Transformation Tuesday

As I mentioned yesterday, this week is my last week of summer vacation.  To "celebrate" going back to school, this week is full of school related posts.

For Music Monday, I shared some songs from 1988, the year I started Kindergarten!

Today, I'm going to show you my classroom set-up.  I was chatting a bit about school with my friend, Ashley from A Party of Four, and she mentioned seeing my classroom set up.  So, at the very least, I know that she will appreciate this post!  Haha

Just in case you're new around these parts, last year, I moved from first grade (after 6 years) to sixth grade.  I will be continuing in 6th grade this year.  I will teach one math class, a language arts (writing) class, and all of the sixth grade reading classes.

Let's start in the hall...

I like to start the year with a welcome back bulletin board.  I just think it's fun, and frankly, if I didn't, this bulletin board would be blank for awhile.

This bulletin board changes each month.  For this one, students will write (and color/illustrate) the title of a book they read over the summer on a blank picture of a book.  In October, they'll do a book they recently read on pumpkins.

This welcome sign is on a support pole outside of my classroom.  The circle and stripe design is a theme in my classroom.  Last year, I became obsessed decided I really liked the idea of my classroom accents matching.  This theme is called Calypso.  It's from Carson Dellosa.

This set-up is right inside my door to your right.  It's all taped to the wall, and it's cleverly covering all of the ripped off paint spots that they never seem to fix.  The calendar, birthday chart, and class chart (that I'm using to keep track of AR- Accelerated Reader points) are from the Calypso Bulletin Board Set.  Students actually start school on August 27th, but I just go ahead and set up the calendar for September so I don't have to change it on the first Friday back to school.  The border is orange on the back.  

When you enter my room, and turn left, you will see these pencil punctuation guys!  This wall also has unsightly chipped paint spots.  Since I'm teaching Language Arts this year, I decided that they would be useful for more than one reason.

Above the cabinets next to the wall with the punctuation pencils, I have some storage boxes.  Some of them are empty, and others hold holiday decorations.  I was so tired of looking at ugly cardboard boxes so I bought some fun duct tape, and voila!

This blank poster was part of the Calypso Bulletin Board Set.  I decided to use it for writing the classroom rules, and I took down the one I had that didn't match the theme! :)

This is the only thing in my classroom that isn't totally finished yet.  I have to create the chart that I'm hanging here.  It will be a classroom reward system.  Students who earn a 100% on a test or receive a good behavior slip will get to sign their name in a binder, and choose a square from a 10 x 10 square.  Each square will reveal a small individual or class prize.  When they get 10 in a row, we will have a big class reward like a pizza party or a 30 minute extra recess period.  The border is purple on the back.  (You will see this shortly).

Here is the view of the front of my classroom.  (The 100 Club bulletin board is cut off on the left.)

The smart board from the above picture used to be on this side of the room for some insanely stupid reason.  I requested that it be moved to its current location for this school year.  To cover up the horrible mess of a wall now that it's moved, I taped white paper to the wall, framed it with the purple side of the polka dot border you saw before, and hung up this reading strategies set.  Below this is my mail center.  The white paper has my students' names with their assigned number.  The mailboxes are numbered from 1-20.  I used black binder clips, cut white file folder stickers to fit, stuck them to the binder clips, and labeled them with numbers.

I learned a lesson last year about the classroom computers...particularly during recess.  The same students use them all of the time, and I can't keep track of it.  Therefore, I created a sign-up sheet.  (And at some point, I hope, my monitors will be returned....)

Here is my classroom library.

Here's the striped border AND its reverse side.  This is my supply station.  When I started 6th grade, I wanted to still have students do classroom jobs without them seeming baby-ish.  Student earn points that they can use in my classroom store.

The bottom shelf has items that students can "buy" with their points in my classroom store: erasers, notebooks, pencils- regular & mechanical, pens).

I used my fancy panorama feature on my iPhone to take this view of the seating arrangement and front of my classroom.  I decided on this arrangement so students can easily see if I'm teaching from the smart board or from the white board at the back of the room.

So there you have it!  What do you think???

It's the First Day of School

So I promised that I would share some before and after photos of my classroom.  Too bad I don't have some Before, After, AFTER photos for you, though.  Last year, my classroom was not used, and it became a dumping ground for everyone's junk.  I nearly had a panic attack trying to figure out what furniture I needed to keep from my old classroom because I couldn't figure out what furniture in the new classroom was supposed to be mine!

I digress. 

Here are my photos:

This is the back of my classroom.

This is the front of my classroom.

This is my storage space, and students' "lockers" where they can hang coats, backpacks, and other stuff.

I LOVE those bookshelves.  I had them in my classroom directly below this one, too.  I brought that large storage cart with me.  All the stuff on the shelves in the before picture are now in the storage closet in the above picture.

That's all of my before and after photos, but I do have a few other things to share! :)

I think the "You are Responsible for You" banner is an important reminder, especially for these older kids!  I love my neatly organized arts and supplies shelves.  I brought this up from my old classroom, too.  Those cans on the top center shelf were my little project.  I just took some empty cans and hot glued some fabric to them.  :)  I'm also doing the Daily Café and Daily 5 this year. For 6th grade, I'm actually doing the Daily 3: Read to Self, Word Work, and Work on Writing.  For my café bulletin board, I have white dinner napkins to write the skills on.  Above the plates, are knives that explain what each letter stands for: Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Explore Vocabulary.

I am going to be teaching mostly reading in 6th grade.  I have my library arranged in alphabetical order by the author's last name.  This literally took me 6 hours to do.  I have laminated cardstock cards with each letter of the alphabet to show where each section begins.  In the second picture, I decided to make it very easy for students to borrow books.  Each class has a boys and girls pouch with a name card in it.  When a student takes a book, he or she writes the title of the book on the card, and uses the card as a place holder to mark where the book belongs.  Not only will this help them know where to return the book, but I will know who has what book out of my library! :)

I really love this bulletin board.  :)  In first grade, I had TONS of jobs for the kids to do.  In 6th grade, they really don't care if they get to lead the line down the hall, or if they get to be the ender and close the door.  I still have a few jobs that I need the students to do.  So I covered the top half with the classified section of the newspaper, and advertised for help.  My jobs are messenger, janitors, mail, and substitute.  Under each job pouch, I wrote how many people I need to do the job, the job description, and what I will "pay."  The purple can on the shelf has popsicle sticks with each student's name on them.  If a student wants to do a job, they can put their popsicle stick in the pouch.  The only job needing two students is janitor.  I used to use paper dollars with my face on them and had a little store every other week with all kinds of toys and things as prizes.  I don't think 6th graders will be too excited about my cheap Dollar Tree prizes.  What I decided to do is allow them a choice of pay.  They can receive one of our school's positive behavior slips at the end of the week OR they can earn a specific number of points.  Points can be used in the small store I'm going to have with school supplies: pencils, pens, erasers, possibly notebooks, folders, etc.   The substitute can earn a slip or points each DAY that the student has to fill in for a job of a student who is absent.  If no one is absent that week, I may still "pay" the student some how.

So that's it for my classroom tour.

I'm super nervous, but excited to be starting a new chapter as a 6th grade teacher!