Classroom Ideas: Organization

Keepin' It Organized!

I have the biggest problem with being organized in my personal life. I lose everything and there's a constant mess surrounding me. HOWEVER, when I'm in a classroom I act completely OOC (out of character). I have to have a clean classroom. HAVE TO. Things must be put back where they were found, the room must be clean, and students have to participate in it ALL. 

This post is a reminder to myself that organizational skills are a MUST in teaching elementary school and this is how you do it. 

 My experience at a teachers desk is always chaotic. Remember, I'm currently a sub so I've seen  A LOT of teacher desks. Usually, the desks are crippling under pounds and pounds of mess: Paperwork, buckets of pens, etc. The cabinets underneath the desk are full of non-essential things, usually trash. I'm always amazed at the mess but ... since it's not my desk, there's nothing I can do about it. The above pic is a simple way to keep at least the TOP of my desk clean and organized + substitutes (like myself) won't have the need to go lurking around in my cabinets. Everything that is ESSENTIAL for a days work is right there ready to be used.

 Hello, beauty! I love this idea. I need this in my life. When I was interning, I had a pile full of worksheets that had no home. They seriously just sat on top of a bookcase and stared at me all day. My mentor teacher didn't have an area where I could organize the papers for her so there they sat and collected dust until the end of the week when she went crazy looking for everything she needed to copy, grade, or file. I should've made one of these for her.

 SMALL GROUP READING TABLES ARE USUALLY DISASTER ZONES. For me, at least. I get major anxiety at reading tables because it gets so unorganized so quickly.Everything is usually piled on to the top of the table. I have to pass out so many books and worksheets and pencils and post it notes to the students that by the time I have to move on to the next group, I'm struggling to get everything together and neat again. The cabinets underneath the table could help with that. I could have everything set up into specific sections for specific groups - one basket for each group - and the transitioning between groups won't be so nerve-wracking.

 "Billy! Why didn't you turn in your work on April 25th! It was a major grade!!"
"Ms. Martinez, I was absent that day and you never gave me make-up work when I came back!"
I never, ever, EVER need this to happen or I'll pull my hair out - because I know it'll be my fault and not the students.

 PERFECTION! I will never forget how many times my students (during internship) came up to me to ask for their long-in info. It was always because they lost their cards to the floor, to the broom, to the magical black hole behind the computer tables. Leaving this up for them like this is the best idea.

 A bowl for all the materials students will need throughout their day - beautiful. AND LOOK AT THE CHALK LABELS! My subbing days are constantly filled with "can I get an eraser?? a glue stick?? a marker!????" Here you go, future students of mine. A bowl for everything you need. There will be no need to ask for one. Grab one and continue on with your work. I love independence in the classroom!

 Love the idea of setting up a spot in the middle of the students' desks for books + the seat covers are pure greatness. Both of these minimize traffic in the classroom. Traffic in the classroom can end up with students being unproductive. They start meeting up with friends and act like they're about to go hang out at their favorite spot in the mall. Socializing is fine and dandy but too much of it can lead to unnecessary drama in the classroom.

Cute labels! Aaaaaaaand they're also chalk labels :) I'd love to see red, green, yellow, and black labels to fit my theme but this IS a great way to organize your classroom library books!

 I didn't even THINK about getting place holders for my classroom library but what a great idea! During my preschool internship, the other interns and I HATED going back to the library to put everything in its place. The library was usually super chaotic because the preschoolers didn't really know any better. While I don't plan on teaching pre-k, elementary students are definitely capable of destroying your library organization so this will be a great helper.

Technology in the classroom is my favorite. While this is more for me than my students, it'll help me have a peace of mind regarding my classroom library.

That's all I have for now! Hopefully I can keep up with these helpful tricks when I get my own classroom. I would just have to remember to start being organized from day ONE and never give up!

Classroom Ideas: Theme

APPLES APPLES APPLES

and chalk *gasp*

Apples are very much a symbol of Education. You see them given to teachers on old tv shows and used as clip art on websites. I like the simplicity of an apple theme and how it's kind of a throwback to the golden days of education. The chalk aspect of my theme is also a throwback to the golden days. While the sound of chalk against a chalkboard KILLS my teeth and head, I love the look of it. It's coming WAY back into style to decorate your classroom with chalk - it's super vintage-y and oh-so cute. Thankfully with chalkboard paint and markers, that squeaky sound won't make it into my classroom ;)

There are a few things that are a MUST in my classroom besides apples and chalk. Apples fall from trees so I absolutely need a tree. I love turning off the lights in my classroom so lanterns and Christmas lights are a MUST. Caterpillars, worms, and maybe some old-school picnic plaid fabric would be nice additions as well. 

Let's look as some pictures for inspiration!

 These colors together are so pretty. :3 The Green and Red = apples & the black will go PERFECTLY with the chalk part of my theme.

Hanging this up on my ceiling. Y/Y? Maybe in the middle of the classroom, maybe off in a corner. 

Obviously this will be off in a corner. I like the idea of this being the main attraction for the library/writing section. Students can read underneath the tree. So cute! (Side note: I really think that I want to add maybe two lanterns in between the paper mache "leaves")

:) :)

Apple fabric! The director of a preschool that I interned at got me into using fabric instead of paper. Bulletin boards look so much better (and last so much longer) if you use fabric instead of the paper they offer you in the teachers lounge. :x 

Perfect colors! I'm not sure how I will hang up the paper lanterns because I REALLY want that  caterpillar (second picture) as part of my classroom but I'll work something out. :)

NOW onto the chalk part of my theme. The black aspects of the above pictures will tie in nicely with whatever chalky object I'll add to my classroom. 

NEED.I.SAY.MORE!?

This is perfection. I'm seriously obsessed.

The labels are going to be my kryptonite. And the bunting. Oh, good lord the bunting. Chalk labels and bunting everywhere!

I have this NEED inside of me to make every single file cabinet into a chalk file cabinet. I currently substitute teach and every time I see an undecorated, faded-beige file cabinet, I swear somewhere across the world a puppy is getting kicked. This is the coolest way to update a nasty file cabinet. Coolest coolest coolest

The school I would die to work at allows their teachers to paint their own classrooms. Beware, dear favorite school of mine. I'm capable of painting a section of my room in chalkboard paint and setting up this cool little spot as an information board/bulletin board for my students work!

Extra Must-Haves!

The Kinder Craze blog is seriously my favorite hangout spot. The Black Series: Alphabet is so crazy cute and I could faint over the  paper & vinyl silhouette's. Absolute fave.

And that's all I have for right now! It's actually A LOT so I should definitely step back and relax for a second.

Until next time! Toodles!