Classroom library. I left it in the same spot as it has been for a while. New this year are comfy pillows and a cozy chair. I covered the backs of the cabinets with purple cloth to round out the cozy feel. The white tubs that hold picture books are now on a wire shelf.
To the left of the library is our Magnet Center and a little desk. It is a popular place for independent work. I think the Kinders like the idea of a desk - it feels grown-up! :-)
Here's a better look at the blue chair. I was a little skeptical about bringing it to school; I thought it might cause some struggles and falls. But, happily it works!
A work area behind the library. I really had to scrounge to find this ~ there are not too many rectangle tables not being used. (This is actually a computer table that one of our fabulous firsties didn't need it in her room anymore, so it found its way to my room!
The back of the library is made up in part by this wonderful cabinet. Other teachers who have one of these use it for student mailboxes. I thought I'd give it a try & am happy with the results. My traditional mailbox system I'd always used was not the best for Kinders ~ it got crowded when we were packing up for the day. Now, my kids can grab their mailboxes & load up at their tables. I have seventeen students so I still have plenty of bin for Work Work activities! (Those pretty baskets on top are also Word Work containers.)
Our new and improved Word Work Station. This is right across from the cabinet pictured above. We are shifting to Daily 5 for our entire literacy block, so I needed more space for materials and the kids to work. I got the white shelves at Aldi ~ they are actually for closets, but they make perfect space savers for this area. I found the colorful little crates at Walmart for a dollar.
This is the view to the right as you enter my room. The table backed up to the library is another great work space. The shelves in my library are still those unfortunate ones formerly held together with duct tape. Last year my husband steadied them with a sturdy backboard. But, they were still pretty ugly, so I covered them with some bright floral fabric. The tubs in the cabinet hold math manipulatives. The blue and yellow baskets are overflow Word Work containers. Two computers and a listening station are on the right. My table & the focus wall are in the background.
The table I use when working with small groups. The inserts show a little more detail of what is on either side of this area. I added a couple more crates & a pink lamp this year.
The focus wall. This year I put the shelves that were under the white board last year in front of the focus wall and covered it with a plastic table cloth. The little brown table and chairs are a popular Read to Self area.
Here's a shot of the back of the room. I have four student table groups. As you might have noticed, I went a little bucket crazy at Target this summer! I got all of those wire baskets at the Free Teacher Store last spring. They hold four little buckets full of shared materials. The little white boxes (actually Q-Tip containers without lids from the Free Teacher Store) hold each student's crayons. I decided to keep their crayons separate because the crayon-breakers tended to break all of the crayons. This way the crayon breakers have their own set of crayon pieces & everyone else has nice crayons.
More student tables and my desk. (Confession ~ I didn't even take pictures before the kids came. I really was a slacker!) The table in front of my desk used to hold personal CD players, but now it is another work area. I put the three remaining players into tubs in the library.
Hey ~ there's another work area! I really wanted to create a space that was really usable for my students. Like all the other areas this one has a wire basket with buckets of tools. It backs up to a wire shelf that holds our Math Baskets & Math Tubs.
We are going to implement Math Daily 3 this year ~ Math on My Own, Math with a Partner, and Math Writing. The baskets hold Math on My Own activities, and the tubs are for partner work.
More math baskets & a tub on some hand-me-down furniture. Not too pretty, but it works. The colorful drawers are a bargain find at Aldi & will hold our Math Writing activities.
I combined our Dramatic Play & Manipulative Centers. I wasn't sure if it would work (I was kind of afraid of a big mess...), but so far, so good! I have since added another wire basket with buckets to this area to create yet another work area. The tools sit on the counter until needed.
Our Writing Station. We haven't started using everything in this area yet. The pink tubs on the right hold the kids' Writing Workshop folders. The kiddos love to sit around the table during our after lunch quiet time to color.
I turned the puppet show around so I could store Writing Station tools on the shelves. Our famous blue mushroom tubs are neatly stored on the bottom shelf ~ ready & waiting to hold little things! The shelf on the left holds our Morning Work & Notes baskets.
Last, but not least, the little white table someone gave my daughter when she was moving into her college apartment several years ago. She didn't want it, but knew I would. My husband shortened the legs to Kinder size. I think I should give it a fresh coat of paint. Next year...
Well, that's my classroom in a nutshell. I hope you enjoyed looking around. I'd love to hear what you think.
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