Transformation: Classroom Edition Part 2

Yesterday you saw the beginning process of setting up a classroom. Granted that was the process LAST year. I just suck and never actually got that post published or took pictures of the finished product. 

Setting up your classroom each year is a big deal. Weather you like to admit it or not, you spend almost as much time (if not more) in your classroom than you do in your actual house. So setting it up in a way that is not only functional but appealing is important. Last year, after I spent all that time moving my stuff from one classroom to the other, cleaning out cobwebs and old, unnecessary junk, etc. I got everything set up how I thought I wanted it. Half way through the year I changed my mind. And about a month after that, I still hated it and began scheming ways to make it better. 

This year, I had a plan of attack. And y'all, I am so in love with the way my room is set up and functioning. (Staying in the same place helped for sure. Although I still had my fair share of spiders to kill.)

 This is my room as you walk in the front door. All I see in this picture is tennis balls haha. 

This picture makes it look really big and open, which it is now.

My room itself is one of the smaller ones on the hallway. 

 To the right of the door are the boy's cubbies, my writing center and our "still in progress" fancy word pockets.

 My library. 

Which is teenier than I would want (oh in a perfect world) but I'm actually loving it so far. 

My kiddos have a lot of fun reading in that tiny nook. 

The clothespins are the BEST last minute Pinterest idea ever. 

I'm not even sure where I saw it, or if I even repinned it

but each student has a clothespin that they use to check out books by clipping it on

the appropriate box. 

My students check books out of my library once a week to add to their book boxes

and then they get to browse the Science Non-Fiction box during Work Stations. 

 My desk nook. 

So many of my friends have gotten rid of their teacher desks which I totally get

as I don't spend any time at my desk during the day. 

However, now that I've found an out of the way, yet still functional place to put my desk,

I'm glad I kept it. 

All my planning stuff is in one cozy spot so after school I can hunker down and plan,

which is nice and helps prevent bring a lot of stuff home.

I've said it before, but I'm a firm believer of being comfortable in your space.

It's ten trillion times easier to be productive when you have a space you actually enjoy working in.

The back of my room and my carpet area.

My whole room this year was centered around this area being here. 

I hated my carpet area last year

but I love carpet time. I really wanted to make sure my carpet area was in a good spot

so we could all actually enjoy the time we spend on the carpet together. 

My TA desk and behavior chart are at the back.

Shameless Plug

By the way - I'm still working on getting a new carpet for my classroom 

through Donors Choose. 

The one in the picture is a hand-me-down times three

and isn't quite big enough.

Check out my project HERE! 

Here's the "front" of my carpet area,

all my common core books, my chair, and easel. 

All the classrooms at our school have these huge built in shelves and cabinets.

I love them but mine get more and more packed every year. 

I don't know how other teachers at school keep them so clear. 

Me, and my kids, use them for everything.

My weekly plans are sorted in the drawers to the left. 

Student mail boxes are further down 

as are the boxes to turn in Red Homework folders and Blue Weekly Communication folders.

This year, I've been displaying seasonal read alouds to the right. 

These past two weeks it's obviously been all back to school books. 

Since my carpet area is right here, we'll use those top shelves to add anchor charts 

and other important things throughout the year. 

The teeny drawers you see are student prize drawers.

This too is something new I'm trying that I found on Pinterest.

I haven't started it yet, so we'll see how it goes. 

 My Work Stations Chart.

I wish I had gotten a picture of what it looks like with the student cards in it.

This is something new I'm doing this year annnnnnnd I don't wanna jinx anything

but I really like it so far. 

Depending on how things go you can be expecting a full blog post on it in the future. 

P.S. That bench - it's my milk crate bench I made last year, just with new fabric. 

The cubes have headphones and PVC whisper telephones in them for reading. 

 This is the view from my smart board.

Bulletin boards are the bane of my existence. 

I don't have the patience for them and then I never know how to best utilize them.

My word wall is at the top (and the elephant from my first year is still hanging on.)

Right now, the only thing I've got on my word wall are K Sight Words

and student names. We'll add 1st Grade Sight Words as we learn them. 

We'll post Science terms and other important vocabulary around the room as we learn those as well.

My Guided Reading table is back here too.

I'm hoping to use that Reading Board behind it as a Guided Reading tool.

Adding strategies as we need them.

Our Reading and Math "I Can" statements will be added through out the year too.

I like the idea of students creating bulletin boards with me as we go

so they actually understand and use what gets put up there. 

Whew. There you have it.

The place where I spend 98% of my time.

But fortunately, it's Friday.

And for the next two days I have nothing school related on my brain!

Have a great weekend loves!