being in my actual home! :)

Sadly, I only have a month left before I have to go back.  When do you head back to school?

Couldn't help myself.  Stuck in the house all day due to constant rain...again. :/  So...I made this too:

Check it out at my little store!

Organize...Shmorganize

Like Hope, I wanted to start this post out right:

How true are those ecards?! :)

My "Organize my Life" board is ridiculous full of all kinds of ideas, however, I have not ACTUALLY done ANY of them.

I'm linking up with a whole slew of my *favorite* bloggers to share some of my organization finds and resolutions!

That leads to teaching resolution #1...

Source: Orange Polka Dots

I just stumbled upon this 'pin' last week and I am so glad I did!  I posted about how I organized my worksheet/unit blacklines into binders by subject, theme, and time of year but now I'm going to add these amazingly adorable stickies!! *LOVE*

#2:

Last year I began using Math Workstations in my classroom and LOVED the rotating system and the differentiation it gave me and my kiddos.  Everything was wonderful except my math rotation board...then I found this! It has been on my 'to-do' list for MONTHS! 

#3

Source: Scholastic

Please tell me I'm not the only one who has a hard time keeping myself organized with my small groups.  I start off with every year with the intention of keeping up with my organization with my small groups but then EVERYTHING else takes the forefront.  Scholastic has an *excellent* article on how to assess your kiddos while keeping yourself organized! 

#4

Pinterest will not let you go to the original source of this image.  If you know where it came from let me know! :)

I love this idea! What a space saver and great organizational tool.  I WILL be doing this before heading back to school in the new year.

#5

I'm not even going to say anything about this image.  If you want to transform your classroom into the ultimate organized room then just go HERE!  This website is jam-packed with lots of ideas on how to organize every inch of your classroom! I'm sure you already know about most, but I love that it's all on one page.  Another one I've pinned MONTHS ago.  I will get to it though. It's one of my New Years Resolutions.

Now I need you to help me.  You have to keep me to these resolutions!!!  

I am the ultimate "list maker" that never completes the list of 'to-dos' :)

Want more fantastic ideas?!  Head over HERE and get a pad and pencil ready!

While you're here, check out my lastest units:

Read about them HERE!

Happy last Friday of 2012! :)