Friday 19 July 2013

Classroom *Before* Pictures

     If you follow me on Twitter you know that yesterday was a super exciting day for me as I received my keys and could get into my classroom for the very first time! Now this classroom wasn't completely new to me as I completed my last two student teaching placements at "S-School" and had been in that classroom multiple times. In fact, the teacher that was in this room before helped me out TREMENDOUSLY in regards to planning resources and support! 
Got my classroom keys! So excited :)
     This was the first time, however, that I was in the classroom now that it was officially mine and it was a really crazy, overwhelming, exciting feeling! There is 41 days until new teacher orientation and 49 days until students return to school so I still have time to get everything organized, refreshed, and looking the way I want it. I will probably be working on my classroom sporadically until school starts but I wanted to share some *before* pictures for the time being.
Panoramic view of my 1st official classroom!
Front of the classroom, SMART board centered in-between 2 white boards.
Back of the classroom, bulletin board.
The furniture is not mine, it belongs to the teacher next door
whose classroom floors are getting re-done.
Exterior wall, thinking of some super cute & colourful curtains to
liven up the place!

Interior wall, these resources came with the room so I need to
spend some time sorting & organizing!
     I am still waiting on some supply orders to come in through our main office (posters, bulletin board decor, miscellaneous supplies, etc) so in the mean time I have already decided on my first two projects. The first BIG project is tackling that monster of a bookcase that you see in the last picture. While I LOVE the organizational space, the bookshelf is currently in front of an entire wall of bulletin boards and is all screwed together as ONE gigantic piece of furniture. It is my hopes to have my husband come in, dismantle it, and help me move the separate pieces around the classroom. I would also like to paint it our school colours since beige is a bit boring for me. 

     The second project is installing colourful curtains on the exterior wall windows. As per our school's lock-down policy, we must be able to block out our windows so that someone outside is unable to see into our classroom. While the windows currently have built-in blinds in-between the panes of glass, they are difficult to use, somewhat damaged, and not very pretty. I like the idea of installing colourful (and cheap!) curtains along the wall to meet our lock-down policy requirements while adding colour to the classroom.

     I will continue to update once these projects get underway! I'd also love your feedback in regards to helpful projects, colour options, theme suggestions, etc. Let me know what you think!

12 comments:

  1. wow! It looks like you have a lot of space! I don't get my keys until the 19th of August..very anxious! :)

    Sarah
    teachingiscolorful.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sarah! I am very happy to have one of our school's bigger classrooms with high ceilings (which makes it seem bigger). When I was student teaching down the hall I was in one of our smaller classrooms that had no outside windows and low ceilings (which definitely wasn't nice).
      Good luck with your classroom and the upcoming school year :)

      Delete
  2. Replies
    1. Thank you Brandee, I am very excited to put my mark on this blank slate!

      Delete
  3. Can't wait to see the finished product!:)
    ~Rachel
    Teaching with Z

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Rachel! I will definitely be posting pictures as I finish up certain projects

      Delete
  4. Congratulations!!! I know how much effort went into getting those beautiful keys!! Your new students are blessed!!
    Nancy
    Mrs. Stoltenberg's Second Grade Class

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nancy you have been such an amazing support since I first started this adventure! Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement :)

      Delete
  5. That entire wall of bulletin boards must be freed. It cries out to be used by students to display... whatever. Creativity? Project/Assignment tracking? Many possibilities. I can hear its agonized cries from Ontario!

    The monster book case could have its layout changed to maybe make a small private study area? Or something....

    Perhaps white or clear curtains that the students could paint with opaque colours, leaving a lasting memorial of your first official class? (May need permission for this!)

    If I knew the subjects to be taught, I might have other ideas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha I love your comments! I cannot wait for my bulletin boards to be freed. I plan on having boards for all of my classes and can't wait to start decorating and organizing them.

      I never thought of using the bookcases strategically for private study areas, that's a good idea! I will have to look into that once I have them apart and see how they look apart.

      My subjects include science, math, and art!

      Delete
  6. I can't wait to see how this all turns out. I don't get my keys until I arrive in Northern Saskatchewan in late August.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Mrs. D, I can't wait until I can post *after* pictures. I am so excited for you to get your new classroom and share it through your blog. I know Northern Saskatchewan is still quite far away from where I am, but compared to being in Eastern Canada it seems like you are SO close now :)

      Delete

Thank you for commenting!