Moving In

I've started moving pieces into my classroom. This new place is feeling like home. The bookcase with all my old friends is settled. I do believe it'll be happy here.

Mane Events

Declutter your desk. Classrooms are busy and teachers need to keep track of everything and everyone. Get organized with a message center.

The humble bulletin board is definitely low-tech, but it works.

What You'll Need:

• twenty-four 3-3/4-inch-diameter cork coasters


• acrylic paints: orange, yellow, brown


• removable wall-mounting stickers tacks or pushpins

Directions

1. Paint the tops of 12 coasters in assorted colors. Paint a second or third coat, as needed, to fully cover the cork.

2. Glue a plain coaster to the back of each painted coaster. (This adds thickness to the bulletin board, so you can push tacks into it.) Lay books on top of the glued coasters to prevent the cork from curling. Allow to dry overnight.

3. Paint the edges of the coasters; let dry.

4. Referring to the photo, adhere the coasters to the wall with removable wall-mounting stickers.

Mix and match the color placement in a pleasing pattern.

This message center hangs behind my computer table. It is actually one of those old green chipped chalk boards. I decided to cover it with paper and create a bulletin board. My teacher’s desk sits in front of the computer center which allows me to have a work station situated both in front of and behind me.

The message center ensures that I have a clean workspace on my desk.

Please Sit Down!

This little ol’ wood school chair was separated from its classmates at some point and then landed in my room. I decided this loner would make a fun chair for our star student. The “star” gets to use the chair for the entire week.

It was a project involving spray paint, Mod-Podge, sponges, painter’s tape, balsam wood stars, and time. Several coats of Mod-Podge should guarantee those letters stay put.

Tearing the painter’s tape into strips to create the zebra stripes was time-consuming, but well worth the effort - our star chair is dressed to celebrate.

"T" is for Trash

Here’s proof that even a trash can will add to a classroom theme. I chose to add pizzazz to these old metal rusting trash cans with colorful patterns.

First, I sanded the trash cans to get off all the loose stuff and smooth down the edges. Next I coated them with Rustoleum to stop the rust and then top coated each trash can the color I wanted. Finally, I used sponges and painter’s tape to create the animal print look.

We have a marked plastic container for paper trash in our classroom. Our school has a recycling program so at the beginning of the year, I use Scholastic’s lessons to teach students the importance of paper recycling. This site has everything you need including lesson plans, reproducibles, and resources.

Wild About Books

Designed to sit with other pieces in our safari room, this bookcase gives easy access to our Accelerated Reading books. The front drawers were sponge painted using an orange base and a black glaze.

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My checkout system is the old-fashioned library checkout system with pockets and cards. I glue a pocket inside the front cover of every book.

A card is created for each book that includes the book title, Accelerated Reader book level, and Accelerated Reader points. When a student borrows a book, she places the book’s card in her pocket on the library pocket chart. When a student is finished with the book, she returns the title card to the book, and places the book back on the shelf. This system works for me - -the students can manage check-out independently, my books stay organized, and very little time is required of me!