This is the latest I have EVER gotten into my classroom. When I arrived at school on Friday, my room was empty, although I had been told it would be ready on Monday. And they are starting work on the hallways today, so that meant that if I wanted my room to be ready for open house on Thursday I had to get it done this weekend. I worked 12 hours on Friday, 5 hours on Saturday, and 5 hours on Sunday. So, here are the results! Click the picture to see the slide show. I'm not a "matchy-matchy" or "theme" kind of person, so I've got a million colors going on. I am, however, very, very organized. This year I also had to redo all of my posters. For years we had to have nothing other than instructional posters on the walls, and I had them everywhere. But the rules changed last year, so I had to put up different stuff.
I had to hold down my control button to have the right window pop up. Very very nice! I love all of your colors. It makes it very friendly and cozy feeling in your room
It worked for me. Looks great! You give me hope. I get into my new room 2 days before I start inservice. So,,,, I'll need to kick butt as well.
Try this one if the original doesn't work for you. http://s180.photobucket.com/albums/x103/mrs_hill_ecms/2009-2010%20Classroom/?action=view¤t=69217d43.pbw
I think your room looks great! Our fire marshall would never go for that much stuff on the walls, though. We are only supposed to cover 20% of our walls and if we have curtains/fabric up, it is supposed to be treated with some sort of flame resistant solution. Does anyone else have to deal with these kinds of rules?
Because of our new schoolrooms we can't put stuff on the wall..kind of stinks-but I understand. I really like your room, I try to make mine colorful and bright. I think it helps keep up a good attitude. I see so many high school rooms that have nothing anywhere and its depressing to me. Great job!
Your room looks lovely and I love how its so organized!!! I've been putting off wanting to go in and work on my room--- last year (my first year) I couldn't wait.... now I don't want to do it. Seeing yours is making me a little more excited though and it reminds me that I have to think up of what I want to do in my room this year.
I can't imagine not hanging anything on the walls. That doesn't make for a very good learning environment. It goes against everything I was taught in grad school. It's supposed to be a print-rich environment.
Historyteaching, I just noticed you teach high school. I know things are different there and print-rich may not be as crucial there, but certainly makes the environment more engaging even for the big kids. Is this the same rule with primary grades in your district or do you know?
I absolutely love it! I think I would've paid attention a little better if some of my junior high classrooms looked like that
I love your room! why do you have the seats positioned that way? I had mine (8th grade selfcontained) in a semi - circle last year but love your set up.
Your room is very inviting. The jr high teachers at my school never decorate colorfully. I think your pictures would be a great incentive for them. No one likes to sit in a boring room. Your students are very lucky!
Looks terrific! Neat and tidy. Mine usually starts off that way, but I slowly gain piles as the year goes on. How about you?
Just curious, what do you use the pocket hanging thingy for? and the laundry basket? and the baskets on top of your bookshelves? You make me want to go and finish my room. . . but I don't have a key to the building, so I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow. Very nice room.
Everything is laminated, which apparently makes a difference. My room used to have a lot more stuff on the walls, and the fire marshall told us about the 20% rule . . . but then my room passed the inspection. The fabric is flame-resistant. I know he was in my room because I had to take some of the stuff out of my closet and take it home, and I had to reposition my fire evacuation route to get it closer to the door.
I teach from both ends of the classroom. The SmartBoard is on the back wall, but I usually stand at the front of the room and use my AirLiner slate. That way the kids can see me and the board. Plus, with the short rows, nobody can "hide" in the back of the room.
The pocket chart behind my desk is just what I use to help keep myself organized. I do better when I can "see" things instead of putting them in a file drawer. My most commonly used items are there, and I have a pocket for each class as well. The one in the back of the room on the side of the file cabinets is where I put make-up work for kids who are absent. The laundry basket is for the students. They aren't allowed to go to their lockers after school, so if they don't want to take something home with them, they either drop it off at their first period class or put it in the basket and pick it up the next morning. I also use it as my "lost & found" basket. The baskets on top of the bookshelves are for student writing folders. They don't use their "pass along" folders all that often, so I keep them up there to save file cabinet space.
I like having my room comfortable since I'm there so much. I came from a high school background, so it did take me awhile to get the hang of the whole decorating thing. I "steal" ideas from the teachers who used to teach elementary school.
WOW! What a great bright room. I'm stealing, umm borrowing, some of your ideas. I have no windows in my room and in the 70s, to conserve energy, they permanently disabled 1/2 of each set of lights! Thank goodness the new P had the building painted in an almost white grey color. It brightened up the room tremendously - though I wouldn't mind more lights. :lol: I use bright colors but see how I can use much more! :up: How big is your room? I think mine is 20 x 19 or something like that. I have an 8-9 foot counter/cabinet in the back of the room that uses a big chunk of that wall. It does provide some storage, but I think I could use folding tables with skirts and have more room to store and take less floorspace. Hmmmmm.... Your fire marshal comment is exactly what I said to my husband as I showed him the pics. I can't put paper/posters within a certain amount of inches from the ceiling, no more than 80% of the sliding wall can be covered in paper (the panels are all bulletin board material), curtains are a no-no, yada, yada, yada.
For those who can't hang things on the wall... can you paint the walls? Even if you promise to help paint them back when your time in the classroom is done? Lots of work...but I agree, it would be SO blank.
Your room looks terrific. I WISH I could say that mine was as done. I have worked 7 hours last Thursday, 5 1/2 last Friday, 2 1/2 hours today and we start preplanning tomorrow. :| I have tomorrow to finish up (then I'll post pics) and then we have meetings all day on Wednesday and most of Thursday. Open house is on Friday. I hope I am finished.
I like what you did here, but have to wonder about some of it being too elementary for seventh graders. Please do not take this as an insult, but some of the things seemed very babyish for them.
No offense taken. Things I've chosen to do in my room come from 16 years of "trial & error", so I know what things work and what things don't. If it's one thing that I've discovered since moving from high school to middle school, it's that they are basically little kids in big bodies. I used to worry about being too "childish" for them, but I soon learned that it wasn't an issue like I would have expected.
