Schools out for Summer…
and I can’t wait to show you exactly how I leave my classroom each and every year.
First I should say that we do not have carpet,
so I do not have to push everything off to the side of the room…
we don’t have to strip and wax floors!
I stack my beloved, old fashion COLOR CODED chairs.
Here is my room from the entry door to my classroom.
And if I look just off to the right…
can you see the front windrow with the pocket chart on it?
{And please don’t look at that ONE brown circle table…
it drives me CRAZY, but what can a gal do when they up class sizes???}
I was inspired my several Freebilicious bloggers
who adore classroom decor
to step it up a little…
So I got a little creative covering my back window.
I applied blue bulletin board paper as the background.
Then I cut out green leaves and a brown trunk also with bulletin board paper.
I added my beloved monkeys and coconuts to the trees as well.
{I did back the monkeys with black paper to make them darker and pop a little more.}
and my word wall.
And of course the Alphabet!
Here are my FREEBIE
While You Were Away Folders… ready to go!
I use these folder to hold absent students’ work while they are away…
then I hand it to them when they return.
Those baskets hold the student agendas we get for each student.
My Color Code Reminder sheets that are poking out are for our behavioral system.
I place one copy in each agenda as a reminder to parents about the color system for behaviors.
It goes with the Monkey Behavioral Chart below.
This way I only mark the agenda with a color.
It is a HUGE time saver.
I cleaned out and reset my assessment binder and baskets.
I collect all student data in the big black binder and the baskets have assessment materials.
And here is my daily activity bins with lesson plans and material ready…
and the sheets I need copied on the top.
{We ran out of copy paper, so I couldn’t make any copies yet.}
See my copy pile!
{Notice the Saxon Sheets?
I only use the first letter in the series, then we use Recipe for Reading.}
You can see that MOST of the materials we use are hands on and FUN…
and yes, we do Gingerbread Man the first week of school.
We use books, puzzles, cookie cutters for cookies that we make…
you know…
the gingerbread cookies that run away so we have to go find them!
I do not have my behavioral chart ready to go…
because our bathroom tile is getting replaces,
so I didn’t want to prep that door until they were done.
Here is what it looked like last year…
And the number line…
My calendar is prepped for August too..
Students come to school on August 6th.
And YES I start with patterns because my students still need to know it even if it isn’t common core.
And here are my cubbies…
{On top is the border I use for the hallway. I am laying it out to help flatted in.
Plus it is going to be an easy grab when I am ready to do the outside.}
My book boxes are flipped over so they don’t collect dust
and those binders are Reagan’s Rise and Shine Binders…
And since I don’t have a teacher desk… and I haven’t for years…
I use my assistant’s desk to lay out my things that need students names to be added…
There is a baggie with outside clip bananas for the hallway display…
that has to come down each and every year.
I also have a baggie for their helper chart and name tags.
My friday folders are in the middle… ready to go.
and the pile of name tags for tables and cubbies.
I even have the binder clips that also get names placed on them…
and the attached to the student agendas as well.
And speaking of Helper Chart…
That is ready to do as well.
Of course I have a million things left to do…
but I love leaving my room with so many things completed before I even get my class list.
Here is my Monkey Themed Classroom Set…
You can also grab all these items individually as well.
The TpT link has the items listed together and by themselves.
I also made an Owl Themed Classroom for a teaching partner.
WOW! What a great feeling to be ready to go before summer even starts! Wish we could do that. Thanks for the lovely pictures!
Alyce
Love how you leave your room so organized and prepped! Unfortunately, we have to pack and stack everything (including all wall decor needs to come down and get packed 🙁 ) Love the money theme!
Seriously!?!??! Love it all!!!
Wow! It must feel good to have everything ready to go. You must have a lot of closet space to put away all the "theme"stuff? Where do you keep your theme boxes that you have shown in an earlier blog? I just need to downsize and get rid of old stuff! Enjoy your summer time. Always looking forward to your wonderful ideas. Thanks
Maryann. brennemm@carlisleschools.org
I have LOTS of stuff… but it is all organized.
I purge once a year at least.
Awesome , you have a lovely classroom and great size! 🙂
Sarah
Teachingiscolorful.blogspot.com
I love your themed posters but I can not help but think…WOW that is A LOT of ink!!! Do you have to buy your own ink like I do?
Print them once and they last… I went to Office Max and had them do it and it wasn't too bad. Cheaper than buying the premade sets… plus those always end up so small that it drives me NUTS.
So impressive! How long does it take you to get your classroom looking like that after the students leave?
ALL of post planning… but I love knowing it is all done.