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Friday, August 1, 2014

#myfavfriday 2014 Classroom Reveal

Setting up for the year and decorating my classroom is one of my favorite things about teaching, so it seems appropriate to post it for this week's



After spending Tuesday-Friday in my classroom this week, it's finally put together! Since they changed me from Enrichment to 8th grade math, I also had to move classrooms. I'm in a MUCH larger classroom, I have storage, and I'm not out in the boondocks anymore (my old room was in an annex), but I will miss how quiet it was out there and my huge floor-to-ceiling window.

I continued the owl theme from last year, but brought in more of the bright colors. I opted out of the lights around my room because they were a pain to put up and take down when I changed schools. I will miss them and their ambience, but it will be ok.

Panoramic view from my door

Calendar--I like to put up birthdays and obviously holidays etc. I will also post the school calendar and any other pertinent information here as well.

This worked out really well for me last year until supplies started going missing. I decided this year that I will only put supplies out when we need them, and only the supplies we need that day. It will be a little extra work for me, but it will save me $$! Supplies will go in the caddies. The bottom folders are their data notebooks for their data trackers. I had to move all of my bookshelves home to my apartment when I changed counties, and the other three bookshelves from my old classroom are now being occupied by things here, so I decided to only take three to school and some tables will just have to share.

Front of my room. I left the center empty because I am having a SMART Board mounted soon. CUBES posters and TEAM Posters displayed above and SWAG down the side.

SWAG is part of the Fab 5 (found on Pinterest but I can't find the Pin). Our principal always talks about Patriot Swag, so this is fitting :)

My main resources that I use and the homework wheel from Teaching Ninja above. I made it out of washi tape and a lazy susan. I used industrial strength velcro to hold it to the wall and I'm hoping that's enough. I'll add an arrow to the wall, give it a spin, and that's how we will determine how homework is graded that day.

Close up of the homework wheel


Front of my desk. I am in LOVE! I love to have my own corner and had been struggling trying to figure out how to place my desk so I can keep the kids out from behind it (I HATE that!). I forgot about my black table that had also come home from my old county and had been hiding under my guest bed. Yay! I also found this super cute chevron fabric at Hobby Lobby and used it to cover my desk. So cute :)


From behind my desk. Important binders (parent contact, Teacher Binder, Resources) in the crate.

The rest of my corner. I swear, that cart is the best investment I've made for my classroom. LOVE that thing.

This hangs on the cabinet behind my desk. One folder per day per block (left Filetastic and top of the right one) plus one folder for next week. This is how I stay organized. All of the papers for each day go in here so if I'm absent it's easy enough. The other folders are for things to copy, things to file, things to grade, things to put in the grade book, things to deal with later, and a MISC folder.

I've seen this done on Pinterest, but not in person. I put my two filing cabinets back to back, put some fabric and a border up and had an instant Vocab wall :) I'll put words on here for the whole unit then transfer them to the cabinets on the opposite wall to build the big word wall. Above the cabinets are the Properties of Equality and Properties of Real Numbers from The Enlightened Elephant.

Cozy Corner--I use this as a reward for students. The criteria varies depending on the week and my mood. 

Back Wall--I'm not sure what I will use this filetastic for--either extra practice or for workshop resources. Above it is my math mantra canvas. I'm going to really commit to Math Workshop this year, so I"m really excited about that, and I think the board is even cuter on the purple than it was on the brown last year. Above are the mathematical practices. I can't remember where I got them from, but when I figure it out, I will link.

Close-up of the workshop board. The activities spell MATHS--Math Journal, At your seat, Teacher's Choice, Help Desk, and Skill Practice

Data Wall--I know I am going to do a data wall, but I'm not sure how I am going to display the data. I want to do it with the I Can statements and data trackers, but the format has yet to be determined. I'd love to talk data walls and SBG with someone out there!

Above--Respectful Team Talk posters from Mrs. Hester. I wanted them to match, so I made my own, but the questions are all from her. The "Today..." board will be the focus. It will display our I Can statements for the day as well as our standards for the day. Down the right is LEAD. Hobby Lobby still hasn't gotten in an E, so right now it is just LAD. 

I just realized I didn't get a picture of the other canvas. It says "Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you see the world."

We are a 7 Habits school, so here are the 7 Habits posters I made for my room. They are available in my TPT store.

Paperwork station--turn in papers, late work, and absentee binder. Word wall will be on the cabinets above here and down the rest of the wall above the computers. I have made labels for each of my cabinets, but the laser printer at school wasn't working properly today, so I couldn't get them printed.

There you have it! I'm so excited about this room. I just love it! 

8 comments:

  1. Your room looks super fun and inviting for sure!

    Anisa @ Creative Undertakings

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    1. Thank you! I love the bright colors. I think it's easy for middle school teachers to think that middle schoolers don't like or want their rooms to be decorated, but mine love it!

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  2. Your room looks great! I'm so jealous you're all done. I cannot even get into my room to set it up until Aug 18th.

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  3. I just found your blog through The Math Nerdette, I am soooo glad I did.
    I was an elementary teacher for 17 years and ended up in 6th grade Math and about to start my 4th year. I am not sure how it happened, but I LOVE IT!!!

    Your room looks amazing!!!!

    Can't wait to read more!
    Elizabeth aka Hodgesgal
    Hodges Herald

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    1. I took the job thinking I would get my foot in the door, do one year of 8th grade, then go back to 5th or 6th. I had zero intentions of ever using my middle math when I added it on. I LOVE 8th grade! Everyone thinks I'm crazy, but I do!

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  4. Replies
    1. I love that cart! I keep all of my extra supplies in there instead of in my desk. My mom and I found it at a Michael's back home (in Pennsylvania) last summer, but I've never seen another that was that same model.

      These are similar:
      option 1
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      option 3

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    2. Thanks!! I will definitely look into those! :-)

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