I got a look at my new classroom today. It is new in a couple of ways. I’m moving from one hallway to another, so it actually will be my first year in that room. It’s also new in that the chalkboard and two bulletin boards have been replaced by a wonderful, expansive whiteboard. I’m supposed to be getting a ceiling-mounted projector sometime in the next week as well. I’m pretty excited about all of the changes! Here is my room today:
It’s a panoramic picture. I’m really not very good at those, but I think you can get the idea. I have lots of empty shelves and blank spaces to work with.
I’ve been reading a lot lately about creating student-centered learning spaces on Classroom Cribs and elsewhere. There are so many truly transformative things that I would like to do, but I must also work within the expectations of my administration, and I have to keep in mind the limitations of my budget as well.
My students are all at risk, and many have diagnosed attention difficulties, whether those are ADD or ADHD. Many are also EI or have been diagnosed with mood or behavior disorders. I want to use calming colors for the bulletin boards and accents in my classroom to try to make it a place where these students can focus and feel safe and comfortable.
For the first time this trimester, I am going to try out a word wall. The bulletin board by the bookshelves should be a good place for that. I’m going to divide it up for three of my 4 classes. The 4th class is yearbook/newsletter, which actually takes place in the computer lab. Perhaps I will make them a word wall down there. The bookshelves themselves, of course, will be loaded up with my ever-growing classroom library. I have a few awesome spaces that are meant to showcase magazines, but I am going to use those to show off new or cool books that I want students to try out.
I am also going to try to use more student work on the walls rather than posters. I will still hang a few of my favorites, but I want most of the open space to be available for what the students create.
My other big challenge this year is staying organized and reducing clutter. Honestly, for me, the most difficult part of teaching 4 different classes is keeping paperwork for 4 different classes from piling up on my desk and around the room. Last year, I was a cluttered mess. I need two more hanging file bins for absent/make up work. Three of those will go on the top of the cabinets by the windows. The fourth will go down in the computer lab.
As far as seating goes, the expectations for my school are that students will sit in their chairs at their desks facing the front of the room most of the time. I am not at a point where I want to challenge this, although it is not the most comfortable set up for me personally, nor is it the most student-centered, learning-friendly arrangement. Going back to my first post on this blog, I have to start with what I can do, and what I can control. I’ll do the best that I can for my students!
Here are some more normal pictures of the space as it is now:
