Beginning of the year is always exciting! I've been on a mission to create a classroom environment where children feel free to be expressive, inspired, and become thinkers!
Here are the before images...meanwhile, I am on the hunt for Expedit Shelving from IKEA at a drastically reduced price via CRAIGSLIST! You definitely want to give yourself about a month to find the right piece and price!
Our Fire Marshal did a sweep and enforced the 20% paper only in our classrooms. Luckily, I was going in that direction anyway as the natural color of the walls began to look more appealing than the brightly colored paper. For some children, it is overwhelming!
Off with the paper!
You know this feeling...yikes! How many days do we have?
This year, it's 30 desks for second grade. :(
The metal overhang was created by my husband, but I would not suggest doing it as it is very heavy and sharp. Luckily, he knows a lot about construction and safety.
My classroom is a rectangular portable. Unfortunately, we do not have magnetic whiteboards. I'll have to keep an eye out on Craigslist for some.
Here's the AFTER!
The classroom library is my home away from home! The table in the center has plexiglass on top displaying shells, honeycombs, artifacts, rocks, and so many unique pieces that inspire the scientific, artistic, and historic minds of our future. It was originally from IKEA. I paid $30 for it. It has a drawer to easily slide items in and out while keeping them safe from unknown quick fingers.
Hanging from the overhang is a gold leaf covered map. The class receives passports and each week we travel the world. I use pinterest to quickly access images and sites that I share with students. I also use Google Earth as we ascend and descend to our destinations. At the end of each week, we scratch off a country! They LOVE it!
I picked up the IKEA shelf off of craigslist for $40. Chairs from Big Lots and Walmart! I adorn the shelves with artist brushes, catapults, pendulum balls, and goggles! I also have each cubicle categorically labeled. I'll add the files soon!
This design is a lot of fun! I added one more square because I now have 30 cuties!
The READ BOOKS sign I found at Marshalls.
This is our Classroom Economy List with description for each job! I'll attach a file soon!
The yellow is coming down soon, but you can see the doc cam, projector and 6 students fit perfectly around a rectangular table that I have sitting on top of two sets of file cubbies. This offers a lot of additional storage. I have my students in groups of four because I am dead set on having them work in cooperative groups. I am a GLAD Key Trainer and this model works beautifully! LOVE IT!
Here's my sweet Bearded Dragon, Auzzie!
I'll add more soon!