While cleaning up and putting away my classroom at the end of each year is a time consuming endeavor, I appreciate the chance it gives me to give my room a refresh. I love to be creative and decorate. Being able to come back in August and start from scratch allows me that opportunity and I don’t have to tear down any walls or retile the bathroom for a second time.

Additionally, I crave functionality. I need my classroom to have a good flow to it and work for the students as well as for me. Prior to the 2020-2021 school year, I gathered a group of teacher friends and we put together an awesome room setup. I was so excited to start the new year! ———— And then came the guidelines on how a classroom needed to be structured to return during this Covid year. Out went my delightful tables and in came...desks. Blah. I completely understand the need for these regulations and safety for my students and their families is one of my top priorities so we made it work! But this year, I am hoping to put my plan into action.

I love having well defined spaces for my students. This helps to cut down on confusion for the students as well as contain possible messes that might occur. It also helps me quickly set up and take down new units. If each station is predetermined, then I know exactly how I am going to use it and where each item should go. I also believe that my little friends feel more at ease when their environment is stable. This year I have an art station with easels that an awesome parent bought for me last year. I put the drying rack underneath for quick access. On the right is my math center area with our math tools, games and a learning spot. I also have a reading station for both my leveled books and trade books for my little friends to enjoy. Check out a couple of tours of some of my past classrooms.

The kiva is one of my favorite places in the classroom. It’s where we gather to share stories, birthdays and learning opportunities. I love that it has an upper and lower level so students have a closeup view of what we are doing. The back side makes excellent storage for fast finishers as well.

I’m really happy with how things turned out this year, but there’s still room for improvement. Getting a science station solidified in a classroom is imperative, because kids love science and it’s so important for them to have hands-on experiments to increase their knowledge.

I hope you have as much fun setting up your classroom this year as I did.

A Room With a School View