Blog Hoppin' ~ Day 2

WOW ~ I got to read about some amazing bloggers yesterday!  Who knew!

Well I'm at it again today.  It's Day 2 of Blog Hoppin's Back-to-School 2014 Hop.  Today is all about the WHERE!

Those of you who have been following know I just left Kindergarten for Fifth Grade Special Ed.  BIG JUMP!!!!  Although Kindergarten was great, I am so excited to work with the bigger kids.  I put a lot of thought into making a room that they will enjoy, want to be in, and feel comfortable in.

I also share a room with two other people.  Picture a square room cut in half.  Now cut the bottom of the half off.  That's my room!  We are maxed out at my school so any space is prime real estate! Although I still have a long to-do list, I feel comfortable sharing pictures at this point.  I mean, I'm certainly no Reagan Tunstall, but I aspire to be :)

I work in a suburban school district just outside of Philadelphia, PA.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my school.  My co-workers are some of the best people I've ever worked with.  And my Principal......FAB-U-LOUS!  I'm {insert the most drastic word known to man} that she is leaving at the end of September.  I cannot even tell you how much I will miss her :(  She is by far the best principal I've ever worked for!

This is obviously my area of the room. I tend to work very long after the kiddies have gone so I wanted an area that I can work comfortably in.  Next to my desk, I have an area designated for students.  They will turn in their homework & any assignments into the bins, I keep my Homework Punch Cards in the small yellow container (Click HERE to download.)  I keep tape, a stapler, hand sanitzer, etc. on the table for the students.  In the colored file holder on the wall, I keep all of my copies and materials I'll need for each day of the week.

This is the area behind my desk.  I keep my Teacher's Toolkit and anything I need to access here.  There is an additional shelving unit to the left but you can really see it.  I keep all of my curriculum materials there.  Can you tell I'm not quite done? I still need to change out the drawer covers on that last rolling cart.  I have labels for both carts laminated and ready to go.  I just LOVE my little lamp there.  Nothing like some additional lighting!  And you really can't tell from this picture but I covered the backs of my shelving with contact paper.....ZEBRA contact paper!  You can read about that HERE.

Here's a closer view of that area.  I love the accessories I've been able to find.  And, btw, I am CHEAP!  I look for the bargains and get ridiculously excited when I find them.  The "D" initial was only $3.00 at Michaels.  The Chevron bins....yep, $3.00 at Walmart.  And YES, the picture frame was $3.00 as well!  When you factor in the toolkit, this ENTIRE AREA was less than $12.00!  I had the toolkit from last year.  Read all about how I gave it a make-over HERE.  I love this lil area!  To the left is a fan (a MUST for me, and my radio for when the kiddies leave.)

Well, this picture kinda says it all, huh?  My tables are still loaded up with decorating supplies but honestly, I only have a few more hours of work then it all gets shoved in a closet neatly put away.  This will be my small group workspace.  I have a shelf behind my table, as well as two more rolling carts, to house everything I need for small group work.  This year, everything will have a "designated area."  Those two words are going to be my mantra this year!  Any bets on how long that lasts???

This is my CLIPCHART  (<---- You can download it for FREE) and the ever-popular "READ" sign all over Pinterest.  I still love them though!

I love how the Library area is shaping up.  My Instructional Assistant stored all of her files (black bags) and I don't want to disturb them. She'll be in this week to get those moved.  I'm having to start my classroom library all over again so there isn't too much there yet.  A couple of books each month and it will fill right up!

You can read about how I made those T-Shirt pillows HERE.

Hang in there.....we're almost done!!!

This shelf houses most of my manipulatives.  Most of my kiddos learn better using manipulatives so I have LOTS of them!  This shelf is a gross, ugly district shelf.  I can't do too much to it, so I just took out the shelves and lined the back with black paper.  It helps the bins to really pop with color.

This is my area where students who have been absent can pick up any missed work.  This is a HUGE time saver!  When I'm handing out anything, I simply put the remainder in the designated pocket (Mon-Fri) then at the end of the week, I move them back to the file for next year.  I will also have a handout detailing any missed assignments.  Above that is my "You Forgot to Write Your Name AGAIN?"  "No Name"sign.  This is posted as you leave my area of the room so students can easily identify their work on their way out.

And last but not least.........

These are some posters / rules hanging above my white board.  I don't really have classroom "rules" listed anywhere.  These posters summarize everything I want the kids to follow:

     ~ Take PRIDE in your work!
     ~ We are a TEAM!
     ~ NEVER give up trying!
     ~ Always do your BEST!
     ~ READING is key!
     ~ TRYING is hard work!
     ~ Words are Powerful!

These posters will help to jumpstart conversations about what our room should look like and sound like.

Well, you deserve a medal for hanging in there with me.......but I don't have one to give you.  I can say a big THANK YOU for checking out my blog.  I hope you were able to get some ideas for your own classroom.  Thanks so much for stopping by.  Don't forget to "Follow" me while you're here!

Head on back over to Blog Hoppin' to check out some other great ideas!