Classroom design has become a major topic of conversation (and controversy!) so today I’m excited to reveal my 2017-2018 classroom with our simple, kid friendly design! In our classroom, you’ll see how we use no tables or desks to implement flexible seating. You’ll see lots of open spaces to inspire conversations and collaboration. You will see lots of space to display student work because I 100% believe that this classroom belongs to the students and it should showcase them! You will also see fun lighting and you WILL NOT see a perfect classroom. No matching everything. No Pinterest worthy design. (But for those of you with those beautiful Pinterest rooms, YAY FOR YOU!!! I wish I had that talent! Keep doing you!!!) So here it is!
Room 134: The land of pineapples and mustaches! This year I wanted to add pineapples to the mix so we have a fusion theme! The all important mustaches are still there now with a splash of pineapple! I mean, pineapples have it right: Stand tall, wear a crown and be sweet on the inside!
Classroom Design Tip 1: Put the library front and center!
This is the entry way into our classroom. We actually have a hallway inside of our classroom! This hallway is the first space you see in our classroom so this year I moved the classroom library to this hallway. Why, Mr. Greg? So my students see literacy and books as soon as they enter because reading and books are essential!
Classroom Design Tip #2: Lots of open spaces!
Our classroom uses no tables or desks. Everything is done on the floor using clipboards and bath mats! This allows for lots of open space! This allows for lots of choices in where and how we work. Choice is empowering. When we empower our students, we get buy in. Buy in means engagement which leads to learning and less behavior issues. So yes, having no tables and desks (flexible seating) helps with classroom management!
This is our whole group area! Students choose where they sit around the carpet! This arrangement gives us many options for learning! We can use our smartboard, we can use our easel or I can sit in the big green chair for an interactive read aloud!
Here is our pineapple chair! Really, it’s just a pineapple blanket I found in a thrift store in Portland, Oregon!
Classroom Design Tip 3: Community Supplies help with sharing and respecting supplies!
Since we don’t have tables and desks we use community supplies. I LOVE community supplies because it promotes sharing and there is (GOOD) peer pressure to take care of OUR supplies! I explain to my class that these supplies belong to them and not me. If they don’t take care of the supplies, they will make their friends upset, not Mr. Greg!
For more information on community supplies check out my community supplies post!
Classroom Design Tip 4: An organized small group area with a full view of the classroom!
Classroom Design Tip 5: Special Areas For Special Learning
Interactive word wall! Our word wall is magnetic so the kids can take the words with them and use them for writing and centers!
For more on sight words, check out Sight Word 60!
If you’re looking for sight word cards for your word wall check out our sentence strip sight word cards!
Light Box/Light Table! Our light box has a permanent home with some fun green folding chairs from Walmart!
This is our center command center! For more information on our centers, check out how I run centers!
This area is a brand new addition to our classroom and an area I am so excited about! A special place for one on one instruction, assessment using ESGI (check out ESGI to make assessment EASY and FAST and get a 60 day free trial!) and a place kids will love to hang out and work! (Chairs and table from Walmart.com, blue rug from Walmart)!
And finally, we upgraded the lighting in our classroom. We removed the Christmas lights that hung from the ceiling for a more clean look and added LED lights! I love these lights because we can change the colors to make our room glow! And who picks the color? The BOSS OF THE DAY gets to pick the color! They choose the color for the room! And during our end of the day dance party, the lights FLASH and turn our class into a PARTY! Check out these LED lights on amazon!
Here is a video tour of our classroom! And just to prove that our videos are REAL LIFE and not edited, enjoy the announcement from our assistant principal!
I have to give a HUGE shoutout and a HUGE THANK YOU to Teacher Created Resources for the pineapple decorations!
And a HUGE SHOUTOUT to my TBFF Jenny at Jen Hart Design for the awesome pineapple clipart and pineapple letters!
