This year was a hard year for me to start. Last year was a difficult year for me. My class was challenging and all motivation was pretty much gone. And I really felt it deep in my bones that this would be the year I would get to try something new- a new grade, a new school, or even a new position like a coach.

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Well…none of those things happened. I am still a 2nd grade teacher at the same school I have taught at my whole career. I fully believe that God works things together for the purpose of His Kingdom and so I trust that I am there for another year on purpose. A lot of craziness happened in the two weeks prior to the start of school that made me really grateful that God kept me with my work family for another year.

But…I needed a pick me up. I needed something different for this year because nothing else in my teaching career was changing. (Actually, that’s not true! I was moved to a different classroom and have a different partner teacher.) But I needed a change aesthetically.

I knew I needed big changes this year. We spend HOURS in our classroom every day and it needs to feel like home for me. Originally I was just going to change the colors and what not, but then I decided to try flexible seating as well. It’s something I’ve thought about at the start of the last three to four years, but was too nervous to try. I’ll post a whole blog on that next week!

And last year I did a tour of my classroom so I thought it would be fun to do a tour of my new room this year! So, I present to you my 2017-2018 Classroom Tour!!

My Classroom Tour Pictures

It’s important to note that my plan was to take these pictures Friday afternoon after the kids left. However, at 12:30 on Friday our campus got an email stating that any classroom with an exterior wall needed to pack up the cabinets on those walls as damage had been done during the hurricane and workers would be in our rooms RIPPING DOWN TWO FEET OF OUR WALLS OVER THE WEEKEND! So…. I had to rush to get pictures of my room before I started packing.

This was taken the day I moved into my new classroom. Empty, boring, and full of desks.

When you enter our classroom and look to the right you will see our Math stations and Math Word Wall. I try to keep all “like things” together. So all my math stuff is in this corner.

*Absolutely NO students were hidden behind the camera during the taking of these pictures*

The Word Wall is next to the Math Word Wall. I am a Dual Language Teacher so I have to have an English and Spanish Word Wall. This is how I meet that requirement. I have to take words off throughout the year to add new ones, but it works!

I also have my Listening Center on this wall. In previous years I sat the radio on a table but this year I am using that table as a desk for my students, so I flipped over this wooden box and made it a “table.”

Right next to the door is our Writing Station. I haven’t yet set this up yet cause I am still deciding on exactly how I want to do it.

To the left of the door is our Computer Station as well as “Home Base” where students turn in their take home folders and check their mailboxes.

I still do community supplies and house them in these back cubbies. I can’t stand clutter so I keep them very simple and uniform by putting their materials in them.

Our Classroom Library is up next.

This is my Small Group Teaching Area, situated so that I can see the entire classroom from my chair.

I believe fully in the importance of a cleared off Utable so that it is available for small group teaching at a moments notice. If you want to get your Utable decluttered, cleaned, and organized you can check out my newest resource Organize Your Utable Resource!

Related: How I Organize My Small Group Teaching Materials video

My teacher desk is right next to my U-table. I like to keep all “my stuff” in one area as well so it is easily accessible.

Here are a few views standing from the back of our room looking forward.

I love my new rocking chair I am using as my seat for whole group teaching. This was actually the rocking chair Cody’s parents used when he was a baby (I think?). When we moved him out of his house into mine, I didn’t have a spot for it but I totally want to keep it for when we have a baby (a long, long, LONG time from now!) so I took it to school. I told my kids they can’t sit in it cause it might break…. 🙂

I took all of these pictures and then immediately unpacked all the cabinets in my room on exterior walls. This is what I will be walking into Tuesday morning! 😀

Luckily I keep my cabinets really organized and store most things in bins. But it shouldn’t be too hard to put back since I took pictures of the cabinets and just need to pop the tubs back in the correct spot. You can see my cabinet organization tour here!

I am loving my new classroom with less desks and an even calmer color pallet of mostly blues and grays. I’ll be back next week to share about how I am managing flexible seating!

Classroom Organization is so important and crucial to effective teaching. Get your copy of The Classroom Organization Guidebook to get ideas, pictures, lists of tools, and all the practical things you need to get your classroom organized!

Until next time,