too soon to plan decorating next year?

I'm just in LOOOOVE with moose and the new decorations.

And then I stop myself from hitting the order button because I start thinking that this is crazy, and I shouldn't be trying to plan for next year already.

http://www.carsondellosa.com/cd2/Products/CelebratewithMooseFriends/BulletinBoardSet/110222


But then again, I was almost asked to loop to 4th grade with my class until the P decided to change the direction and have someone else go to 2nd and then loop back to 3rd the following year. So this is my way of celebrating!

 

It's $12...any grade level would like it...go for it if it makes you happy.

 

It's going to cost more.

Do you see the coordinating stuff to go with it? And then there's the other things in the classroom that need to match.

(I'm overly giddy with not having to loop to 4th grade.)

 

It's super cute, go for it!

 

Oh, that's adorable! Get it! :wub:

 

We had to vote for next year's theme at last staff meeting. We are doing different pieces of literature. I am going to do different versions of Goldilocks.

 

IMHO, It's NEVER too early to get ideas and start working on next year! LOL I'm ALWAYS on the lookout for New Orleans Saints stuff (cheap) to add to my classroom!

 

Yes!!! :thumb:

 

I promised myself I would not start thinking about next year until after testing (I am moving, by choice, to second grade!), but it is hard to do!

 

That's a really cute idea too. I'm still deciding what I'm going to use as my theme, but I've definitely already starting thinking about it. I agree, never too early.

 

It's really cute. I say do it!

 

Oh that's such a great idea!!!

We have brown walls. Yeah, brown. So NOT exciting. So when I saw the moose and friends, ideas just flew from my non-creative mind.


I'm so glad that I'm not alone in the "planning ahead" idea...LOL

I may have to get a second job this summer for doing a whole revamping for my classroom...LOL Or just deal with the not-so-matchy-matchy idea that I invision.

 

I just bought 5 packs of cute border from Dollar Tree. So, I am thinking about what I can do with those colors now...

 

The Dollar Tree is such a great resource to buy things for teaching.

I need to hoard some cash to go into that place when they get their baskets and things in the colors that I know they'll get for the summer!

 

You're not alone... I am so excited to decorate next year. I took a mid-year position co-teaching and next year I'll have my own classroom. I can't wait! I am waiting though, until my principal decides on our school-wide theme, because we have to loosely follow it.

 

That's great the teachers get a say on in the school's theme!

 

Wait..what does this mean? The principal dictates how you can/can't decorate?

What about the teachers who don't put anything on the walls at all? One of my 2nd grade colleagues doesn't decorate whatsoever. It's sooooo bare and dreary.

 

We have a combination of decorated/non-decorated classrooms. Our 2 worst teachers (1 second grade, 1 music) have done NOTHING in their rooms, and they basically look like jail cells. We have cinderblock walls, gray dry-erase boards, and broken window blinds, so I do all I can to make my room look cleaner and more inviting. Because my babies come from ultra-low income homes, I try to make my classroom somewhere they WANT to be.

I can't imagine a school-wide theme (what would I do with all my Saints stuff??). That being said, it sounds kinda neat, too, lol.

 

I have ordered different versions of goldilocks books and will compare them throughout the year. I think I will decorate my door with a goldilock and use bears with the kids names on them. I bought six versions in my last book order and ordered a few for storia. I can't wait to do Venn diagrams with them!

 

The colleague I mentioned earlier made me sooooo upset because she said that she "doesn't know how to decorate" and she's constantly saying how she wishes she could be artistic. I gave her tons of brand new border (I over-purchased because I'm always afraid I'll run out of border for my bulletin boards and the teacher store is over an hour away). I also pretty much laid out the classroom for her and told her which butcher paper to use with each border. Additionally, every time I do an art project, I give her copies of everything (and an extra set of materials she can use to duplicate for the kids) yet nothing gets done. It's almost May and she has yet to put up a bulletin board.

Many of her kids come to me for ELD and RtI and they always say, "I wish our teacher would do art and fun stuff like you do."

Makes me sad and angry!

End of rant.

 

There was a whole bunch of new stuff today. I spent $25....

 

That's awful!! In second grade?! I can't imagine not putting effort into making the room environment inviting, especially in primary!

To the OP - super cute!! And now I'm shopping on Carson-Dellosa...ACK! I can't stop thinking about next year...I am a first year teacher and I'm SO excited to be going into a new year where I don't feel totally lost and clueless!

 

I suppose I must be a bad teacher. I'm not into the whole "theme" thing, nor am I really into decorating. I feel very strongly that some decorated rooms can be hell for some of my students with ADHD and ASD. I put work up as we do it, and put up our I-charts for Daily 5, a word wall and a CAFE board. That's about it.

 

This is my first year at this school... It's the principal's first year here too, so we'll see if she changes things. Apparently in past years the principal decided on a theme (I'm not sure how much, if any, input the teachers had. This year the theme was "Soaring to New Heights!" A lot of classrooms have space and spaceship themes, I've also seen a hot air balloon theme and a bird theme. Not everyone goes all out, but I believe they at least have bulletin boards that coordinate with the theme.

I'm a bit bummed out... In my last school I had an awesome beach theme that cost me a small fortune. I don't love the idea of changing my whole classroom theme every year. I also like having a unique room. Oh well, I'll have fun with making any theme my own.

 

Our school had themes for many, many years. Our librarian would pick them and create elaborate displays in the media center. One was "Clued into Reading", and it was very detective like.
She has since retired, and our P had picked our themes. We now have themes like "Are you college and career ready?" :crosseyed None of us decorate anymore. It is kind of sad. No one in my school does their own theme because we are technically supposed to follow our P's chosen theme...

 

I think I would consider sticking with the beach thing and adapting it to fit each theme each year with wording and small changes.

 

I've done an outer space theme for the last 2 years but have changed it up a bit each year. Last year I had aliens as the main focus with rockets for our job board and spaceships in the cubbies. This year I did stars on the outside display but kept the spaceships and rockets. I'm undecided about next year, but it's definitely not too early to think about it! As for a theme, that's about as far as mine goes...I don't go crazy every year. I'd spend too much and not have any time to enjoy my summer with my son.

Right now, I'm focused on how I want to redo my classroom for my smartboard easel that I'm getting in the fall.

 

You are waaaaay kind to that teacher! I'm impressed that you thought of her to help her out. All you can do is help with the tools, and let her figure it out; or offer to do it for her--of which I highly don't recommend because, let's face it, we have enough to do of our own!

Okay, I'm ranting with you..LOL I just can't see why it's hard to slap up some borader with a few phrases or copies of student work. Maybe I need to be shown the light on that one. LOL

 

It's a guy thing.

 

Super fun!!! And it sounds like you can use it again this next year; and then change it as you go throughout the next year. I've watched one teaching this year go from having her garden/bear theme to something really styling retro black/white/neon colors. It's super trendy! She said the kids are completely oblivious to the changes...or at least they haven't said anything to her. I guess they like it!

 

It's never too soon! I've already started a Pinterest board for ideas for a grade level switch I hope to make. Not only have I not applied yet, but jobs haven't even been posted. If I'm not planning too soon (maybe I am a little ) you certainly are not planning too soon!

 

Oh my gosh you had me at jail cell! :lol:

And here I thought I was living in a cave with the brown walls! lOL

I hear you though. My kiddos come from every different type of life style you can imagine. The classroom is like a comfort place for them.

I have 4 mini sofas in my room and they pile up like puppies every day to read. I can honestly say 4 mini sofas can hold up to 18 kids. And they all ready without bothering each other! The ones that can't deal with not being social stay in their bubble space at their desk though.

 

After reading all these great reponses, I'm so glad you're with me in the preplanning!

It's true about getting ideas before your start teaching though. Gathering as much as you can that you can afford--but not go broke. LOL And save some cash for when you do get your job and splurge on the things that need to be purchased for that just right place or space or baskets. Have fun!


Pinterest is so time consuming!! LOL

 

I'm trying to pretend that there's nothing I need at the dollar store right now.

It's really hard.


My Scholastic book club account has an order waiting for me to press "send" too....as is the website for the moose and Friends.

 

My Amazon shopping cart is waiting for my income tax to come in

 

I'm only looking at the moment. I have a TON of stuff from the past 8 years teaching. I'll only actually buy after I know if I'm moving and after seeing the class to see if the previous teacher left any goodies behind.

 

Ooooh, another place I forgot that will hold your purchases until you're ready to pay! (For a short time anyways.)

Thanks for the reminder!

I've got to get the Diary of a Worm, spider...series!

 

Hmm it's been a couple months since my last Amazon order you know....

 

Ebay kills my bank account sometimes...

 

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