Friday, August 16, 2013

My "buzzy" classroom!

I {finally} finished my room!  Here it is:


This is the view from the door


Immediately to the right of the door is this area.  Students will drop off lunch boxes and back packs here, as well as hang up nap bags and coats.  Nap bags are bags I purchased from Oriental Trading to hold the soft nap materials like small blankets, small pillows, and small stuffed animals.  I am still waiting for them to arrive in the mail.  :)


To the left of the door is this little shelf that holds math tubs materials for math stations.  Our turn-in basket is also here.


This is the listening center (Social Center Learning)/Listen to Reading (Daily 5 time).  I change out the tent throughout the year to be a teepee, igloo, and flower house. In the blue baskets I place my CD players and TAG Pens.  The CD players' stories are changed out monthly.  I got both the CD players, stories, and TAG Pens and books through Donor's Choose.  I have been blessed to have 21 projects funded over the last two and a half years through this grant program.  It really helps classroom teachers get the much needed materials to make learning engaging for students.


These are my cabinets where I store art supplies (right) and math supplies (left).  My Science boxes are stored on top and the months of the year go across it to make a birthday graph of the kiddos.  I place each one's picture above their birth month.  There is also velcro at the bottom that is driving me batty and is NOT wanting to come off.  It was there when I moved in.  :)


Close up of some of the months


Next to the large cabinets is the sink area.  At the sink area is the sink with a hand washing song I created, the pencil sharpener and pencils, our Buzz Work Wheel, and our BEE Folder bucket.


Hand washing song


Pencil sharpener


This is where we place our daily communication folder - our BEE Folder - which stands for Bring Each and Everyday.  I ordered this through Thirty One.


This is our Buzz Work wheel.  Buzz Work is our morning work that gets our brains going.  Each student's name will be written on one of the outer areas.  Each morning I turn the inner wheel so the bees move and students can see which Buzz Work basket to get their work from.  The baskets are in the picture below.  Read more about it in this post.



This is my shelf that holds our book boxes, our Buzz Work baskets, my teacher mailbox to catch all the sweet things students make me, author study tubs, and my Sub Tub (also from Thirty One).


This is my small group instruction table with my literacy groups cart located behind it and my Monday through Friday baskets to organize my materials for the week.  I also have my teacher toolbox full of supplies!


My Literacy Groups organizer


My Monday through Friday drawers to organize my materials for each day of the week (from Lowe's)


My teacher toolbox


Our puppet center for social learning centers


This is our behavior chart.  Students begin the day on green and earn the opportunity to move up for being an exemplary students or can move down for not making the best choices.


Here is the technology area of the classroom.  There are two computers, a Ladibug document camera, my five iPads, and headphones.


This cart holds the headphones and iPads.


I got all these headphones through Donors Choose!

 
Here is the writing center for social learning centers.  You can also see the paper tray that holds different styles of paper for different learners' needs.  We use this paper during Writer's Workshop.  You can read more about it on this blog post


Science center for social learning centers and the sensory table


Penelope the Hedgehog!!!!


Blocks center


This is my whole group area.


My calendar area (complete with a can of brain sprinkles!!!  Read more about brain sprinkles in this post.)


This is my chair and easel to teach from.  There is also the radio and all of my morning meeting supplies and the day's materials.  This chair was given to my favorite Shannon in the whole world.  We taught Kindergarten together at a former school.


Mrs. Potato Head rules


Math stations chart (Get the numbers and title here if you would like.)


 Our library


Other side of the library... the little caterpillar was given to me by a wonderful student when I taught second grade.  That little caterpillar is now a bookworm called Mr. Wiggles, who loves books and wants to make sure they are fixed when placed in the book hospital.
 


 My library is organized so that each topic bucket has a picture, that matches the place it goes on the shelf.  All of the books in that bucket have the same picture on the back.


 Leveled library


Word Wall... made with my yellow polka dot alphabet letters in my little shop.


Here is the ABC center for social learning centers.  It's also the Working with Words choices for Daily 5.  I REALLY wanted to get this Ikea table for this area, but it will have to wait.  Back to school time is sooooo expensive for us teachers.


Out dramatic play center is a market to start the year off.  It changes frequently based on what we are learning.


This basket hangs by the door to hold stickers for our sticker charts.  I give stickers to students when they earn PBIS Star Bucks while around campus.  It's easier for them to be by the door so I can trade the Star Buck for a sticker as soon as we enter the room.  This basket also holds this little guy...


This bear is our hallway friend.  He goes through the hall with us and rides on the shoulders of students who are making good hallway choices. 


Here is our good-bye message.

Thank you for taking this tour and good-bye to you for now.  :)

11 comments:

  1. On my goodness. Your room is packed with goodies. The photos are brilliant. Bet you are feeling great now all is in place and ready to go. I love everything you have set up and it looks so organised. One question...is there really a hedgehog in the pet cage?
    Julie :-)
    Mrs Stowe's Kinder Cottage

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  2. Love your room! Thanks for such a detailed post! I had been looking for tote bags and Michael's was out so I'm so glad I saw this post. I just ordered the same totes that you did from Oriental Trading. I love the idea to use them for rest time stuff. I'm also going to use them to send class books and little activities home!

    Kelly
    Kindergarten Kel

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  3. I was wondering about the hedgehog as well! :) Your room looks fabulous-so bright and inviting. Love the little tent-I'm sure the kiddos will flip for that!

    NotJustChild'sPlay

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    Replies
    1. Ha ha ha! There is a hedgehog in there. :)

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  4. It look great, Erica!!! I love how much defined space there is!

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  5. Oh my, I love your room! It is adorable! And you have it so nicely organized- that takes a lot of time. But is so worth it. Have a wonderful year!!
    Lori
    Conversations in Literacy

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  6. I truly enjoy examining on this site, it holds excellent blog posts. “He who sees the truth, let him proclaim it, without asking who is for it or who is against it.” by Henry George.
    Phoenix kindergarten

    ReplyDelete
  7. Did you buy the Mon-Friday cart recently at Lowes?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Where did you find the bee tent? It is adorable!

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