Classroom Setup

Who else is “living” in their classrooms trying to find the perfect classroom setup for their furniture, desks, and classroom supplies? This year was very different for me. With a 7 month old, I was unable to “live” in my classroom. I had to use my little bit of time wisely. In essence I had about 2 days where I had someone to watch my son while I discovered the classroom setup that would work best.

Defining Spaces

This year I am trying a new classroom setup. I’m always looking for the perfect way to setup my room that allows for my students to move around and still have defined spots for their center work. My new arrangement of furniture allows for my students to have multiple spots and cubicles to complete their literacy and math centers. Also, I wanted to ensure I had a spot for small group instruction for both myself and my student teacher. As part of my classroom setup, I grouped my student’s desks in groups to allow for collaborative learning and group work. I setup my small group table away from literacy centers. This will help with classroom noise and hopefully allow me to have the most productive small group instruction.

Classroom Setup of Centers

In my classroom, I use small group for both reading and math. Therefore, when I am working on my classroom setup and layout of material I need to constantly keep in mind the areas needed for centers. Attached are some pictures of my spaces I established as part of my classroom setup to ensure all my centers run smoothly. I created a large comfortable area for read to self and read to someone stations. I also created another comfortable center area for big books and seasonal books. This separation allows student to focus on their reading center goal. It also allows for two groups of students to be working in separate areas keeping the noise level to a minimum. Finally, I created a separate writing station that includes papers, writing prompts, pictures, stickers, markers, and ideas for writing. Please check back for future posts on both ELA literacy centers and math centers.

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Organization

Last school year I did the worse thing possible, I shoved things in cabinets! This year I learned my lesson. I already went through most of the cabinets and bough containers at the dollar store to organize all my supplies. My math cabinet has all the manipulatives neatly organized and easy to find. I organized my craft closet and my small reading/math group so that I could final materials quickly. Also, I was able to throw out any paper copy or booklet. All these I scanned into the computer. I was able to dispose of about 15 binders and now all my materials are neatly organized on my computer and ready to be sent to our online copier whenever needed. Also, I have all my resources on my laptop, so even when I am not at school I can utilize these in my planning.