Welcome to My Room

Setting up my classroom each year is one of my favorite things to do. Well, at least the planning is one of my favorite things - actually moving all the furniture around and unpacking the dozens of boxes isn't really that thrilling.

This is the view from my doorway. Somehow this year's setup makes the room feel really big. I also hope it feels comfortable and homey.

This is our classroom library. I've never had quite so open a space for it. I've also never put the couch and the low table together. I hope the table won't make the space too crowded, but we'll see. If kids are sitting all around it, as was quite common last year, that may be a problem.

All of our books are in baskets, facing out towards the kids. I've sorted the books but haven't labeled the baskets. One of the things we'll do in the first few weeks is explore each basket together and decide what all the books in it have in common. They might be books about animals, books by Kevin Henkes, funny books, books about families or friends, or poetry books. Then the kids will determine the exact title for the basket and create an index card we can hang on it.

In the upper grades I had my students sort all our books into baskets and label them. I know there are primary teachers who do so, but I haven't been able to make the leap yet. I'm trying to give my students as much ownership over the library as possible, within my own control issues.

We've also got magazines and Kids Post pages from the newspaper. I try to have as varied and diverse a classroom library as I possibly can.

More pictures and thoughts to come...