Little but Magical Changes

I may be in the minority here, but I am a firm believer that even if you don't change your classroom theme for the new school year, there should be something new.  I don't want my new students to just fall into the empty spaces left behind by my last students.  I want my new students to notice differences, be intrigued by the changes, feel like they matter enough for me to make changes.  Because they do.  I believe they deserve something they can call their own.

I didn't make any huge changes for this year, but there are small things here and there that I changed just enough to create wonder and excitement.

Flying ear hats!  My super creative mom helped come up with the idea and my handy dandy daddy did the hard work: hanging up my ear hats!  Last year they sat on top of my cabinets.  This year, they're flying above them!  It's fun when the air conditioning kicks in because the hats move like they're floating. :)

More pillows/rugs!  To help encourage my students to take advantage of my alternative seating arrangement and provide them with comfortable options, I bought more pillows!  I never realized how expensive pillows are, but I got lucky and found some fun, inexpensive, Disney themed ones.  The only problem with more pillows is a place to put them!  Last year my 7 pillows (and two rugs) fit perfectly on my low square table, but the additions took much more space than that.  I re-purposed my supply crates from last year and have now created an out of the way home for the pillows.  (If only the class could put them back as neatly as I do!)

The pillow crates are under the counter by the round table.

New seating options!  My last class LOVED my two big bean bag chairs...so much so that both of them exploded in the last week of school. :( My classroom said goodbye to the bean bag chairs and my search for new seating began.  Lucky for me, my sister (also a teacher) switched grades this year and no longer had space in her classroom for this fun striped saucer chair!  And to top it off, the bench by the window is a toy chest/bench that we've had at home since I got my very first desk set (all of which is now in my classroom!).  Great storage, great seating, and free!

More fun decorations!  Disneyland is celebrating it's 60th anniversary right now and I would highly recommend you go if you can!  As part of the 60th celebration they are selling popcorn buckets shaped like the Mickey head balloons.  These are clearly a must have for my classroom!  I still need to get the third one (red), but I love how fun they look "floating" into the sky.

I also came across this awesome photo booth kit.  It came complete with two frames and six props.  These made for some great, fun first day of school pictures!

 

An expanded classroom library!  I'm not sure how, but I seem to have gained a ton of books over the summer.  YAY!  I bought the six square shelving unit from Target to house my series and LOVE it.  I like how organized it looks and being able to keep each series together.  I also bought more baskets like the ones on top of my shelves (Big Lots) for certain types of books and placed them on the shelves.  This is my effort to keep my classroom library as organized as possible...but then the kids attack! ;)

Ride posters!  I've been hanging on to my set of incredible Disneyland posters until I could find a good place for them to go...and I'm finally starting to get them placed poster by poster.  Last year I had maps of Disneyland and California adventure under the question, but with the placement of my chrome book cart there, there wasn't going to be enough space and I didn't want it to look cluttery.  I thought these three posters would be great with the question because each has to do with the question in some way: the wildest ride in the wilderness, the happiest cruise that ever sailed 'round the world, and the train that can take you all around Disneyland.  It's up to them how they want to start!

Awesome easel!  This might be my new favorite thing.  I bought this easel at Ikea ($14.99!) because I am going to need something for my chart tablets during my mini-lessons for writing (we're starting Lucy Calkins).  Now that I have it, I love how I can use it for everything!!  It has a chalkboard, whiteboard, roll of paper (for when I get super creative?), and a small shelf below the whiteboard.  We use it every day and it's fabulous!

Magnetic letters!  Ok, so this may not really have anything to do with classroom decor...my these magnetic letters are awesome!  They're a fun way to add some color to your whiteboard and create titles/labels/etc. that are purposeful and easy to see.

You know, Disneyland Tokyo, Disneyland Paris, Disneyland Avo*! (*Abbreviated school name)

New chairs!  Found these puppies at Ikea as well.  Ten bucks!  I bought two and the kids LOVE them!  They are another fun alternative to sitting in a normal chair at a desk all day.

The most awesome chair I could've ever asked for!  I wanted a director's chair for my birthday so my family teamed up: my parents bought the chair and the canvas and my sister decorated it with her amazing artist skills!  Holy moly it's amazing and more than anything I could've imagined!  It's such a happy thing to have right up front in my classroom; a great reminder that even on the roughest days, I still have so much to be amazed by!

 

And of course: Cinderella!  One of my students gave this life size Cinderella to me at the end of last year...and she's AWESOME!  The only problem is that she kinda takes up a lot of space, and I don't want her to get banged up by children!  (Or me, since I tripped on her on the first day of school and she almost fell on a student...Cinderella attack!)  I've had her out for about a week, but I think it's time for her to go back to the castle for a bit.  I think she'll come visit once in a while as a special treat instead of being a permanent fixture.

Changing Gears

We have just finished our first full week of school and we are already in full swing!  I can tell this is going to be a great year with a class full of unique and wonderful personalities!  This being my second year of teaching, it's the first time I've parted with a class at the end of one year and started with a new class at the beginning of the next.

My first class was one for the books.  Holy moly.  My first year of teaching exceeded my expectations and left me feeling blessed.  We had something truly special: there was a level of trust I've never seen among a group of kids before, we laughed, we cried, we learned about ourselves, we learned how to just be.  And boy oh boy did that lead to a very difficult and very emotional end of the year for all of us!  My 23 Mouseketeers and I shared a very teary goodbye on a sunny afternoon in June.

Then all of the sudden, there were 25 brand new faces staring at me one sunny August morning.  And they are not last year's class.  They are this year's class.  (And last year's class was my first class, there will never be another one of those...just like this year's is my second class and there will never be another one of it!)  As we've gotten to know each other over the past week I've discovered that I am just as blessed to be learning alongside some incredible kids once again.  Notice the word learning: first I wrote teaching, then changed it to leading, and finally landed on learning.  No matter how much I teach my students, or how well I lead them, what matters most is that we learn together.

Now to the real inspiration for this post: changing gears from the end of one year to the beginning of the next.

This is something no one warned new teachers about!  You leave one class ready for the next grade.  Then you start the next class with students who just finished the grade level before yours.  Last year's third graders were basically 4th graders when school ended!  This year's third graders are basically 2nd graders right now!  Little 4th graders to big 2nd graders.  That's a BIG difference.  It may be a big difference, but it definitely is a fun adventure!  Although it was nice to have everything dialed in last year and know what to expect every day, a new group of kids is keeping me on my feet!  I get to do the beginning of the year again, but this time, I've actually done it before!  This year is for repeating what I loved, changing what I didn't, and taking notes for my third beginning of the year.

I'm really looking forward to what this year, and this group of kids, will bring.  Right now I have to keep reminding myself that we are learning how to be in 3rd grade right now.  We are learning new routines, how to use the classroom, how to be just a little bit older, we are learning a lot!  And we have all the potential of reaching the level of trust last year's class had, but it's only been 7 days.  There's a reason we aren't there yet.  But we will be.  Soon.

No Assigned Seats?! - Starting the Year

I decided to forgo the traditional idea of desks over Spring Break last year.  I had a perfect group of kids to try my new ideas out on, a group that was cohesive and well trained.  Which means next week will be the first time I'm starting a school year with an alternative seating arrangement.  Yikes?  Not sure.  So far, it seems manageable, so I'm just going to go with that. :)

While many people may look at this as scary (or even crazy), I'm seeing it as an opportunity to launch into an entire school year like nothing my students have ever seen before.  Can you imagine walking into your third grade classroom and, for the first time ever, being allowed (and encouraged) to work where you felt most comfortable.  You could sit on the floor and lean against the wall, you could find your own private sanctuary, you could sit in a chair at a desk, you could sit on the floor at a desk...the possibilities are endless!  (Well, endless to the world of a third grader!)

One of the things the Teacher Education Program at UCSB stressed (over and over again) was to always be able to justify everything we do in our classroom.  As long as you can explain your reasoning (and it's relatively legit),  you're basically good to go.  I'm glad I had this training, because I am heading into the school year prepared to explain my motives to every concerned parent who may come my way.  Let's face it, chances are there will be at least one parent who thinks this new teacher has gone crazy. :) But hey!  Although I am new in the grand scheme of things...I am no longer a first year teacher!  And I don't care what anyone says about me being "new"...I got to drop the "first year teacher" label!


A combination of trying alternative seating from the very first day (for the very first time) and making sure I can justify my so called crazy ideas led to lots of thinking and Pinteresting.  Here's some of what I came up with:

1.  Management: The picture below shows a management chart I came across on Rachel Lynette's blog (link in photo caption).  Although I didn't have anything created like this last year, my students understood that they would get one warning if they weren't using their learning space appropriately and, if the behavior continued, I would move them.  They were pretty used to hearing something along the lines of "if you don't choose wisely, I get to choose for you."  I really like this visible chart, especially since I'm starting from the very beginning.  Having something like this displayed will provide a constant reminder about the expectations and help the students remember their warnings.

Found on: http://www.minds-in-bloom.com/2014/11/new-classroom-set-up-encouraging-self.html

2.  Learning how to use each learning space: Since this will be the first time these students are exposed to learning spaces that are different from desks (and the occasional floor sit), it will be necessary to teach the students how to use each space appropriately.  My current plan is to take the first week-ish of school to talk with the class about the different learning spaces and their best uses.  I'm looking forward to giving the class the responsibility of discovering learning spaces without me telling them what/where all of them are (I trust that they will come up with a space I wouldn't think to introduce!).  Discussions will consist of: number of people that should be in the space at the same time, appropriate volume, what kind of learning could be best done in the space, etc.  For example, many students find it difficult to lie on their tummies when doing a lot of writing so it would be best to choose a space where they are sitting up and can write with ease.

3.  Subs: This is something my class was pretty good with last year, but once again, I had a dream class, so I want to make sure I'm ready for anything this year.  I'm participating in an NGSS Academy this year and will have 5 days out of my classroom; put that together with all those other days we get pulled out, and that's a lot of subs. :( The key here is *fear*.  Not really, but all you teachers know what I mean.  I found success last year because my class knew that I had very high expectations for them and that I meant serious business when it came to sub days.  Alternative seating is a privilege of sorts (someday, however, I hope it becomes more the norm) and breaking the rules leads to loss of privilege.  The day before I'm out, I go over all the expectations with my class so no one can claim the famous "I didn't know."  My sub plans are also extremely detailed: what spaces are options, how many kids can be in each place at once, etc.  Anything a sub may need to know, I write.  I also make it very clear to my class (and to my sub) that while there is a sub in my classroom THEY ARE THE TEACHER.  I don't want to come back to hear about the "but that's not how we do it..." kids.  The subs have the final call, they are the ones that have to survive all day! :) If worst comes to worst, my subs know that they can assign seats.  And an added bonus: name tags.  No assigned seats means no name plates AND kids moving around all day.  That makes it a lot harder for subs to learn names.  Name tags are very helpful!

4. The understanding that there is SO MUCH MORE: As much time as I spend thinking and planning and working and perfecting this system, there will always be something to discover that hasn't yet crossed my path.  And that's ok, because that's what makes this crazy ride so amazing.  And anyway, like always, there's so much up in this head of mine that doesn't make an appearance until after I finish writing...so I'll add it as I think it!

Google Adventure

I made the mistake of getting my class used to receiving an extra credit assignment every weekend last year.  Problem is, although they remembered, I often forgot!  Solution: Google Adventure!  I know that not all kids have access to the internet at home, but A) it is extra credit (optional) and B) technology is so easily accessible these days that it's not an unreasonable request.

The assignment asks them to pick a topic, Google it, and list 5 things they learned.  While it is short, I found that many students would turn it in with way more than 5 facts AND with pictures attached!  My students loved it!

You can find it in my TpT store (free): https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Google-Adventure-1976903

And then it was July...

Ugh, this has happened to me so many times.  I get a journal, or a journal app, or a blog (in this case!), and write away!...until I stop.  For a long time. Every once in a while I think to myself, "I really should write something."  But, since it's been so long since I've last written, I have SO MUCH TO SAY.  And that is overwhelming.  Hours worth of writing.  Usually in the wee hours of the morning.  So I don't write.  It's easier to not!  And thus the vicious cycle continues...until I get a new journal, or app, or blog! :)

My goal for this coming school year is to post at least once (maybe twice) each month.  I'm also wanting to make sure that I post my creations WHEN I make them (instead of months later).  Creations are much better stored here for anyone who wants them than in my "classroom" file just for me!  All those random docs and PDFs we throw together, they want a bigger home!

Now, why is this deserving of a whole blog post?  Because now you know.  And if someone out there knows, I have to do it.  Well, I have to at least try.  The safety in it is that although all you people now know, chances are I don't know any of you...so failing won't be that bad.  But I'm going to succeed. :)

No Assigned Seats?! - With Students!

Well, it's been a week...and I LOVE my new setup!  It is absolutely, 100%, the change I needed to get my students learning and me teaching in ways that are better for all of us!

One of the most important things I learned in my credential program last year is how much time and attention should be given to teaching new things (routines, etc.) in the classroom.  I knew this definitely wasn't going to be one of those times where I could quickly go over the new things and move on...that would lead to disaster!  We were going to need to talk about it.  A lot.  We were going to need to practice it.  A lot.  We were probably going to need reminders.  And that's ok!

On our first day back from Spring Break I sat the kids down before we even went inside the classroom to give them a little heads up of what was to come.  While talking through my ideas with people over break I heard a lot of "well, that sounds great, but in reality..."  I have a group of students who like a challenge and like to prove the naysayers wrong, so I addressed other people's concerns with my students before we even went inside.  I told them that there are people who think that our new setup means that they'll stop working and be really noisy but that I KNOW our new setup will allow them to work harder than they used to and actually be quieter.  Talk about suspense, my students couldn't wait to get inside to see the change and get to work!

The more prepared you are, the less time you're going to have to spend on it.  I came in ready to spend a lot of time getting this to work.  My students came in ready to learn and get going.  And it just happened!  I'm not saying we didn't have to practice, and that there weren't any bumps along the road, but my students picked it up way faster than I anticipated!

Although I have my ideas on which work spaces are best for different activities, I decided to let them try what they wanted and decide if it worked for them or not.  That way, my students are the ones choosing what's best for them instead of me telling them what's best for them.  As much as I'd like to think I always know what's best, it's their learning opportunity not mine, and they learn differently from me.  I can guide them, but I can't always do it for them (nor do I want to!).  We talked about how there are different places that work better for different types of work (individual, partner, group) and about how hard it is to write a lot if you're laying on your stomach but other than that, it was basically up to them.  They also know that if they aren't making a good choice, I get to make the choice for them.  However, they still have choice, it's just more of a "pick a spot other than that one" choice.  If I notice a student hasn't made the best choice of where to sit (talking, etc.), I have begun to hold back before stepping in to see if maybe they will change their minds on their own.  Many times, they do!

In talking about the different work spaces we also set a "maximum capacity" for different areas and different activities.  The class library is small so it maxes out at 2 (sometimes 1), the round table maxes out between 3 and 6 depending on where it is, the low square table maxes out at either 4 or 8 depending on the activity, and there is no max for the desks (because while they don't have to use one, I don't want them to think the can't).

Here's what it looks like:

Partner/group discussion

Working together...but independently!

Working on a variety of things in a variety of places!

Making great use of all our work spaces!

A typical day with my new arrangement goes like this:

• Students unpack and grab a seat at a desk when they first come in.  We fill out our agendas (they can move to a better spot if they can't see well).
• They may choose to work anywhere while working independently on Front Row (GREAT math site: frontrowed.com!) - ~30 mins
• Although we are working independently, students are welcome and encouraged to help each other
• Math groups: I work with one group at the low table in the middle of the classroom while the other group may choose to sit anywhere while working independently on ST Math (then we switch)
• Independent Reading: students may choose to sit anywhere
• Students take a seat at a desk when we come in from recess.  I give directions for our Guided Reading Rotations and then they move.
• Guided Reading Rotations: one group works together at the low table (but students may work independently anywhere they choose), one group meets with me on the floor, one group works independently wherever they would like (then we rotate)
• Students take a seat at a desk or on the floor when we come in from lunch for a short read aloud.
• In those same spots I give directions/mini-lesson (they can sit on the floor if they'd like) for writing and then they can move and get started on their work.
• Same thing happens for Social Studies/Science but there's more group work occurring.
• PE

I've found that my students are sitting where they want to sit for a large chunk of they day, and that I'm actually able to teach more than I was because they are more engaged and paying attention.  There's more buy in now that they have a say in where they work.  I'm noticing that my students are more comfortable in class and it's showing up in how hard they are working, the quality of work they are producing, and the conversations they are having.  I've also noticed that they are leading so much more of what we do now.

Having the bookshelves has been great because they are easy to keep organized.  Instead of having one turn in basket for the whole class (which usually looked like a massive explosion of papers) I not have one turn in basket on each bookshelf (5 total) and my students always turn their work in to a specific one.  This has made collecting and checking work so much more manageable and less daunting.

Yes, this was a big change in my classroom, but it seems small compared to amount of change it inspired throughout the week.  It's nice to have your crazy ideas work out once in a while (so you feel a little less crazy!), but it's also nice to have the ideas that seem so idealistic at times work out.  Education isn't stuck.

(Not sure if I really got all my ideas down or not, but there's more to come someday!  Let me know if there's anything you want to know more about!)

No Assigned Seats?! - The Setup

I started Spring Break feeling excited about not needing to work in my classroom much and actually giving myself a break...but the longer I was home the more Pinteresting I did, and the more Pinteresting I did, the more I wanted to get back into my room!  It didn't take long before I decided that I was bored with assigned seats.  I loved my most recent desk setup, but having assigned seats just wasn't catering to the kind of learning I want to see in my classroom.  In my searching for something that felt right I came across two blogs (linked below) that were very inspiring but left me thinking my room wasn't big enough but that it was still something I wanted to try.

http://www.kindergartenworks.com/kindergarten-teaching-ideas/roll-student-work-spaces/

http://settingupforsecond.blogspot.com/2013/12/mid-year-update-alternative-seating.html

In making my first move toward creating this new setup, I discovered that I did have enough space in my classroom, I just had too much unnecessary furniture!  Relocating some extra furniture led me to a classroom that seemed bigger than it was when I moved into it last summer.

My main goal in changing my classroom setup was to create work spaces for my students and provide them with opportunities to choose where they wanted to work.  I kept enough desks for every student to have desk space if they needed/wanted it, but also created different areas for my students to work so they don't feel confined to their one desk.

• None of the desks are assigned. 
• I lowered a few tables so I now have some that are low enough for students to sit on the floor but still have a table to write on. 
• Another small desk I have is now more accessible and students can use it without asking.
• There is more space for students to sit on the floor and clipboards are even more accessible now than they used to be.
• The bean bag chairs are open for use at all times and students no longer have to ask to use them.

Realistically, my students will be able to sit anywhere they want to in my classroom during work time.

I also let go of the idea that no student should have their back to the front of the classroom.  I don't want my classroom to be teacher centered, I want it to be student centered, and everyone facing the board is not promoting that.  And when I really think about it, I walk around while I teach so there's no reason to have an entire desk setup that caters to everyone facing forward at all times.  Yes, there are times where I need everyone's eyes on me and the board (direct instruction, etc.).  In those times, my students who are not facing forward know to turn their chair around and grab a clipboard (if they need to write).

Here's what it looks like now!

From the "front" of my room

From the back corner

From the front corner: class library on left

From other back corner: round table moveable workspace on left

Bookshelves across back of classroom

Wow, this is one of those times where I'm trying to write something I'm so excited about that my mind is jumping all over the place!  No assigned seats means no rat's nests inside our desks!!  But that also means...where in the world will we put our rat's nests?!  For the last few years my mom has used bookshelves like these in her classroom: each table group had their own bookshelf at their group to keep their supplies on.  One of the blogs I came across (Setting Up for Second) also utilized bookshelves but used them in the back of her room instead.  I love how neat and organized they look in the back of my room!  Although my students won't have the insides of their desks anymore, the bookshelves will allow an even more organized way for my students to keep their supplies and avoid rat's nests!

It's incredible what you can create when you let go of what a classroom is "supposed" to look like!

I am so looking forward to kicking off the last 10 weeks of our school year together with this huge change!  It is going to take practice for us to really get it all smoothed out, but I'm excited and I KNOW they have it in them to succeed!

Next post?  No Assigned Seats?! - With Students!