Classroom Photos and Descriptions

Here are some photos of my current classroom. I am constantly changing and as I see it, refining my classroom spaces. This year I have spent a lot of time combining my classroom library with my whole group reading area. I have also had a lot of fun with my jungle theme.

This is my guided reading table. I have my student reading level display on the cabinets. They are my top reading bananas! I have found that displaying their levels and celebrating when someone reaches their next goal really motivates my students to read at home, practice their Word Wall words, and use their reading strategies. I would like to make a small reading strategy reference list for each guided reading spot. The orange and black (homemade) shelf is where we keep our math and Writing Workshop work. The table in front of the green word wall is our Writing Station. We have all sorts of markers, crayons, stencils and paper to use. In the past I have laminated envelopes with the students names so that they can 'mail' their friends a note. I just took pictures of the kids to post on their envelopes. I hope to get this up soon.

Storage space is a huge issue in my building and I am forced to use the window sill to house a lot of our dramatic play choice center materials and curriculum boxes. The poster on the shade is a list of reading strategies.
I am very proud of how our palm tree and library has turned out. I found the directions here, but modified them a bit. I was advised by the Home Depot experts to use a very light tube for pouring cement. I also found the palm leaves at Ikea. I am in the process of labeling our books in an efficient and kinder-friendly way. I have labels on the bins, but I am going to put a mailing label with the name and picture of the category on each book. This way my kids can simply match up the picture and word to the bin the book belongs in.
The white boxes are our independent reading book boxes. Each morning the kids unpack their belongings and begin reading at their seats, allowing for tardy students to not miss essential content. In the boxes the students have self-selected books and a tracker (pen cap) used to track the print. We usually trade books about once a week. During independent reading time I am making observations, taking attendance, walking around supporting readers, or meeting with a small group.

 Here is a photo of my whole group reading area, which we use for math time as well. You can see our jungle vines peeking through. The bottom half of our calendar board will house our upcoming question of the day. This will soon become one of our daily math activities. Our room looks big, but pile in 30 kinder kids and one teacher and space becomes limited fast! I try to keep my kids moving through group time on the rug, work at their seats and small group rotations. We don't have recess and our specials are in the room, so 30 kids can get pretty ancy if required to sit in their seats all day.

 Here is a closer look at our calendar and reading nook. My kids LOVE the comfy pillows and ($5) chair I found at Five & Below. The pull-out pink bin has the folders for the Puppet Pals Library Station, and the puppets and writing clipboards are in the blue bench. The bookshelf has our Author Study book bins on the top, and the independent reading books on the bottom.

 This is our beloved listening station. We alternate between listening to the stories we have read from our reading program, and using the leap pads. I am constantly replacing headphones for this station. The pads never seem to last! I also have a listening activity set which I will bring out later in the year. Behind the listening station you can see our math work hanging on the board. Our administration requires that we hang current student work around the room. The kids definitely adore seeing their work as well.

 Here is our main Word Wall. My camera phone doesn't have a flash, so don't mind the dimness. I used to put my words on different colored cards. Each letter of the alphabet had a specific color. I found out at the end of last year that one of my students was colorblind, and if looking at certain cards, couldn't see the words!!! I also found through research that children see the words best if written in black ink on white cards.

 Our second palm tree displays the class helpers for the week. I allow my students to hold the job for a whole week. I pick my helpers quickly on Monday mornings. I have Team Leaders: These students are in charge of passing out materials to their group members during Station time. They must answer any questions another member might have about how to complete the task. They also are in charge of keeping their group quietly working on-task. This is the most coveted job, especially since it comes with one of the badges hanging on the wall. I also have your generic Door Holders, Line Leaders, Paper Passers, and Clean-Up Helpers. If behavior is an issue with a child, they lose their job for the day but will be allowed to resume their duties the next day.

 This is our Writing Workshop display board. I have our steps to completing a writing piece, and have adopted aspects of Mrs. Will's construction of her writing time.

1. Think about what I want to write
2. Draw my picture
(This is timed using a pencil only.)
3. Add color and details
(This is also timed, and I have spent a good deal of time modeling this. Many kids say, "I'm done!" and I direct them to add more details and fill in all the white spaces. I have noticed that they are adding more details during the drawing time, and therefore need more coloring time. I'll accept this as a great alternative to rushed work!)
4. Think of a sentence to match my picture
(It is common for the child's sentence to not match the picture they just drew. I model this in my mini lessons, asking what one child drew, then asking the entire class some predictions about what the sentence might say and vice versa.)
5. Make a magic line for each word
(This really helps my kids with their anxiety about writing the whole sentence. They get overwhelmed at first. When they can focus on one word at a time, it makes the task more manageable.)
6. Write my sentence
(It is important to model going back after writing each word to help maintain meaning. They can easily forget the entire sentence.I tell my class that the Word Wall words must be spelled correctly, but if they can get at least the first sound, or one sound in the other words they are golden. I also tell them that they MUST be able to track and read their sentence to me.)


Kindergarten writing seems to be automatically filled with high anxiety. My first goal is to celebrate anything they put down on paper, and plead with their parents to do the same.

Writing Workshop Rules

1. Take your time and do your best work.

2. You are not allowed to say, "I can't!" or "I don't know how!"

3. You may help a friend, but you must not write for them.

I will include another post about my Writing Workshop and showcase some wonderful Kindergarten Writing.

 This is our Morning Message, which the children can't wait to read each morning. The content is about the events of the upcoming day. I include a few familiar sentences in each letter so that all students can be successful. They almost shout the last sentence! I have used this letter to introduce and apply reading strategies, we find Word Wall words, count sentences, find and discuss punctuation, count words in a sentence, and always track as we read and reread. This is one of my most effective teaching tools.
The blue pocket chart houses our behavior cards. Rather than purchasing the kit from Lakeshore, I have made my own. The kids are able to look at the chart and find their name based on where they are sitting. They know which card is theirs pretty early on. If I move their seat, I move their name accordingly.

Green-Following directions
Yellow-Verbal warning
Blue-5 minute time-out (must still fully participate)
Red-No Choice Centers and a sad face goes on the daily calendar in their homework folder.

I have recently added PURPLE to the behavior system. Purple students go above and beyond. They help me by listening and staying on-task and they are extra kind to friends. If I find them they gain a purple card and a kindness coin in their behavior slot and are handsomely rewarded. (First choice for centers, play-time during quiet time, or a gift from me before they go home.) I change it up to keep them excited to be caught being good!