Author and teacher Carol Avery, in And
With a Light Touch, says this about setting
up her room:
"I want my classroom to be warm and
inviting when the children arrive that first day, but not overwhelming
... Except for the strip of bulletin board above the chalkboard where I
tack the children's names, the bulletin boards are empty. In a few
weeks these bulletin boards will display pictures of authors, children's
art work ... and charts recording the children's ideas ... As I planned
a learner-centered classroom, I moved from interior decorator to professional
decision maker.
"Now I prepare for the opening of school
by anticipating what the children and I need for smooth operation of our
learner-centered classroom. (I am one of the learners there, thus
I prefer the term learner-centered to child-centered).
Everything that goes in this classroom must contribute to our purposes:
learning and literacy development in a supportive community."
And
With a Light Touch includes a terrific chapter
called Preparing the Learner-Centered
Classroom
The first time I read Carol Avery's
words about setting up her classroom, I thought "Yeah, right." No
way would my principal let me get away with having nothing on the walls
the first day of school. And, I have to admit, I'm uncomfortable
with the idea of such an empty palette when the children arrive.
But I have stopped putting up so much stuff that's designed to simply fill
the spaces.
Empty wall space is a good -- and precious
-- thing, especially at the beginning of the year. The kids need
a place to focus their eyes without getting over stimulated. For
most of us, the real complaint is that we don't have enough wall
space to display children's work, put up a Word Wall and a Calendar Wall,
and hang pocket charts and graphs and everything else that needs a flat
surface.
When I set up my first K-1 classroom,
I went back to Avery for advice, and I also borrowed from what I'd seen
in the rooms of teachers I admired. I've had 4 different classrooms
in the past 5 years, and each year I've put less on the walls before school
starts. I leave bulletin boards empty to display the self portraits
and graphs we'll make the first week of school. I decide where to
put my Word Wall and Calendar Wall, and then I arrange the furniture before
doing anything else. Here's a rundown on what I consider essential
in setting up my room.
First Things First
1. I have to have a spot
for a Word Wall and a Math Their Way styled Calendar Wall, so I select
those areas first. If you're extremely short of wall space, you can
put your Word Wall in two pocket charts on rolling stands (I use inexpensive
garment racks from Target or Walmart), and move them as needed.
I try to place my Calendar Wall so that
the children have their backs to the windows while we do calendar, which
helps them to concentrate. I'm more flexible on my Word Wall -- as
long as the kids can see it (even if they have to turn around in their
seats to do so), I'm happy. During our Writer's Workshop time,
children are free to move around the room to find help with spelling and
ideas, to confer with other students, and also to find a comfortable place
to write.
2. I don't use the chalkboards
in my classroom at all. For the past two years, I've had a double-wide
chalkboard (I think it's between 16 and 20 feet wide) across the east wall,
the official "front" of my room (it must be the front, the chalkboard,
clock, and a new wall-mounted television and VCR are there). I also
have a single chalkboard on the south wall, opposite a full wall of windows
and flanked on either side by bulletin boards with windows above
and wood paneling below.
I hang charts and things over my large
board, and I use a pull down screen and overhead projector for any writing
I would do on the board, so that I can watch the kids while I write.
I can easily see who's reading/tracking and who's daydreaming -- or simply
lost -- that way.
I cover the other board, and the entire
south wall (except the tiny windows at the top), floor-to-ceiling with
sky blue bulletin board paper that stays up all year long. My kids
are always surprised in June when I take that paper down, because they
have no idea there's a chalkboard hidden behind it. I attach permanent
charts and calendar things to that part of the wall with double sided tape
or sticky velcro dots. The part of that wall that's actually bulletin
board is used for seasonal things that I can staple and remove as needed.
Several teachers on the KinderKorner
mailing list have said that they pre plan their bulletin boards for the
entire year, figuring out what color backing they'll want each month.
Then they paper them in layers, so they can just remove the used paper
each month and be ready to start a new month. I'd never be that organized!
I put up my backing paper and leave
it up for the entire year. Blue for the south wall, red on both bulletin
boards in the reading corner/library, bright yellow on the long built-in
paint easel I use for my Word Wall, royal blue on my cabinet doors, and
black on the board behind my desk, so it looks like a chalkboard
(Don't ask ... I paper over my chalkboards, then paper a bulletin board
to look like a chalkboard).
3. Once I know where my
Word Wall and Calendar go, I arrange the student desks. For the past
2 years, I've had desks that open from the top, even for the KinderKids.
I used to prefer tables (even for my first graders), but I don't have the
space to store all the books and things they need, so I've kept the desks.
At the beginning of the year, my desks
are arranged in pairs, all facing the same direction. Last year I
tried something new -- I had the desks facing the calendar wall, so that
the kids had their backs to the windows. It really helped them stay
focused the first two or three weeks, but it was difficult for them to
turn sideways to see the overhead screen. Young children seem to
need to face the board at the beginning of the year, as they learn to track
print.
After the first few weeks, I move my
desks into groups of 4, so that we have more floor space. There are
also times when I arrange all the desks into two long tables, each having
5 or 6 pairs of desks in facing rows, to give us extra space on the floor.
I find that my kids keep their desks in place better when they're in a
group, because they don't move them forward every time they lean against
them.
4. After I arrange the desks,
I decide where to put the other large tables. I've been using a round
table for Guided Reading, and have 3 large tables around the edges of the
room. Those tables are supposed to be for student activities and
our science table, but I often pile my stuff on them so that the kids can't
use them everyday. I'm a messy at heart :o)
5. In addition to the work
tables, I have a teacher's desk and filing cabinet that belong to the school,
2 large filing cabinets of my own, 4 smaller tables I keep books on and
under, 2 old-fashioned double-wide desks with computers on them, two overhead
projector carts (I use one for supplies), and three free-standing shelves
that belong to me (I keep Literacy and Math center supplies on them in
tubs).
All of this furniture goes around the
perimeter of the room, leaving as much space as possible on 2 or 3 sides
of the desks, so that we have room for a Story Floor and spaces where the
kids can work comfortably on the floor.
6. The last thing I do,
before setting out smaller stuff and supplies, is put up clotheslines.
I have a wire one that stretches across the double chalkboard, about 12
inches above the chalk tray (attached to the screws that hold the board
in place), and another wire one about 30 inches off the floor on the south
wall (attached to tiny eyebolts screwed into the wall). I have a
third one (a real rope clothesline) that spans the room from front to back,
attached to the walls with small eyebolts. I leave these up year
round, and attach things to them with clothespins. They hold paintings,
wall stories, wind socks, art projects, and many other things during the
year.
Defined Areas
& Moveable Materials
1.
Story floor -- space in front of the desks with enough room for the entire
class to gather for Shared Reading and other informal, shared activities.
I have my reading chair there (some years it's a short chair, other years
I bring in a rocking chair from home). I have an easel for Big Books
and Song & Poetry Cards, as well as for Shared Writing and mini lessons.
There is also a special Author's Chair where the kids sit when they share
their writing, and I have boxes that hold my Big Books and Song & Poetry
cards, which we use during Literacy Centers.
2.
Reading Corner/Library -- a corner of my room with shelves and stacked
milk crates that display books for the children to read. I keep most
of my books in dishpans, so that the kids can flip through them and see
the covers. I also display books upright on the chalk tray at the
front of the room, on tables and counters, and in baskets that hold special
seasonal and thematic collections.
3.
Countertop for Book Boxes -- I set aside a space on my counter for the
kids' individual Book Boxes, which are cereal boxes with their name and
number on them to make them easy to find and put back. All of the
kids in my classroom have a number -- they begin in alphabetical order,
but when a child moves, that number is given to the next student who enrolls.
Their number and name goes on all papers, books, and supplies kept at their
seats.
4.
Science Table -- I have a large table against the wall that is our official
Science Table, where we put collections and nifty things we're studying.
I also use this table to work with students.
5.
Computer Area -- I have two computers in my classroom (but no software,
except for what I've purchased myself). The computers are on two
old double desks that are placed to form a solid square. Two students
work on each computer, as more learning takes place when they can talk
about what they're doing. The sign of active computer learning in
small children is a monitor screen covered with fingerprints ... it shows
you the kids are excited about what they've been doing :o)
6.
Magnetic Play Area -- I use two sides of a filing cabinet for this.
There are buckets on the floor that hold magnetic letters and numbers,
a copy of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, and pattern blocks with sticky
magnetic tape on the back.
7.
Calendar Floor -- there's enough room in front of my calendar wall for
the class to sit during calendar time. We also use this area as a
workspace during Literacy Centers.
8.
Supplies and Storage -- I have 3 sets of short shelves to hold math manipulatives,
tubs with Literacy Center materials, and puzzles and games. I also
use a 3 shelf overhead projector card to hold writing paper (lined and
unlined, in many sizes), pencils, glue, extra scissors, clipboards, chalkboards
and socks (used as erasers, and we store chalk inside them), and other
things the students need to have access to every day. Behind my desk
are 3 large plastic storage boxes holding blocks and Legos. These
only come out during Developmental Centers or choice time, and I tend to
pile stuff on top of them when they're not being used.
9.
Listening Center -- I gave up having a formal Listening Center several
years ago, because it took up too much space. Now I keep a tape recorder
on a table or in a milk crate, along with tapes and books in ziplock Baggies.
We don't use the headphones because they're hard to store and keep untangled,
and also because of lice.
10. Note
about coat hooks -- We don't use the coat hooks in our room, because they're
a waste of valuable wall space and because they encourage the spread of
lice (a rare problem in my class because we take lots of precautions).
We store backpacks and jackets on the backs of the students' chairs, with
the straps of the backpack slipped onto the chair back, which holds their
jacket in place and keeps their backpack from falling off. This also
eliminates congestion at the coat hooks during transition times.
11. Student
Mail Boxes -- I got lucky a couple years ago, and was able to get a brand
new set of rolling cubbies from the District office. I keep them
against the front of my desk, and use the top to hold my lesson plan book
and materials I'll be using on the overhead during the day.
12. Pocket
Charts -- Pocket Charts are my favorite tool for teaching reading, and
I use between 8 and 12 (or more -- I just bought 4 more at Walmart for
$9.95 each!) all the time. Some are attached to the wall, but most
are on rolling laundry/garment racks, two per rack. I move them out
for instructional time and Literacy Centers, then roll them out of the
way the rest of the time.
So What Goes on
the Walls?
As mentioned earlier,
I try to keep a lot of wall space empty for the First Day of School, and
I fill it with student work. For specifics, see my First
Day of School pages. Of course, by the time we've been at school
for several weeks, our walls and clotheslines are filled with projects,
charts, art, seasonal word lists, and many other wonderful things, all
of which contribute to the learning environment.
Here are a few
things I think are important to have up in my room:
1.
I have 6 separate alphabets on display. I have a typical picture
alphabet above the chalkboard in the front of the room, and I have picture
alphabet charts in various places (including both doors and one on the
easel that we use each day during Shared Reading). Each one has a
different set of pictures, for building more word knowledge and phonemic
awareness.
Research has shown
that children should have a minimum of 5 alphabets displayed around the
room. Except for the one above the board, all of mine are low enough
that the kids can read them while sitting on the floor, and they use them
as a writing reference. Each child also has a letter-sized laminated
alphabet in their desk.
2.
I have the children's names in several places: on their desk, in
one or two interactive pocket charts, on all displayed work, on their mailboxes,
and on cards taped to the door in a vertical row to remind them of their
place in line. Again, research shows that it's important to have
their names in many places -- one of the first things children read is
their name and their friends' names.
3.
I have story-starter phrases on a tall cabinet door all year long.
They're the simple ones -- I see, I like, I can, I wish, etc. We
add to these as the year progresses.
Graphic Organizers
I have several
graphic organizers attached to the chalkboard in the front of the room:
* Good Apple Behavior chart -- I use a calendar pocket chart and
the Lee Cantor style of color changes to record daily behavior -- and a
copy of our Class Rules poem (it's on the First Day
of School page).
* Literacy Centers Work Board -- I have four groups with no more than 5
students in each, and they have several centers/activities to do each day.
* Math Centers Work Board -- A laminated vertical chart with approximately
25 different manipulative activities on it, each listed on a 1x4 label.
I have four or five math groups, and each group has their own colored clothes
pin to designate their activity for the day. This board is really
to keep me organized ... I simply move the clothespins down the chart each
day that we use the activities.
* Developmental Learning Centers Work Board -- Another activity board with
four groups (these are designated by a colored animal, and are different
groupings of children than either of the preceeding groups). This
is the time that kids do specific centers that each group *must* complete
during the week, such as an independent art activity, working with Legos,
creative/dramatic play, playdough, etc. I rotate the activity to
the next group four times a week, and we have Free Choice on Fridays.
Many of these same activities are also used at various times during Literacy
and Math centers.
Final Touches
When everything
else is in place, I put the following things on each student's desk:
1.
Two fat pencils and an eraser (I don't use pencils with erasers at the
beginning of the year -- I need to see the "mistakes" and attempts the
children make in order to plan appropriate instruction).
2.
A box of 16 crayons.
3.
A pair of Fiskars scissors for kids.
4.
A glue stick.
5.
A small plastic basket to hold all these things (the boxes that video tapes
come in work good, too, but the kids often spill them when they pull them
open).
6.
A Beary Good Work folder, with seat work for the first few days
-- coloring sheets, writing and drawing paper, puzzles and mazes, etc.
7.
A couple of textbooks with lots of illustrations -- usually our Social
Studies book and the pre-primer book from our discarded Houghton Mifflin
reading series (the green "A" book, which we use to read Mary Wore Her
Red Dress the first day).
8.
A name tag for the child to wear the first week, with their first name
and my name and room number.
9.
A coloring page with a shoe, a car, and a bus -- for our How Do You
Get to School? graph.
That's about it
for setting up the classroom. Of course, there's lots of prep work
to do to get ready, and there's usually a big mess (or two or three) by
the time the first morning rolls around. I keep two empty photocopy
paper boxes under my desk to stash my messy piles in so that the room looks
good the first day or week. After that, our room is generally rather
messy, but a happy place to work and learn.
There are some
links at the bottom of this page to good sites for first year teachers.
If you have any suggestions to share, or would like to send me a note,
please write to kndrcorner@aol.com.
This is an awesome book for setting up your room, your expectations, your procedures and rules, and just about anything
else you can think of to get off to a great start. Highly recommended.
My bookstore pages
have lots of information on how I use various materials in my classroom,
and on activities you can do with your students. The thematic pages
are complete unit resources, with lots of poems, songs, and links on each
page. Make yourself comfortable and take a look around!
Choose from the
categories below. Underlined subjects
are links, the other ones are coming soon!
