Where I Teach Wednesday

I have been looking forward to this day for so long because I am finally ready to share my classroom with you all. Last year I went with a Hollywood theme and it looked a little something like this. I liked it last year, but I knew I wanted something more bright and colorful this year. 

Let me give you a little background info about my classroom during the past 4 months. We were told back in April that we would be displaced from our classrooms for the last 3 weeks of school because they wanted to get started with our construction that was approved through a bond package during the past school year. I was so glad that they were going to get started early because I was wanting to get in my classroom in plenty of time before school started to get it all set up again since we had to pack up every single thing. Well, this is what the state of my classroom looked like August 4th, the day I got back from camp. 

To say I was freaking out would be an understatement. At this point I was pretty sure that there was going to be no way possible that they would get this finished before school started. 

Last week Wednesday, this is what I walked in to. 

What a difference some time made. It is hard to believe that this room once looked like the picture above. With the bond, in our 6th grade building we received new AC units (we can now control our own classroom), fresh paint, a complete ceiling redo, new carpet (that was a surprise), and updated wiring for the technology in our classrooms. 

Well, are you now interested to see what my room has turned out to be? After spending all day up there Sunday with my parents and sister, we got it finished!  Here is where I teach each day!

This is the view as you enter my classroom. You will notice my new air return system on the wall. I am not too thrilled about the amount of space that it takes up, but I am so grateful that it is at least magnetic! My anchor charts are going to have such a great home now!

This is my whole group area. I saw so many of you mention the Chevron rugs from Big Lots and I knew I had to have some for my classroom too even thought I teach 6th grade. The easel was also something I got this summer and I am so excited to use it when we are meeting as a whole class. Thanks to my sweet dad who strung my lanterns for me. The blank wall will also have a whiteboard on it when it comes in sometime after September 1st.

This is one of my newest additions to my classroom. I had a family friend who built several book shelves for me this summer and I absolutely love them. I had to paint them, but it was so worth it because my baskets really pop now. The bigger crates will be home to our Interactive Notebooks while the black crates will be where students can pick up their graded work out of their number folder. I hate passing back papers, but this makes it so easy! This shelf is also home to our turn-in drawers and my mentor text books.

Another view of my bookshelf and material tower.

Who says you can't use markers, crayons, glue, and scissors in middle school? We do every day!

a closer view of our Interactive Notebook homes

Pick Up Crates

This is the view from my chevron rugs and easel. I wasn't exactly sure about how I wanted to organize the desks, but I love how much room this arrangement leaves me with. Don't mind the missing ceiling tiles, they are not 100% finished yet.

The view from the corner of my teacher area to the whole group area. The bulletin board is going to be the home for our Mountain Language board. I just haven't got it up quite yet. :)

My teacher corner/small group area.

This is how I stay organized without a desk. On the top are my crates that say grade, file, copy, and one for my teacher aide too. The second shelf has a box for each day of the week and this is where I plan on keeping my materials that I will need for that day. The last one is a spot for me to put things for the next week.

View of my room from my teacher corner

The view from the front of the room near our CRAFT board

I shared this earlier this week as one of my must haves, but I figured you wouldn't mind seeing it again. I got the board header from Kristen.

A reading area for my students, but this will also be a great place for my SPED students to go when they just feel over stimulated.

view from the CRAFT corner

Yes, that is 24 feet of bookshelves that fit perfectly underneath my chalkboards. Be jealous! These were built by a family friend too and I am obsessed with them. All of these baskets contain our classroom library books as well as our book club books.

a closer view of the book baskets

the view from the back of the room

my word wall...I got this from Erica

I am implementing WBT for the first time and I am so excited about it! I of course had to make the rules match my classroom :)

a final view from the side of the room

I hope that you have enjoyed my classroom as much as I have! I cannot wait for my 6th graders to see it on Monday since they were unable to go in for Meet the Teacher last night.