Well, school starts tomorrow. Yep, TOMORROW!
It has been a bit of a crazy summer... After a few too many sixteen-hour-days at school, my classroom is looking fabulous and I am oh, so ready for my lovely 6th graders to walk into my classroom in the morning.
Here are a few of my favorite spaces. [Let’s be real, many of us spend more time in our classrooms than we do at home, so it is important to love it.]
Classroom Library
When I first started teaching, I had a huge classroom library. …seriously, huge. I really liked having such a large variety of books accessible to my students, but it was hard to manage and it took up entirely too much space. Luckily, my school has a fairly awesome library, so a few years ago I decided it was time to downsize. BAM. My Gutter Book Case. I love that this solved my space issue, and that the book covers are visible. I rotate in new books each quarter and use Book Retriever to keep track of when books are checked in and out.
Star Students & the Homework Board
I love to display student work. The smile on their faces, even as big, bad 6th graders, when a piece of their work is put on the Star Student Board is so worth it. …I keep it simple. I know some of you have some super creative ways of displaying students’ work, but I just staple it up and switch things out when more space is needed.
oh, and my classroom calendar is a wipe-off! My students LOVE writing all of the different events that are important to them up on our shared classroom calendar. …and it makes it was easier for me to know when I should show up to a sporting event. We always start the year with a little chat about respecting each others additions to the calendar and it never seems to be a problem. …there was one year where they started a Happy Hug Day each Friday…
Math Corner
I LOVE math. It is definitely MY favorite subject. This corner is dedicated to math; white boards, markers, erasers, rulers, and math sheets. …and a lot of colorful posters that are constantly changing and used as references while we tackle different concepts. [Be sure to check back for more information about my student erasers and math sheets. They saved my life!]
Homework Center
oh my goodness. I keep everything in this corner. First, this is where my homeroom students turn in their homework each morning. Although I teach at a school that has a departmentalized middle school, I still have the 6th grade students for a variety of subjects each day. I like collecting all of the homework they owe me first thing in the morning. Students can also find the weekly Task Slip, our Devotion Schedule, a Class Schedule, and the all important Lunch Menu.
I also keep quite a few things that are useful to me. On that pull-out tray I have containers with craft sticks with each student’s name, my timer, and a stapler. I also keep each grades’ nametags easily accessible for changing seating arrangements.
and finally…
My Desk
Although I rarely sit down, when I do, my desk has to be functional. [My Spectacular Substitute Binder] is always ready in the tray behind my computer, I have my desktop calendar ready to organize all of my meetings, and my paperclips are patiently waiting to meet my every need.
…I am sure it will take all of three minutes tomorrow morning for my classroom to look more like an explosion than anything else, but I can’t wait. : ]
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