Classroom Tour

Hey guys! So how many of you are home today because of snow? I may be the only teacher in the world who is upset about have TWO snow days this week. Because of our year-round schedule, snow days have to be made up on Saturdays. Yes, you heard that right...I have to teach on Saturday. I'm trying to look at the  bright side, though. I only have to work from 8:00-11:30, the class size will likely be pretty small, and I got to sleep in for 2 days in a row. I probably shouldn't be complaining.

So, I've been promising you a classroom tour & I managed to gather some photos to walk you through the layout of my room : - D 

Welcome to first grade!

I LOVE owls. Yes, I know, everyone does nowadays. But I have a lot of fun decorating my class in those cute little guys. My students seem to really love it, too. This is how my door looked at the beginning of the school year. I made the big owl at the bottom, but the small owls are courtesy of  Michaela Peterson. I have print outs from her Owl Classroom Theme Decor & Back to School Essentials {Editable} all over my room. I changed the decor a bit during Halloween, and now it's festive for the holiday/winter season. I adapted some things I found on Pinterest to create this fun design. 

I have changed the desk arrangements a few times this year. We have tables, not desks. This has its pro's and con's, but I find that it works best to have each table separated. Too many 6 year olds in one bunch = trouble. Right now I have 22 students, which means I only need 4 tables (5 or 6 chairs at each). This is exciting news because I actually have 5 tables in my room. SO...my assistant finally gets her own space. The day I took this picture, we made Hot Chocolate to complete a How-To project. This required a microwave, mugs, and other supplies; hence the large box.

We do Daily 5 in my classroom, so I also have a special location for each of those centers.

This is our Classroom Library. Students can do Read-to-Self or Read-to-Someone in this area, if they'd like. They also have the option of reading at their desk, or anywhere on the floor in our room. They know that they should not be too close to any other reader.

The Listening Station is found in the library also. Students have the option of listening to an audio book with a partner at the stereos, or a computer (located to the right).

Work on Writing is located on the other side of the room. Students have an assignment that they MUST DO, before completing other "fun" writing activities that they CAN DO if finished early. That awesome "What do Writers Write" pencil is from the fabulous Lindsey over at The Teacher Wife blog. You can snatch it up for FREE here.

This is my station for Work with Words. My Thirty-One organizer works perfectly for posting differentiated assignments for different groups of students. Just like with writing, I set out extra Word Work activities for the early finishers. Currently, I have magnet letters and cookie sheets. Students LOVE having the freedom to create their own words!

Finally, my Guided Reading table. I really love the location of this station. Being right in front of the windows gives the readers lots of natural light. I also have lots of storage for leveled books, phonics activities, and data notebooks. The lima-bean shaped table is a must-have for this center. Super thankful to have one!

Another blessing in my room is the amount of storage. This is a picture from earlier in the year. As you can see, I've moved my Guided Reading table since then. The change has made it MUCH easier for students to line up at the door. Each students has a long cubby for backpacks and jackets, and a small square cubby for math workbooks and journals. That amazing wooden box you see was created by my awesome father-in-law. He made it for me during my first year of teaching and saved me loads of money. Here's a close-up: 

Now to the front of the room! This is how it looked pre-SMARTBoard.

Most of that space is now gone, due to the best gift a teacher can received. So, I moved the important things just to the left on my portable storage:

 I am also lucky enough to have a white board, which I use quite often. I'm still getting used to using the SMARTBoard, instead. It is funny how quickly you adapt to what you're given. I taught with a SMARTBoard my first 3 years, but it didn't take long for me to find other ways to engage my students when I found myself without one. Nonetheless, I'm excited to have it back!

This is just to the right of my SMARTBoard. I love being able to post up anchor charts or other things we create during lessons. I also have my Daily 5 charts posted up here. Students choose where they want to go for each round of Daily 5 by placing a clothespin with their name on their choice. These print-outs are from Michaela Peterson as well. 

Last, and least important, is my space in the room. I take the  back corner of my room for my desk, filing cabinet, and book shelf. I know that many teachers and administrators argue that a teacher doesn't need his/her "own" space in a classroom, but I think I disagree. In order for me to keep up with the massive amount of paperwork, conferences, meetings, and data that teachers deal with on a daily basis, I think I need my own space. A place where things will not get drawn on or accidently thrown away. A place where I can get prepared and find things easily. I need this space, and I'm ok with that. So...here it us. Calendars, water, office supplies, and a few pieces of chocolate are the must-have's here. I also create this organizer that MANY bloggers have wrote about. It is super convenient & of course uses OWLS from that same package.

Well, that's my room, in a nut shell. I hope you enjoyed touring my room virtually. How is your room set up?