I am knee deep in sheep getting ready for school to start. How about you? This year my K team is doing a jungle theme. I have embraced it and found love in the zebra prints. I rearranged my room and I think I am going to LOVE it!! So, here it goes. Brace yourselves…it’s a long post!
Here is my door. I think doors should be a preview of the excitement inside. My BFF did this for me thanks Andrea!! J
Here is my group location. It used to be at the front of the room but then I decided that I wanted my student tables closer to the word wall so I moved it.
I decided to have a focus wall. This isn’t a bulletin board…just fabric stapled to the wall. I use the big pockets to clip the letter, number, sight words, color, etc of the week on the outside so we remember to go over them every day. We count the days, chart the weather, do calendar, and I will add money too. Don’t pay attention to the cubbies, they still have junk that needs a home in them. 🙂
These are the books that I will read during group time. I have the library on the other side.
I use this bulletin board (which is my favorite) to put my resource charts on. The first week of school we will make charts for names, colors, numbers, and shapes. I will keep them posted all year which is great because I don’t want to climb up there and change it. I just used black and white butcher paper for the zebra stripes and then crumpled brown paper on the side for vines.
Here is my writing center. Along the sides are different things that you can write about. I got them from another blogger but I can’t remember who at this moment. I try to have clipboards available for writing the room too along with other matierals for writing (blank books, newspapers, etc.).
Next to the writing center I have these nifty cups I got at Ikea really cheap. I am going to keep markers, highlighters, pencils, etc. in them. The shelf will have clipboards and magnadoodles for writing the room or to use in the writing center.
My word wall is at the front of the room. It says Wild About The Word Wall. I still have to put the letters up.
THis is the left wall. I have my desk against the wall this year and my teacher table (where I do guided reading) in front of it. I decided that this was ok because I spend more time at my teacher table than desk. I will use the bulletin board behind it for ELA stuff. I have all my guided reading books on the shelf next to my teacher table with all my guided reading supplies, which is great.
View from My teacher table.
This is my ABC center. I change it out regulary. You can get a paint tray at any hardware store or Home Depot. Screw it to the wall or a shelf and you have an instant magnetic center for letters and sight words and the kids love it. It is on the floor so kids can be away from a table and get the sensory stimulation with movement.
Here is the inside of my library. I had two extra shelves so I just turned them on their side and filled them with books. Then, I put posters on the back of them or a pocket chart. Every space is used for something! I bought this big leaf for $10 at Ikea and it really adds a cute touch! It gives the kids more of a feeling of seclusion even though I can see them from anywhere.
Here are my math munipulatives. They are kinda organzied. Please excuse the brooms and pile of junk in the corner. I haven’t set up my home living center yet so it is in a pile.
I use part of my back counter for my Science center. Right now I have something from every unit out so kids can just explore what science is. After the first two wks of school, I will put it all away and just bring out what is relavent to what we are learning along with either the noodle tub or the bean tub…some sort of sensory exploring.
I used this pocket chart for my environmental print for now. It is near where the home living center will be so they can use it for writing menus, etc. Here is my art easel but it will be moved to a table for centers.
The letter museum is where the letters live. I refer to it during guided reading and writers workshop a lot.
This says Vocabulary Vine. I will put the class vocab here and color code it (math, science, ss, etc).
THese are the fabu reading posters I got from Mrs. Jump. LOVE!
On my Math Center shelf I have my writing the room pointers and the famous Mr. Potato head. Can’t get ready of an oldy but goodie!
I got this handy dandy shelf from Ikea (yes I love that place!!) for $30. I use the white trays for Math centers and the green ones for Literacy Centers. They are deep, thick, and durable. LOVE!
I was having a major storage issue so I bought these shelves..yes you guessed it, at Ikea this summer and they took the place of four larges shelves. I don’t have a ton of storage so this helped me sooo much! I also got the 1,2,3 baskets that I use for Math Centers. They are super great and super cheap. I will cover the openings of these shelves with fabric before school starts because these aren’t free for all shelves but for me to pull stuff for centers each week.
Here are my lego tubs and my birthday box. I keep everything for my birthday celebrations (certificates, hats. books, songs, stickers, etc) so I only have to open this box for an instant celebration and it keeps it very organized.
I am not sure what fabu blogger I got these labels from, but I have my listening center bags, my grab and go readers, and my homework folders in these baskets on top of my shelves. THey will be super convenient to to get to and keep organized. I will also have my journals in a tub. I do journals/folders for: morning journal, scrolling, science journal, poetry journal.
Here is my lunch box tub…nothing fancy but it will do!
I love my mailbox! I have a mailman as a class job. This is how I introduce new letters, numbers, etc. The cards will come in the mail. The kids love it. I will put it in the hall outside our door once school starts.
Here she is…my classroom…a gigantic work in progress! Almost ready for the invasion of little people. If you saw my pics from my room last year, I have changed a ton of stuff and it looks like a whole new world. I think I am in love.
Still to come…I have to put together my kitchen and add my home living center. I will post pics of that later along with what my wall outside my classroom looks like. I am also ordering the pockets for the back of the chairs. Even though I have small cubbies, I think having their folders and supply boxes on their chairs will make things easier. I found them on etsy.com super cheap.
Anything else you want to see or know about right now? I LOVE comments…please feel free to leave one. Have a great day and to those of you who are back to school this week…I hope it’s going great!!
Blessings,
Crystal
Kerri says
Love your room! I think I'm going to have to visit the hardware store for a paint tray. I love that idea. I've always used pizza pans for the kids to use magnetic letters on. I'm a little jealous of your door. We can put anything on our doors because of the Fire Marshall. I'm pretty limited in my wall space. I have 2 doors in my room that lead to the rooms next to me. I enjoyed looking at your pictures!
http://mskerriandherkrazykindergarten.blogspot.com/
Joni Taylor says
Everything looks fabulous! I love the Ikea shelves. The labels came from Mrs. Jump-I was checking them out on her blog last night. Have a great school year and thanks for the pictures :).
Kari says
Your room is super cute!! My room is still in the huge mess stage! We start the 22nd so I still have some time, but have a ton to do!! Your writing center picture reminded me that I haven't printed off the writing ideas cards yet. They are from Rachelle at What the Teacher Wants! in her Work on Writing post. I hate when kids say they have nothing to write about, so these cards will be a great help. Thanks for reminding me Crystal!!
Miss J says
What a cute room!! Great job!!
Miss J
smilescrayonsandendlessstories
Pam says
I love your room. Thank you for letting us have a peek at it. You can tell you have worked so hard to make it a wonderful place for children to learn! I have a magnetic board just like yours! I painted mine blue. The children love it.
Busy Bees says
Your room looks awesome. Thanks for the great pics. You have been very busy this summer preparing your room.
BusyBees
Rachel says
You are organized and I love it!! Also, I am a big Ikea fan! I get so much from there for my home and classroom!
Jenny says
I am thinking of doing a jungle theme for my classroom next year. I love all the ideas that I have gotten from your room!!! It looks fabulous and I will be looking at these pictures again when school starts back!!!!
Amy Rider says
Thanks for linking up! I love your room… and your reading corner looks SO COZY!! What font did you use for the lunch box/listening center bins?
Thanks!
Amy
forkin4th says
Found your blog from the There's No Place Like Home linkup. Thanks for sharing your classroom photos and I'm sure your kinders and parents must love you for having such an amazing learning environment! 🙂
Antonia
forkin 4th
Mrs. Parker says
I love looking at classrooms. I love how inviting it looks. Of all the things, I noticed you had the number cards I created during our Math Blog Study. Look for an update soon. 😉
Little Millennium says
Finding something like this is very rare! And I’m pretty sure that the writer and admin must be really proud that the article gets tons and tons of replies. And I was fascinated by the delivery and execution of the article. I’m a beginning blogger and I could say this really helps.
Regards
Pre Primary Education In India – Little Millennium