August 2000
 

They remodeled our school office this summer, and this work station was waiting to be shipped to the District Warehouse where it would no doubt stay until eternity.  I gave up some floor space to squeeze it in. This side holds my new classroom computer, with Internet access but no software except for what I've added myself.  I'll share this one with my students.  On the back side are two tables with older computers (one belongs to school and one belongs to me) that the kids will use for various educational programs that used to belong to my own children.

The backside of the computer station ... note the nifty hole drilled into the wood near the top, so that cables and cords could be pulled through when this was in the office.  I need to remember to hang something over the hole, and have to bring in a computer from home for the empty table.  Enjoy all that nice, open space on the floor and the top of my desk, because it doesn't last long.

My desk is in the corner against the window.  The table will become our writing center and the shelf will hold Math Their Way manipulatives.  The boxes on the table hold some of the 20,000+ copies that were waiting in my room when I came back to work -- I sent them out in early June, and my sons and another teacher's daughter sorted and collated them for all 5 kindergarten teachers over a 2 day period last week.  Getting the 10+ boxes of printing out of my room was a very high priority.
 

The wall is now papered and the math shelf is starting to fill up.  The children's self-portraits will go on this wall, surrounding the poem by Jill Eggleston, and will be moved up near the ceiling after the first few weeks of school, so that this space can be used for other projects.  I'll store rolling pocket chart stands in front of this shelf when they're not in use.  I have 12 pocket charts -- and 6 chart stands of various sorts -- that need a "home" that doesn't interfere with traffic patterns and access to materials.

I papered a large bulletin board area behind my desk for posting notices and things I need to have but that don't concern the kids.  This is the only non-child wallspace in the room, and I always make the background black, because it reminds me of real chalkboards :o)
 

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This page went online August 27, 2000