“Giftedness is not what you do or how hard you work. It is who you are. You think differently. You experience life intensely. You care about injustice. You seek meaning. You appreciate and strive for the exquisite. You are painfully sensitive. You are extremely complex. You cherish integrity. Your truth-telling has gotten you in trouble. Should 98% of the population find you odd, seek the company of those who love you just the way you are. You are not broken. You do not need to be fixed. You are utterly fascinating. Trust yourself!”

Linda Silverman~Gifted Development Center Denver


Saturday 25 August 2012

Classroom Setup

Well, I did it! I got the room set up, the photocopying and laminating done and the first day planned and ready to go. I wasn't planning on spending another day in the school but in the end my "to do" list was too long to ignore. I thought I would share some pictures of how the room looks now.


Outside the door to my room.  See my little "Tiffany" blue black boards?  Made those for $1~  Got the table from the garbage and a lace tablecloth for $1 too.  Laminated some old calendar pages and put up a new poster in a frame.  My daughter added the flowers in the vase.  I think it's a homey touch!  I posted my thought for the week on the black board after I took these photos.

This is the view of my classroom from the blackboard.  I have 28 students in my class this year.  And yes, what you see is what you get...there is no other space.


View of my cupboards, shelves and book display.  You can see the "back to school survival kits" and letters from last years students on each desk.  I also included a little "Daily Math" bell work so "we start as we intend to go on..."

Opposite side of the classroom.  I love this HUGE board!

I finally changed this board from the back of my classroom.  It has been lime green corrugated fadeless for the past 2 years.  My daughter convinced me to spice it up.  I put up colour blocking using turquoise and black.  I added some great borders I found for 99 cents and some posters I found on line.  I am introducing Thinking Skills and Blooms Taxonomy to my class of gifted grade sixes right at the beginning of the year.
This is my teacher area.  It actually looks MUCH bigger than it really is.  I had to try to downsize...lol...so that I could add an extra 6 student desks this year.  I am finding it hard to move around when I am behind the desk...so I guess I will have to avoid sitting down!


I added some extra touches this year~
I got some cute files in my fave colour, added some chalkboard labels I made with my Xyron label maker (LOVE IT) and then laminated the folders and put them in a 9 slot filing rack on the side of my desk.  In addition to Monday-Friday files I also included "To Mark" "To File" and "To Copy".  I have used them already!  It is so nice to be organized!

I saw this idea somewhere on Pinterest so I decided to make my own. I hope that the kids will actually read the sign and make sure they have put their names on their work.  In case they don't...see below


Here is one of my projects!  I love the "Tiffany" blue and the cute ribbons.  I got the board and the clips at Dollarama.  I only included two clips because honestly, they are big enough to hold several sheets...and they better NOT be used very often!  More of a visual reminder I am hoping!
Here is my teacher organizer that I wrote about in an earlier post. If you want to know how to do this, or how to download the labels for free check that post out!


I made little apples with numbers on them and laminated them.  I also got these cute frames for 99cents at Ikea.  I printed out signs on borders and put them in several key locations around the room.  You can also see my Gumball/Eraser dispenser that I made for $2.25.  I think it is SO cute!


I hope you enjoyed the little tour of my classroom.  I mailed my back to school letters to my students and their families on Monday so they should be getting them this week.  I hope all the students are as excited as I am to be going back!

7 comments:

  1. It looks very organized and I love the little touches that you made. I had a list of things to make this summer, but that didn't exactly happen :) so I admire those who actually do it!

    NotJustChild'sPlay

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    1. Thanks so much! I like to be organized. My hubby thinks the room is visually overwhelming, but I think if I keep it organized and use all the materials I have posted, it will work for the children I teach. My little projects kept me busy during a stressful summer. I don't think I have ever spent so much time trying to occupy my mind! Happy Back to School...I hope you have a great year!

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  2. Even though it might be a bit cramped - it looks fabulous and organized!

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  3. Just noticed this post and I wanted you to know that the attention to detail is striking in your classroom! Wow!

    It might be a little crowded for some but it is purposeful. I am sure your students love it!!

    All the best!
    Janet Lee
    from the team at weinspirefutures.com

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  4. Thanks Janet! I love to decorate and put up things I think the students will actually USE and I have to admit I have used EVERY space possible...except the ceiling! I would actually use the ceiling to add some great math posters I made BUT everything related to language and math must come down from the classroom during the EQAO testing each year...and to put it all up and take it all down is too much for this ole gal! Thanks for dropping by!

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  5. I love the cap eraser/gum ball dispenser! How did you make that!!

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    1. Vickie,
      Believe it or not that is a sollar store gumball dispenser and dollar store cap erasers. Just make sure that the dispenser is large enough for the erasers to come out. Sometimes the kids had to shake the dispenser a bit, but since it is plastic, and on MY desk, it usually wasn't a problem.

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