2019 Classroom Tour

This is the front wall of my classroom. I moved all my timetables and calendar to one side this year to free up more whiteboard space. It is also nice to have some areas of the classroom blank so it isn't so overwhelming. 

Here's a close look at the whiteboard area with our timetable and calendar. I must admit it looks a little bit crowded but I am sticking with it for now. To the right you will see the number of the day which is the mental maths activity for term 1.

This is my No Fuss Flip Calendar. All the pieces are on rings so all my students or I have to do is flip to the next date. So super quick and easy. No more lost pieces or students spending ages finding the right piece.

My Weekly Timetable ensure all students know what is coming up each day. This is a strategy used for students with Autism but it is honestly great for all students. I reprinted the timetable this year 4 to a page to decrease the size.

Under that is my Reading Group Timetable. I use students names on laminated card so I can change them around easily when needed. I only do one rotation a day. You can get this template for free by clicking here. 

Above my whiteboard are the Multiplication charts. They are a great pop of colour but also very useful to students when covering concepts involving multiplication facts but I don't want to let not knowing their timetables stand in the way of being able to learn the other concept. I cover them up when needed with newspaper.

I love keeping my room looking bright by having as much of the windows clear as possible. I have sheer rainbow curtains up but they are a bit hard to see in this photo. The only thing I typically hang from my ceiling are the rainbow bunting to help break up the room a little. Other then that I like to keep the space feeling open.

I use these pockets for work students still need to finish.  I have two of these in the class to help spread the students out with about 5 students using one pocket. I like to have the work where I can see it so I can remind those that need it to do their work.

Next to that is my hand raising chart from Little Lovely Leaders. Students show two fingers to ask to go to the toilet. I find this makes it less of an interruption and less embarrassing for students to ask. 

My back wall has been changed up this year with the addition of the rainbow banners for subject areas. I added these for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I wanted to brighten up the back wall, secondly I wanted to make it easier for parents to understand what subject work on the wall belonged to. Mainly I just wanted to fill up that top space that is very hard to reach so I often don't put stuff up there.

In this back corner I have my scrap paper basket that kids are allowed to take paper from whenever needed. Next to that is my prize box. Prices include tokens to sit at the teachers desk or use a teacher chair as well as physical prizes.
I then have my bookcase. I keep this small and swap out every few terms. 

Lastly we have my two borrowing boxes. Students can borrow items from here whenever they need. Any items found on the floor at the end of the day are placed in these draws. Items occasionally don't get returned by the items going in often match up with the items never returned. 

Each tray here matches a literacy group. Each student has two little booklets that match activities they do during literacy rotations. The tray holds stories we have read as a group that students then complete activities on. You can hear more about my literacy groups in this video. 

This area hasn't changed much except I have tried to neaten it up. My name at the top of the cupboard are letters I bought and then decorated with different tape. Rainbow labels are another freebie. 

The writing goals poster is available for free here. Students' names are placed on here to remind them of the goal they are working on. This chart is not hierarchical and students can be on the same goal here but have different focuses. 

I try to keep my desk as bare as possible. This help me to keep it clean. 

In these trays I store all the worksheets and resources that are ready for the lessons. Each tray label matches a subject on my timetable. I often photocopy a whole terms worth of work at the beginning of the term for subjects like HASS, Tech, Health and Text Types. 

This is  the last wall of my room. The big change here is probably not noticeable in the photo. The top edge of the wall used to be horrible. It had peeling paint with flaking corkboard under that. I covered it up with contact paper from Kmart. It looks amazing and i am so happy with it!

This photo was taken the other day and shows the punctuation posters I have put up as we have covered each one and my 'Write Any Number' display. 

This area is a bit boring. The previous teacher wanted the T.V. away from the whiteboard so that is why it is on the side of the room.

My maths resources are kept neat but again this area is nothing special. 

This room is about 40 years old so unfortunately it looks it in many places! I do my best to cover it up where possible but this area is one I haven't yet tackled. I am thinking of contacting the cupboard in marble paper....what do you think?

I hope you have enjoyed my classroom tour!