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CLASSROOM REVEAL 2015

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IT’S TIME FOR MY CLASSROOM REVEAL!!!  And OH MY WORD I am ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE WITH MY CLASSROOM SPACE this year and could hardly wait to share it ALL with all of you!!!!! If color and patterns offend you,  you should probably go ahead and stop reading. 🙂
hashtag just sayin.  hashtag sorry not sorry.
I hope you are ready to pin and screen shot away as my classroom for 2015-2016 is READY TO SHARE with you!!
Come on in!!  I’ll do a little break down of each picture for you as we go, but I’m mostly going to let the pictures speak for themselves!! 🙂
I made the “H”  on my doorway that stands for Highland (my school district) out of a wooden H from Hobby Lobby, some mod podge, washi tape and scrap book paper!  It has lasted me 3 years so far!! And the “Welcome to my Classroom” sign is a part of my “Back to School Editable Papers” pack on TPT.
Hey hey shiny waxed floors!!  Fact, this view from the doorway looks JUST AS SHINY on day 11! So far so good with the lasting shine! 🙂 And y’all.  Those windows are just LOVE.

 

So I am a proud Penn State graduate and my lunch count area right inside my door makes sure that whoever steps foot into my classroom knows just that! 🙂  Those polka dot letters are from Teacher Created Resources and the “This classroom runs on … ” sign is from HERE.

 

These are our SCHOOL EXPECTATIONS that I created to hang in our classroom this year to replace the old icky yellow stained one. 🙂 I love my version much much better.
Fonts: KG LEGO HOUSE and KG WAKE ME UP
The neon brights poster on the cabinet there is from my Inspirational Posters pack in my store!

 

I JUST LOVE THE ENTRY WAY TO MY CLASSROOM!! 🙂
We have our specials schedule (letters from Creative Teaching Press), lunch count from my store, my SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW board that I use as formative assessments, exit tickets, lesson wrap ups, etc (email me for more information or if you’d like the file!!), and jobs by the fabulous Amy Groesbeck 🙂

 

Love.  I don’t really have a classroom “theme”.  When people ask me what my classroom theme is, I think color, patterns, and labels galore. 🙂 I just LOVE my home away from home!

 

 These fun motivation signs are a freebie from A Burst of First! And (gasp, I know) I also use the clip chart system in my classroom which is effective for me in the ways that I use it, and I don’t remember where I snagged it! I’m sorry!

 

Welcome to the NEWEST AREA OF MY CLASSROOM!!! I am going ALL OUT with Brag Tags this year!  They are a positive classroom management system that I am using this year that the kiddos will collect on a chain from Image Stuff.   You can check out my brag tag packs in my shop {HERE} and you can snag the black toolbox labels for the brag tags and accessories in my shop here, and you can read all about how I enlarged fonts and clip art to use for this bulletin board HERE!

Here is a look at one of the brag tags that I created for my kiddos this week! I’m ALWAYS looking to see who is doing their “2nd grade best” and now I’ve got a brag tag ready to hand out to them when I see it!! We are LOVING these!!
I just LOVE this bulletin board and the kids are loving this organizational area, too.  It’s where we keep our brag tags when we aren’t wearing them, it’s where we get new ones out of the toolbox drawers when we earn them, and it’s where we have ALL THINGS BRAG TAGS in one place if we need them! And I LOVE how bright it is!! 🙂  The toolbox I finally found at Lowe’s!!
brag tags, classroom management, positive reinforcement

 

Oh hey hey Reading Wall! Shades of meaning colors are by Rachel Lamb as are the genre posters!
The Reading Wonders Reading Focus Wall pack for 1st grade and 2nd grade are also available in my store!
White rack: Target
Baskets: Really Good Stuff
Magazine Holders: Highlights
“READ” letters: Walmart!

 

Classroom labels: my store!
baskets: Really good stuff

 

More labels!
Glue sponges are inspired by Mr. Greg at The Kindergarten Smorgasbord!!

 

Schedule cards FREE IN MY STORE!
The Birthday board just needs my kiddos’ pictures (holding the number of their birthday date – Thanks Mrs. Yerty!!)
Be the Best Version of YOU poster! (LOVE, right?!?)
Calendar set: Creative Teaching Press
Place Value Chart: no idea.  I’ve had it for 2489 years 🙂

 

Seriously LOVE the natural lighting in my classroom and I ADORE these rule posters by Kaitlynn Albani!!
The wreath was a gift by a family friend (thanks Dana Lou!) that I believe she got at a local floral shop!

 

I always make a few extra copies of what ever it is we are doing, and then into the extras tray they go! They come in handy when a student is absent, a student makes a mistake that an eraser can’t tackle, a student loses a paper at home, orrrrrr if a student decides to do less than their 2nd grade best.   🙂 Do it nice, or do it twice is what I like to say!    Then I empty it out at the end of every marking period 🙂
The label is from my classroom labels pack and I got the teal basket from Michael’s. 🙂

 

OH HEY GIANT QUOTE ON THE WALL!!
y’all.  I am OBSESSEDDDDDD with making fonts ginormous and printing them out POSTER SIZE!!  And this quote: Do what you love, love what you do… I mean seriously! JUST LOVE!! And I’m loving how it turned out in the front of my classroom on my wall!!! 🙂
fonts: KG THE LAST TIME and KG HAPPY
Here is a video from my YOUTUBE channel of how I do it!

Fact: when you stand on the table, your classroom pictures look fab 🙂 Don’t mind my dress – it was on stand by for the wardrobe change for Open House:)

Here’s just another view of my classroom all ready to go for the first day! I’m glad I remembered to take pictures a)before my phone died #onedayillbuyabiggirlcamera and b)before open house started and all of my kids, parents, and kids’ siblings moved everything all around!   That was the prettiest it’ll ever look! (until next year! haha!)

SOOOOO this year, I’m trying table supplies!! These labels I’m using are from Ladybug Teacher Files.  The black carts were $9.99 from Target.  In the drawers for each table, I will keep undone work in the top drawer for them to come back to tomorrow, work on as an early finisher activity, etc, crayons for our reading class friends that come to my room one hour a day and will need some supplies close by (that’s who the extra pencil tub is for too on TOP of the black cart) and their reading  interactive notebooks and reading folders.  I LOVE that the supplies that I don’t necessarily want kept in their desks will be RIGHT at their finger tips at their table! Talk about cutting down on transition time!  Plus, I LOVE the brightly colored labels popping out on the black carts!! SO my style!

 

While I was all standing on a table, I snagged another angle of my reading focus wall.  My kids really do refer to these skills and words EVERY week as I change it every Friday for the upcoming week of new skills!

 

In the cart to the far left, I keep activities and centers for each of the 6 units of Reading WONDERS.
In the themed drawers, I keep holiday/seasonal themed activities, even class sets of activities for those seasons/holidays for me to have on hand to use for a sub, extra practice, early finishers, etc! I’ll blog about my center organization in more detail another day!
grab the monthly drawer labels for free {HERE}

 

My teacher toolbox labels are by Ladybug Teacher Files and the toolbox itself is from Lowe’s.  The binder spines are random creations by me 🙂 In the unit binders, I keep masters, scope and sequences, lesson plans, etc, that all align with my reading series, Reading Wonders.

 

Seriously.  Love my desk.  Learn how to make giant fonts here!
Fonts I used were: KG WAKE ME UP and MTF Jumpin’ Jack!
Clip are by Melonheadz and Ashley Hughes
The chevron is CONTACT PAPER (shelf liner) that I found at TJ MAXX.
more label love!
I put my copies for the week in these drawers so they’re ready to grab and go each morning! Papers are NEVER on my desk because they always have a place!!

 

This is the area behind my desk including some WBT rules, a number line through 120, and a new and improved math wall that you can read about here!

 

Just another look at my math wall, numbers by Meredith at Creativity to the Core, and my alphabet that I’m in LOVE WITH!!!

 

and just another angle 🙂 🙂 LOVE!

 

pencil station complete with in bins for my homeroom and reading class to turn in the finished work! Stacks of papers on my desk? NO THANK YOU!

 

Here is where I will post my daily objectives or learning targets by my sweet and TALENTED FRIEND Maribel from Learning in Wonderland!! You can also read about my “Lend a Hand” freebie for Open house HERE! Hello CLASSROOM DONATIONS!

 

Here are where my student mailboxes are (from Really Good Stuff) and more supplies like first aide kit, book order info, masters of a few commonly used response sheets, etc!  Those blue and pink baskets were from Target a few years ago! The labels are from my book bin labels pack on TPT 🙂

 

Oh heyyyy meeting area.  This carpet was purchased by my PTO so I’m not sure where it is from, but I love how bright it is!  The easel is another great purchase from Really Good Stuff 🙂

 

My word wall is patiently waiting on some words!! I mod podged the letters to paper plates from Walmart, attached some GIANT Melonheadz clipart and black and white chevron border to the tack.

 

Here’s the final corner of my room! We’re back to the door where our tour began! Did you enjoy your stay?!? Oh wait, you want to see the hallway?!?!? well, OF COURSE!!! . . . . .
Here’s my back to school welcome bulletin board that I’ll add our work to as we collect it! I LOVE hanging student work outside my classroom.  The kids are always SO proud to see it!
I got some inspiration from The Teachable Teacher and her editable name tags and I just LOVE how they pop on the green lockers!! And yes, each kiddos’ clip art looks just like them! 🙂
How cute are THESE BUSSES by my sweet sweet and talented friend Jennifer from First Grade Blueskies?!?  They are hanging with some coordinating border and pennants from Creative Teaching Press above our lockers in the hallway!!!
ANNNNNND…. are you ready to see my door?!?!?!

 

More GIANT FONT AND CLIP ART LOVE came alive on the door that I get to see EVERY day before I even step FOOT in my classroom!!! I just LOVE how this door came together, I love how BRIGHT the colors pop on the black lock down drill required shade (we need to be able to cover the window), and I LOVED the inspiration from A Teachable Teacher and her editable name tags!!! I knew I HAD to made my kids name tags have matching clip art that looks like them!! I just LOVE how it turned out!!
I hope you enjoyed the full tour of my classroom for the 2015-16 school year! I am LOVING it being my home away from home this year so far ! Don’t forget to pin any images that you liked, too!!
Thanks so much for stopping by!!!

Comments

  1. 1

    Angie Olson says

    Oh goodness gracious! Beautiful! Amazing! Talent! Perfect! Just a few words that came to my mind after reading and LOOKING at this post…and holy pinnable image heaven! Ashley, your students are so lucky to have you as their teacher! Love ya girl!

  2. 2

    twolittlebirds says

    Your classroom looks fabulous!! You are so good at picking and mixing the perfect fonts! And also, taking amazing pictures! Everything looks awesome, you're students are lucky to learn in such an engaging classroom!

    ~Jen

  5. 5

    Lauren- Stickies & Sharpies says

    Your classroom makes me so happy! What bright fun colors! I love that all the fonts match! I'm updating all my fonts because I just fell in love with the KG fonts! Your passion truly shows through in your classroom! Thanks for being an inspiration and sharing your passion with others! We need more teachers like you in this world!

  7. 7

    Jessica Berggren says

    First of all, I still use a clip chart too, and I don't think you should apologize for it. What works in one class, may not work in another. I tried to go without it after reading some blog posts. It just wasn't going to happen. 2nd I have loved your idea of blowing up the graphics and used that idea on our team bulletin board this year as well. Your room is fab! Have a great year!
    -Jessica
    Tales of a First Grade Teacher

  8. 8

    Emily Yerty says

    Thank you for sharing SO many pictures and ideas! I love the undone work drawer at each table-sooo smart! I feel like I just got the best tour of your room. It's a perfect mix of colors and patterns- it's always been your style <3 I can't wait to continue seeing your amazing ideas throughout the year!

    Emily
    morepolkadotsplease.blogspot.com

  9. 9

    Brain Ninjas says

    Oh Ashley,
    As always you have brightened my day. Your room is absolutely what I expected-but better. So colourful! So bright! And you may have convinced my to print out some giant quotes. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

    Brain Ninjas from Brain Ninja Notes

  13. 13

    Amy S says

    Bea—uuuuuuuu—ttt—-i–ful! Love your room! The desk and giant Melonheadz are my favorites! Wishing you a wonderful year!

  14. 14

    Jayme says

    I love your space Ashley!! What a great classroom! You can tell that you put so much hard work and time into creating a place for your students that reflects both you and them. I obviously love all of the Penn State touches sprinkled throughout! I hope you're having a wonderful year so far. Thank you SO much for putting this linky together. It's been so much fun!

    Jayme
    Teach Talk Inspire

  15. 15

    Recipe for Teaching says

    Ashley – Your room looks seriously AMAZING!!!! Thank you so much for sharing your classroom with us. You can tell from these pictures just how much time you have put into creating a special place for your students. I feel like I really need to look at using "Brag Tags" with my students! I have never used them before, but they seem like a great idea! Thanks so much for hosting this link-up!

    ~Heather 🙂
    Recipe for Teaching

  19. 19

    Janet says

    I love your room. It is very organized. I have never thought of putting plastic drawers at each table for supplies. Thanks for sharing your pics and ideas.