Classroom Pictures
These are pictures of me and some of last year's
KinderKids.
It might take a couple minutes to load on
your computer, but it's worth the wait.
These are pictures of me and some of last year's
KinderKids.
It might take a couple minutes to load on
your computer, but it's worth the wait.
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I've added a page of pictures
of how my walls are filling up with student projects, preparing for Back
to School night this coming week.
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Many people have asked to see pictures of my classroom, so I've started a pictures page that will hopefully take me through an entire school year.
Because pictures load slowly on some computers, I'm going to use multiple pages with fewer pictures on each page, which will hopefully make looking around a bit easier for most of you.
I've added links to other areas on the KinderKorner website, where you can find more information on some of the things you'll see in my room. I've also provided links to books I find especially useful that are related to what's in the pictures.
Happy teaching!
Victoria :o)
Setting Up
August 2000
I'm going to begin at the beginning, with pictures of setting up my room for the First Day of School ... from bare walls and piled boxes to ready for the kids to arrive. The pictures are more or less in chronological order, showing how things went up and came together. There's a helpful section on Setting Up Your Room in the Back to School area on the KinderKorner website, that explains my rationale for putting my room together in a specific way.
A book that has greatly influenced the design and layout of my classroom to create a community of learners is And With A Light Touch: Learning About Reading, Writing, and Teaching With First Graders, by Carol Avery and Donald Graves. This was one of my first Whole Language/Balanced Literacy books, and has help form the foundation of my teaching beliefs.
The outside of my room, with the grassy part of the kindergarten playground
reflected in the window.
This is my second year in this classroom, a brand new
trailer brought in for my extended day kindergarten. These first
pics were taken of how the room looked -- more or less -- when I came back
in mid-August. I have wonderful custodians who let me leave boxes
and things piled on tables and counters, and they moved them around as
they cleaned. At my previous school, nothing could be left on the
counters, floor, or tables, which meant many things had to be moved out
for the summer.
The view from the door, facing the south wall. The colored carpet
is our Story Floor, where we spend lots and lots of time.
Because I don't have much counter space, I use tables along the south wall to store things on and under. This area will hold most of my Literacy Center "ABC Activities" (there are over 50 of them, including puzzles, flashcards, games, and manipulatives). There's a sink in the corner, partially blocked from view by the globe. On top of the cabinets you can see my monthly and thematic boxes, where all of my blackline masters and other related materials are stored. This wall also has a set of cubbies that hold math manipulatives, and a shelf for other Literacy Center materials.
You can learn more about Literacy Centers by visiting the Literacy Centers page on the KinderKorner website. Fountas and Pinnell offer wonderful information about Literacy Centers in Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children.
The center section of the east wall, which was designed to be the "front" of the room. My desk is at the left end of this wall, and there's a large bulletin board/teaching wall space at the right end. I use the whiteboard for my Word Wall and to hang my workboards, and I do most of my large group teaching on the opposite side of the room, where I have a huge floor-to-ceiling bulletin board area.
The west wall. This is my main "teaching wall." Once it's finished, it stays pretty much the same all year long. Only the monthly quilt and monthly good morning song changes, along with the Math Their Way calendar things growing throughout the year (number line, straw counting, etc.). This is where I do my large group instruction, including shared reading and writing, calendar activities, and all those other things associated with the Story Floor. I have a great area rug (visible in some of the other pictures) with colored boxes for the kids to sit on. Each child is assigned their own special spot.
The rest of the still-empty teaching wall.
This page went online August 27, 2000