Classroom Library Setup: Uniform Book Basket Color

I'm back from visiting my husband's family in England and had an amazing time as always!  We got back last week and after unpacking and recovering from the time difference we went in on Friday to begin the classroom setup process.

Since our custodians set up our furniture for us (roughly, based on a classroom map we provide) we started by cleaning.  My husband is sweet enough to help me with this so that I can get right into organizing.  You may remember that 4 of the 6 goals I set for my summer projects included the classroom library, kids' manipulatives shelf, kids' materials shelf, and the students' paperwork table (each link brings you to a blog post).  Although I've already made good headway on these 4 goals, the first project I completed is the bookshelf. 

It looked like this mostly still packed up (left). I wasn't planning on radical changes from previous years.  I made new labels last year (the link will bring you to a blog post) which I enjoy so I'll be reusing them; I just wanted uniform colored baskets.  Since I had more black than any other color, I decided to go with it; I just bought a few more. 

 And here's how it looked at the end of Monday.

 Not.  Enough.  BASKETS!!!

From now on:  Measure twice, shop once.  Don't make my mistake, people.

That afternoon I went to 3 different stores:  Walmart, Target, then Bed Bath and Beyond.  NO ONE had black baskets or dishpans.  :(  Finally I went online and found a different Walmart in my area that had them, so here's the after photo:

Yay!  

You may be wondering, "Amber, do you really have so much time on your hands that you felt the urge to add blue trim to your bookshelf?"  And to that I say there is a PURPOSE besides beatification.  As I was cleaning on Monday I got a splinter from that shelf (not for the first time).  My students have got splinters from that shelf.  I decided that trimming out the shelves in Duck Tape would not just be a way to carry my color scheme through; it would also be a safety feature!  Although I'm sure it will look even more amazing once the aqua bordered book bin labels are attached.  :)  I'll have to wait to show that off, however, since I do a library sorting activity with my students the first week of school so I need them blank until then. 

Since I'm making good progress on my projects, I've decided to publish a BONUS post on Friday.  Not only will I have more photos to show you of the process and result of my summer projects, I also  have a special announcement that I think you'll enjoy!

In the meantime, for anyone who's interested, here are a few of my England vacation photos:

 Remember, come back Friday for a (time sensitive) bonus post!

Every Day Counts Wall (Summer Project #6)

This is the final installment of my Summer Project series for the year.  Like many of the other spaces I analyzed this summer, my Every Day Counts Wall has already undergone some real improvement over the past couple years, but that bar can always be raised a little higher and I think I know what needs to be done here!

What works:

1. Everything is at a good "level."  The calendar is high enough to be seen across the room.  Same with the fractions and vocabulary words.  Those are really the most important things to keep track of, in my mind.
2. Nothing has fallen off.  Even though these are closet doors, everything has stayed securely in place, even those cups holding the bills.  It worked out better than the rubber banded things last year and the plastic sleeves provided by the kit the year before.
3. All forms were at our fingertips this year.

What needs to change:

1. The cups are not really attractive.  At first I thought a strip of Duck Tape would make them look nice, but then I realized it's not just the color that's the problem.  The fact that they are round means that they are always going to look wobbly.  What I need to do is either shell out at the party store for nice flat "chinese food" style boxes, or fold my own out of cardstock.  Then I can whip out the Duck Tape, no problem.
2. There is not enough room for the vocabulary words, and as a result, they are not organized.  And disorganized words are difficult to follow and learn.  Luckily I have a solution.  It might be lofty, but the plan is every month I will take the words off the board and adhere them to poster board.  I might even create a "central" word or number (since each month is based on a multiple) to use as a title instead of just the name of the month.  Those posters will need to be trimmed to fit over the math wall.  It's too high for me to reach on a daily basis, but I can climb up once per month, no problem.
3. File those forms away.  I was SO proud of all the calendar math forms I created, but I have to admit; worksheets and empty templates do NOT belong on display.  It's not enhancing the decor or the learning experience.  I'll tuck them in with the other "Weekly Worksheets" over on the kids' paperwork table. 
4. Create a new daily calendar job system.  I thought the ticket system I created this year was a great idea.  I started it near the end of the year before when the kids were more independent.  This year it was a DISASTER.  Any time I tried to ease off and give the kids some independence in the process of updating the calendar it didn't get done.  I abandoned it, tried names on the board, abandoned that to try calling kids up on the spot...I still couldn't perfect a system for this past group.  However, every group is different, and now I have 4 different systems to try out with the new group.  I'll be setting up a posted rotating schedule to start out with, and if it doesn't work, onto the next idea!

This has been the final installment in my "Summer Projects" series.  The next few posts will be focusing on what I actually did accomplish!  I think that's even more exciting, although I hope seeing some of the "befores" got your creative juices flowing in terms of how you'd fix the problems.  If you're setting up your class this week, I hope you're feeling excited about some new things and you'll share them in the comments below!

Classroom Library (Summer Project #5)

The next Summer Project I'll be working on is a cosmetic upgrade in my classroom library.  At the end of last year I was feeling really proud of my bookshelves, and at the end of the day, they do work!  They look all right, the kids can find things to read and they can find where to put them back when they're done. But here we are at the end of this year revisiting them.  Like I said before, there's always room for improvement!

What works:

1. Those new book bin labels are beautiful and they held up just fine!  I don't want to change them at all unless it's to add to them (the kids will decide that when they organize the books at the start of the year).
2. The location.  With closets and a sink on the right wall, window shelves on the left wall, and whiteboards in the front, the back is the only logical place for our library.
3. The basic system.  I mainly have fiction on the left and nonfiction on the right. 
4. Having the kids fine tune the organization the first week.  I offer loads of guidance, but the bottom line is I still feel it's important for the kids to get to know our library that first week, and the best way to do it is to dig, sift, and sort through those books.
5. I think I'll keep the leveled readers where they are on the adjacent wall on the window shelf.  They just "felt" right there at the lower level, near our reading group area even though it's over the math area instead of on top of the library.  There's also the added bonus that kids don't get confused and take them for independent reading. 

What doesn't work:

1. There are too many different colors of bins here.  I want a more cohesive look.  Since I'm taking the shoeboxes from the book shelves to use on the math manipulatives shelf, it's time to decide what style is staying, and what goes.  The first step is to measure and the next is to think of cost.  I have more black bins than anything else, so if I can find more of those, all the better! 
2. The white containers can then go on top to hold "special collections" like the social studies trade books.  The white will blend right into the wall anyway. 

A quick fix, except it's one of the few that will cost a little money. 

Students' Paperwork Area (Summer Project #4)

I hope you've been enjoying my Summer Project series so far!  I've been looking at different areas of my classroom, photographing the "before" and analyzing what is and isn't working before diving into improvements.  We're halfway through the series already!  This week I'm focusing in on the "Kids' Paperwork Table."  This should be an easy one.

What works:

1. This space mostly works!  Once again, I'm giving you a true look at this table at its worst; the week before school got out.  And other than a few stray items and a bunched up tablecloth, it's very functional.
2. The Morning Meeting Kit has changed our mornings.  Seriously.  (Link brings you to a previous blog post).
3. The extra worksheets bin is great for kids who lose papers and need to start again.
4. The "Finished Early Tasks" system is usually introduced around January, once the kids have settled into our first round of routines and are ready for extra responsibilities because they're growing up.
5. The polka dotted table cloth from Target was the inspiration for my classroom color palette (link brings you to a previous blog post).  Well, actually the existing furniture and paint job were the inspiration for my classroom color palette; this piece just tied it all together into hues that are attractive together.  Love it; it's a keeper.  I just recently created a whole bundle of items in this color scheme available for purchase (some old favorites, some new to me this coming year). 

What I want to fix:

1.      Not much!  The job chart task strips will get an update in order to match my colors.  Adding the printing and laminating to my Back to School to Do list (free for you to download and editable).   

2.      The extra worksheets bin will get a coordinating label as well.

3.      I wish I could think of a way to make the kid's "Share Items" look like a neater display, but I'm at a loss. 

4.      The addition of student "mailboxes."  I am SO excited about this idea.  I'm not proud of it, but I'm kind of bad about handing out notices and the like.  When we get back from lunch I'm usually balancing getting the kids settled into, you know, working, or else dealing with a social issue that started at recess.  The stack goes into my "pass back bin" and I forget to get them out to the kids.  By the time I remember I think, "Now's not a good time; they're in the middle of something; I don't want the notice on their desks/I don't want to stop them and remind them to get these into their folders."  Eight years ago when I taught third grade we had mailboxes.  But they didn't hold up well and they were expensive.  A fellow blogger let me know that the do it yourself cereal box ones on Pinterest are NOT durable enough for a year.  I don' t have a great space in the room for them (I'm scared of them falling on top of someone).  So instead, I'm planning on setting up this style "mailbox" for my class (link brings you to Pinterest)!  Genius!  It can go right behind the extra worksheets bin.  I can arrange the folders into hanging folders by group.  Then early finishers can put 4 papers into each group folder, and one person from each group can get the hanging files at the end of the day for their group! 

Can it be to good to be true?  Time will tell! 

Rules, Consequences and Rewards Area (Summer Project #3)

This is the third installment of my Summer Projects to do list!  The next section of my classroom that I decided to examine and update is the "Rules, Consequences and Rewards" area.

 What works:

1. The content says what I want it to say.
2. The kids love their "Gingerbread men."
3. Not so much "what works" but "what is required to stay the same" is the Kelso anti-bullying poster.  I'm allowed to move it of course, but I can't take it down and create my own.

 What I need to fix:

1.   *Cringe*  I am keeping it real with these photos!  So ugly!
2. Okay, seriously.  Those manilla posters have got to go.  If I only redo two posters this year, I am redoing those.  On white.  With doodle borders.  I'm thinking of typing them up and doing a more vertical list like the cute ribbon projects I've seen on Pinterest, just with the content I need.
3. Kelso kept falling down all year, but it's finally been secured thanks to a top border of Duck Tape.  I'm thinking I just need to move it to the far left to make room, continue the border all the way around it, then fit my vertical project on the right.  It's going to require measuring, I but I'm sure I can do this.
4. The calendar math countdown underwent an improvement this year, (link brings you to a previous blog post) but is by no means perfect.  I don't love that it stretches all the way to the door there.  I just don't know what else to DO with this thing.  It can't be made smaller; those little pieces came with our math kit and I'm not redoing them all just so they can each be 1/4 inch smaller.  I can't think of another wall to put it on because they are all covered in shelves or closets.  I can't raise it up higher or the kids can't reach it.  I'm kind of stuck!!  It's very low to the floor, (about 2 feet up, so it's under the front whiteboards) so I might just have to keep it the same (then again, being that low, it's not very visable). 
5. I'm rethinking the stoplight behavior management system.  I love it for many reasons (I made it myself out of felt, durable wooden figures, and Velcro).  I file down the little guys every year to repaint black and then carefully handwrite my new students' names in white paint on the head of a pin.  It's just one of those rituals that I love to do because it feels more personal.  However I do always feel a little guilty putting that first kid of the year in "red."  I give a verbal warning and reminder of the rule that they break again before I do it, but still.  Those 5 step charts I've seen on Pinterest are so much gentler and positive sounding.  The music teacher in my school uses one, so the kids are familiar with it.  The numbers on clothespins instead of names would be less humiliating.  I dunno, I'm kind of torn!  Anyone have an opinion?

Oh, and one more piece to this area.  We created these posters for our classroom rules (link brings you to a previous blog post) this year.  It was a great lesson that's evolved over time, one that now requires them to sort and reorder sentence strips.  The result was a whole window-shade beside my desk that has been taken up by rules.  I don't mind the space, but it's NOT attractive.  I'll need to think of a prettier way to frame these sentence strips once the kids finish with their end of the project.  This may involve some combination of colorful poster board, commercial bulletin board borders or Duck Tape.

Like most teachers, I spend so much time on classroom rules at the beginning of the year (and throughout the year!)  There's no excuse; this area of my classroom needs attention so my kiddos can tell the importance of it.

Teacher's Bulletin Area (Summer Project #2)

The second installment in my "Summer Project" list is the "Teacher's Bulletin Area."

You know, that spot behind your desk where your schedules and meeting calendar dates go so they never get lost on your desk.  This space is pretty functional, and by nature I don't think it will ever be attractive.  Plus, since it's the only real bulletin board I have (other than 3 closet doors) I have to share my own organizational needs with the job chart board.  On the other hand, I think that there are measures I can take to improve this area for next year.

Here's what works:

1. The job chart planets were new last year (I just started selling them on Teachers Pay Teachers), and I like how they go with the Trend stars I get every year for the kids' names.  I feel like stars will never go out of fashion, so I'll stick with them!
2. The sparkly gold letters do not fade.  They've been there for nearly a decade and still going strong.
3. The shower curtain matches my classroom theme, doesn't fade, and is very durable.  It's a keeper.
4. The paperwork on top of the filing cabinet has been a REAL success this year.  I might want to create a "cover page" at the very front to hide it a little, but it's been too functional to ditch, even if it's a little cluttered looking.

Here's what I plan to change:

1. I feel like it's time for an update, in the borders department, even though the planets fit with the job area.  I'd like to have a more cohesive look with the borders in my classroom.  I may have enough Trend rainbow stars, but I'm really in love with some of the more modern colors to tie in more strongly with my lime green and teal theme that I just recently started selling on Teachers Pay Teachers.  I made a Pinterest board JUST for my border loves!  Anyone willing to weigh in below in the comment section?
2. I suppose I could divide this section in two by using borders to create a dividing line.
3. I would love, love LOVE to update my filing cabinet!  Although the front is cute, with a fabric cover, border and magnets, the first thing you see when you come in the classroom door is the grey drawers.  If the thing was just somewhere else in the room I wouldn't mind, but it's so conspicuous.  And since I can't foresee reorganizing my classroom layout this year, I am thinking of painting.  I'm sure you've seen the Pins on how filing cabinets can be turned into the highlight of a room, but I'm very afraid of my effort turning into a peeling mess.  *so nervous*
4. Finally, I'm just going to have to promise to really think about what paper work MUST go up there, and which can be tucked into a binder.  It's gotten better over the years, but it's still not pretty.  I might even want to invest in a prettier calendar (or cover the advertisement) since that one is so conspicuous.  

This is a taller order, and purely cosmetic!  None of this is going to help my fourth graders next year in any way, so if I have to let a project go, you know it's going to be that filing cabinet.  We'll see how things go this summer.