There's No Place Like Home

Our classrooms are places where we live.

For the last six years, I have called this room my home.  I have tweaked and rearranged until I have created a place that I feel is calm, inviting, and functional.


Here's a tour of my classroom. 

Most of the activity takes place here. There is enough rug space for whole group activities. Our library and big book station are also here. 



This bulletin board is located to the right corner of the dry erase board.  I keep calendar short to about ten to fifteen minutes.  


The items I treasure the most as a teacher are my books. Our library covers many topics and I keep most books out all year. I go back and forth about having "my" books only which tend to be seasonal books but over the years, I have come to realize that books are meant to be read by my students.  We spend a lot of time talking about how to treat books and most kids are pretty good.  


A small portion of the library is dedicated to leveled books. These are leveled by DRA. This class loves reading from these books.


I have had these Four Blocks word cards for almost a decade. I love the color coding. As you can see, we've learned a lot of words in Kindergarten!


My kids each have a Grab and Go box.  Each box is numbered. Inside they have their crayons, dry erase marker, highlighter, scissors, glue, and space man. As you can see some are messier than others. Also on this shelf are their Book Boxes which are ice cube buckets.

Right above our Grab and Go boxes is our main bulletin board space.  I use a sheet to cover the bulletin board.   This was our first bulletin board of the the year.    




My students sit in groups of 4 to 6 scattered around the room.  We change seats about once a month or I allow them to sit anywhere they like.  Both these systems work well depending on the personality of the class.  
This year, I did away with cubbies for storing their completed work.  So, all their completed work goes into the black tray. At the end of the day, one person from the table passes back papers to go home.  In the beginning, I do it and it took some time.  But now, getting ready to go home takes no more than a few minutes.    


Our school only has two "traditional" large kindergarten classroom with bathrooms.  My classroom is not one of them. 
As a result, I like to make sure that my floor plan is flexible enough to create spaces where at times the kids can use that large area to create or make into a stage area for performances.  



I must say that I really am proud of how my classroom looks because it does feel open and large although in all reality it is an average sized room.  Please don't let these pictures fool you. My classroom is a living space and with that it means that on a typical day you will probably find my computer table a disaster (notice no pictures of that) and bits of paper on the floor especially after three days of no cleaning.  But despite that, it's my home away from home.  

And, we all know there is no place like home.

There's No Place Like Home


Now, it's your turn.
Grab the button and link up.
I hope you'll share your classroom with us.

Happy Teaching and Learning!


18 comments

  1. I am moving to a brand NEW classroom home this year so I am excited about all of the good ideas. Keep sharing ladies!! :)

    And come join my giveaway...ends Friday!
    http://littlemissglamourgoestokindergarten.blogspot.com

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  2. Your classroom looks so wonderful, I like the grab and go boxes. Thanks for the tour.

    Jill
    Bubbalulu.blogspot.com

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  3. Thanks for sharing your pictures. You look like you're good to go!
    --Chrissy
    First Grade Found Me
    www.firstgradefoundme.blogspot.com

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  4. Thanks for hosting "There's No Place Link Home" link-up! I love the idea of each student having a "grab & go" box, but then I think about losing all my counter space to storing all these. Where do you keep them: at desks, on a counter?

    Antonia
    forkin 4th

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  5. I love looking at everyone's classroom! Thank you for this linky party!

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  6. Thank you for letting me visit your classroom. After a rare nap today (yeah summer!) I woke up thinking about searching for classroom design pics...your blog is perfect -- almost as great as that nap! lol Take care!

    Rhonda :)

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  7. Oh man! My classroom is currently in a big pile for the summer! I have some photos from last August???

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  8. @Forkin 4th - the Grab and Go boxes are on top of my white bookshelves, like those from my library, along the back of a wall. They really don't take up too much space. They have also lived on a small bookshelf.

    @Deedee - I hope you'll link up. You have photos from all year, I am sure. Show us some of your room's best features. :)

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  9. Thanks for hosting this linky. I'm your newest follower.
    Linda
    kindergartendoodles.blogspot.com

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  10. Thank you for being the gracious host you always are. I enjoyed seeing all your photos. And I can't believe you are still teaching! Oh goodness!

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  11. I like your classroom! I am hoping to have my own classroom to decorate for this coming school year, and I may use some of your ideas. I also have thought about keeping some of my nicer books separate for read-alouds only... you spend so much time gathering all these books, you don't want them to be torn apart in two minutes! But I think its good that you teach the students how to treat and be respectful of books.

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  12. I like your classroom. I linked up a post I did in October last year because I can't get into my room right now... to get anything new up. :D
    Thanks for hosting this. I LOVE looking at classrooms and everyone's ideas.
    ❤Dragonflies in First ❤

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  13. I am love, love, loving your black and white polka dotted borders!!!!

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  14. Your classroom pics are awesome.. thank you for sharing your classroom with the rest of us... Can you tell me where you got your white shelving.. I would love to use something like that in my classroom.

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  15. Love your classroom.......it looks great! (In the photo of your calendar) Can you tell me where you got the color posters? I think they are adorable!

    Thanks,
    Traci

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  16. A Chloesmom...you can purchase the color posters at my Teachers Notebook shop. It is on sale for $1 through 8/18/12.

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