New Year, New Grade, New Classroom. . . OH MY!

     This summer has been full of workshops, gardening, riding my bike, and finding out that I'm moving to a new grade level!  This means that not only am I moving classrooms (a lot of work in and of itself), but I get to learn a new curriculum this year.  The same year we're introducing a new technology initiative.  And going further into the Common Core.

     My new fourth grade teammates have been wonderful.  Last year, they did "expert planning," where each person planned one subject for the whole grade level, resulting in each one becoming an expert in her subject.  Because of the changes in the reading and math curriculum this year, our team of six has divided in to two groups of three; one will plan math and the other will plan reading/language arts.  I'm know I'm going to learn so much from them!

     Now, on to my new room...  It's the same size and basic shape as my old room, but I'm going to have more students and bigger desks, so everything will need to be up against a wall in order to give us room to spread out and work in groups around the room.

This lovely super giant piece of furniture will (hopefully) be removed soon!  

 

Standing in the doorway, looking across the room toward the other door leading into another classroom.

My wall o' bulletin boards.  Soon to be a math board, student work wall, and data/daily objectives wall.

Still at the doorway, looking toward the front of the room and the ActivBoard.

Front corner:  teacher books, student coats/backpack hooks

Other end of the student hooks, cabinet and sink, doorway.

     And now for some close-ups!

A super cute wall sticker I got from the dollar store!  I stuck him to my filing cabinet to make it less industrial and office drab-looking.

My new small group area in front of the student work wall.  The red fabric is coming down--I need a new, calming color.

I have at least 8 boxes of books I'll need to sort through and decide how I want to organize them this year.

     I will post pictures as I decorate, arrange, and organize.  Please leave me some feedback and let me know what you like!

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And Now for a Guided Tour

     I have confessed my addiction to Pinterest on here before, but I don't think I explained exactly how much I use it in my classroom.  As I met fellow staff members in my new school, I was repeatedly asked what my "theme" was for my classroom.  I explained that I don't really have a theme, I just like neatness and color.

     Then I looked at my classroom the other day.

     I realized that I DID, in fact, have a theme.  Everything in my room was inspired by something I saw on Pinterest.  And I mean EVERYTHING.  From the bedsheets backing my bulletin boards and the ribbon border, to the clothespins clipped to ribbon for how we go home and where we are in the writing process, it all came from my fellow teachers that I follow online.  I gotta say thanks!

     Here are some specific elements {so be prepared for a LONG blog post}:

Made from a Wal Mart magnetic calendar.  I made my own numbers and velcroed them in place.  It's hung with binder clips and push pins.

Gotta love numbered clothespins!  This jobs chart was made with labels stuck on circle accents.

"Show Me the Evidence," for helping with that transition to Common Core

How We Go Home, again numbered clothespins make everything easier!

Clock numbers

As you can see, I'm at recess right now     :^)

Behavior Bingo on the front of my desk.

I'm not sure I like the header.  I may end up changing it at some point.  You know, when I have time {because I have so much spare time once the school year starts.}

Morning routine sign, with a dull/sharp double pencil bucket, and 4 lunch choice buckets.  Under this shelf are the 3-drawer containers where students turn in their work.

I took all the versions of this sign that I could find and combined them into one long list.  I couldn't decide which ones I wanted to use, so I used them all.

     And now for the tour:

Standing by my desk. looking at the "front" door.

The cabinet doors have a pocket chart for the week's spelling words and a place to track our writing progress.

I love that at this school I can hang fun things from the ceiling!  I found these items in the party supply section of Wal Mart on clearance.  I'm still working on tissue paper poms to add to the corners.

The tables along the wall will be where all workstation supplies can be found.  I'm thinking of investing in some table skirts; that area under those tables is a great storage space.

Each student table has a basket with notebook paper and an envelope for table tickets {earned through cooperation and teamwork, and spent on coupons that the team must decide on and redeem together (bring a stuffed animal, lunch in the classroom, etc.)}, and a box with supplies {glue sticks, sticky notes, erasers, etc.}

classroom library, with a lot of wall space for displaying anchor charts and student work

My personal favorite area of the room:  our Wonder Wall, where students can use sticky notes to post questions and observations on things they wonder about.

more anchor chart displays, and my singing bird clock with the singing bird mechanism removed     :^)

    

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Slow, But Steady Work

     It's time for an update on my classroom-in-progress. . .

     I have to wait until Tuesday, when I'm back on contract, to laminate all my signs and labels, so I've only been able to work on some of the "background" of my room.  

     I used disposable hospital trays on my chairs.  They are really easy to drill through and attach to the "X" on the bottom of each chair with zip ties, and best of all, they were FREE!  Many hospitals would probably be willing to donate 25 or 30 trays for your class. . .all you have to do is call and ask!  Everyone at my old school used these trays in different ways, but I like to use them for unfinished work or for gluey things that need time to dry.  They are also where my munchkins put their snacks and water bottles in the mornings when they unpack.  The snacks stay handy so there's no getting up in the middle of math to get them, and the water bottles aren't taking up valuable desk space and sweating all over student work {they're also not rolling all over the floor}. 

     I've added cream colored flat sheets {super cheap-from Wal Mart!} and border to my bulletin boards.  I also put border on one of my dry erase boards.  I decided to go with some flat, wide border that is black with dark gray stripes on one side and dark gray dots on the other.  I like the way it mirrors the look of my ActivBoard.
 

My ActivBoard in the middle, with my calendar board on the left and my objectives board on the right

Dry erase board behind my reading table

More bulletin board shots

    

I have a random long, skinny bulletin board on one of my walls, so I've decided to use it as a "Wonder Wall," where students can put sticky notes with their questions and things that they wonder about.  These notes can be researched and/or discussed as time allows.  I'm hoping it will keep my munchkins interested and engaged in what we're learning in class.  It will also be a great place for students to put their random questions that have nothing to do with what we're studying {you know, the ones they interrupt/disrupt class with. . . the ones that always seem to interrupt a lesson when you're being observed. . .}

I used four different kinds of patterned cardstock to make a colorful background, and hot-glued black grosgrain ribbon to it for a border.  As soon as I can laminate, there will be white letters (backed by black) that say "I Wonder. . ." along the middle of the bulletin board.  {Pay no attention to the sticky note--it's just a reminder to myself of what I'm doing with the board.  I have them stuck all over the room because if I don't write it down, I'll never remember anything!}


I REALLY liked using the ribbon for the border {an idea I found on Pinterest}.  It makes a nice, clean line to frame the board, and it's nice and small.  Regular bulletin board border would take up the whole board.


I'll be back next week with more updates and {hopefully} more signs hung and workstations set up!

**UPDATE**

I got a few questions about my objectives board.  It's an idea I got from Pinterest.  

I used 8.5 x 11 document frames from the dollar store, and inserted the labeled backgrounds.  They're hanging on the board right now with pushpins, but I'll be attaching them more securely with velcro soon {THANK YOU for the idea, Amy!!}.  Leave a comment with your email address and I'll send you the backgrounds.

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