Better Late than Never Classroom Reveal

***Update!!!!****
****I had scheduled this to auto send on Saturday assuming I would have updated it on Friday.  Because I was out of town and with out internet...that did not happen.  The after pictures are now posted below.... oops and sorry!!! *******

Well.  I have a classroom, I designed it for 6th grade girls as that is what I was told I was going to teach...Now...I have much more than that.  

Le Sigh!

Anyway here it is....My classroom before:

The teacher that was in the room before me had the desk looking this way.  I never sit at my desk so I eventually moved it.

Sad boring walls and sad boring tables

At least the carpet is clean.

What a kid would see if they looked at the front of the room from table 5.

Clearly I had a blank slate.  WHICH WAS AWESOME but also daunting.

So I spent a TON of time crafting and looking through IG for inspiration and here is what I came up with...

My classroom after:

I got this pocket chart on sale at walmart.  Each friday I choose random students from my four core classes and their ISN's are graded.  Their name goes on their classes, corresponding color dot, and they know it is their turn to be graded.

Our students are to write their homework assignments in their planners every day.  This is where I post it so they know right away to come in and just check their classes color and then collect it.  The blue bin has days of the week for missing work and underneath it is where that multicolored stero-lite drawer rolly thing I made this last summer is.  6th grade is the top drawer, 7th grade is the second, 7th support is the third and homeroom is the fourth.  Each grade level as a color as well.  6th is pink, 7th is blue, support is yellow and homeroom is green.    The bin under the where am I chart is for homeroom.  Students come in every other day and immediately grab their journal.  I typically have a do now for them to work on such as a current event that they read and respond to or an organizing assessment. 

Hey there is that multi Stero-lite drawer thing again!  This is where I keep extra notebooks and the textbooks (that I NEVER use!!!!)  I actually had a long conversation with my girls about the fact that rich white men from Texas (no hatin on Texas just the people that write text books and standardized tests....).  I realized as I was standing in my room that I am the only white person in there.  We had a very good conversation about race, opportunity, and how you have to be the one to step up.  My students have it harder than I did. Or ever will. 

Smart Board.  The drawers to the left are where I keep "fun math" or extension activities for those that are done early. 

Ok.  This looks really messy but it is not.  The table with all the stereo-lites under them is where I prep for the day.  I keep all my copies for my 5 preps right there.  My tool boxes work perfectly.  My desk is a little to the right.  Class norms are posted and all of my LEGO LEAGUE stuff is under the tables.!

The board to the right is where I have my station rotations set up.  I use stations in my 2 support classes.   The board to the left is where I put a giant example of our ISN's.  Now that I teach two classes though....I have to get a second ISN example board.  It might end up being my "current unit" board, and students will get mini current units to put with their daily math review...I am not sure yet. 

 I use these boards for two reasons.  The one on the left contains the answers to homework.  Students self correct and then glue into their binders.  The one on the right I use for extra examples.

  This is the current unit board with a mind map of how our unit is laid out.  I try to connect everything so that students understand why they need to know how to make factor trees, BEFORE we start adding and subtracting fractions.   The final board is for grades. 

This is where I keep all of our manipulatives and supplies.  Each item has a home.  I like that.  I also have a few posters...not many though.  And that is it for the exterior of the room. It is not very big.  IT is probably set up for 25 students but I typically have between 30-35.

This is the picture coming into my door. 

Each table has its own garbage can, 5 clip boards, and a file bin where we store our binders for daily math review.  (color coded of course)

Each table also has a bin where all ISN's are kept as well as table community supplies.  inside the bucket there are color pencils, markers, red pens for correcting, pencils in case you forgot, glue sticks, glue bottle, scissors, stapler, highlighters, and tape.

That is it!  Hope you enjoyed.

j.