My classroom is the clearest look into who I am as a teacher and what I've learned these first ten years in education. With that said, I took these photos on a random Monday afternoon in October. They aren't Open House pics, first day of school pics, or even special day pics. They are, in essence, Just Mrs. Jones, and I hope they give you some idea of what it feels like to teach and learn in my classroom.
A couple of years ago, I switched to a binder system for my units rather than a file folder system. Granted, it was a long process cleaning out the file cabinets of old lesson plans but I haven't regretted the shift one bit. I got my binders on clearance at Staples originally, but I've also been able to build my collection with a pretty good deal at Amazon here. The small plastic containers hold task cards by topic! My dad built the mailbox system and I LOVE it. While I know not everyone is lucky enough to have a handy man for a dad, I highly recommend a similar system. It keeps both me and the students (mostly) organized!
I wish I could take credit for the awesome Harry Potter chairs, but they are on loan from our instructional facilitator . The number line around the top of my classroom is a great addition to an upper elementary math classroom. It visually represents divisibility (factors and multiples) and we refer to it for multiplication, division, and fractions. I purchased it at a Kim Sutton workshop (Creative Mathematics) but it can also be bought online here. My student coat closets have traditional sticker charts on them. We add stickers at the end of the day based on our final balance of Class Dojo points. If you haven't checked out Class Dojo, you must! This year I'm using Joanne Miller's (Head Over Heels For Teaching) Character Trait posters for the first time and loving it.
You'll notice in my classroom there are a LOT of class novel sets and also that they are all stored in plastic containers (that closet is full of them too). One year I used gift cards from my students after the holidays to start my collection, and it's been really nice having a uniform way to store them. It also makes it easy for other teachers to borrow and return. This wall also features the commonly used 12 Power Words (google it!) for test taking that I incorporate into my novel units.
My classroom library is my absolute favorite part of my classroom! I got the shelves from Amazon; you can click here to check them out. The pocket chart is where students can recommend books to each other, or I can recommend a book to them.
I couldn't teach without my table at the front of the classroom to keep myself organized. I got the wall decals off a Living Social deal (they run these often!) and had my sweet sister apply them for me. The bookshelf in the corner is new addition this year for student materials, and it's been super convenient. Finally, all my boards and cabinets (not just the bulletin boards) have a border, which gives the room a finished feel pretty inexpensively.
My front wall includes our current anchor charts as well as a student-friendly countertop with a turn-in station (love those Dollar Spot baskets!), our current novel, notebook paper, our little math station caddies (another Dollar Spot find!) and so much more.
Speaking of anchor charts, this is where they come from. I love these post-it tablets and while they're expensive, they were about the only item that could convince me to create anchor charts on a regular basis (so convenient). The file cabinet in the corner is very old and some of the drawers only come open with a hearty jerk, but that doesn't mean it can't look good with my contact paper makeover.
I have an unusually large desk area for just me, but I find that the easily recognizable boundary keeps me sane during transition times. It also helps me to focus before and after school and on workdays since it feels like a mini-office. My U-shaped table in front allows for more student interaction and is where I actually end up most of the time if I'm sitting during the day. This corner is where you can find me until way too late every evening...
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