Gearing up for the school year.

This year I get to have my classroom in a trailer.  It has it's pros and cons.  When I got to school on August 16, this is what I came into...

Too many desks...a crappy teacher desk, and a world map (I don't teach social studies)

The tiny dry erase board, one measly, tiny bulletin board, and one tiny table.

Obviously I had a lot of work to do.  I had no clue how to deal with these desks.  My teacher desk was a disaster.  Apparently the entire trailer (desks and all) were moved to our school from another school in the county.  Wonderful.  After a little work and brainstorming...this was the outcome the next day...

 

I covered the actual bulletin board with fabric left over from our wedding party.  I had to make faux bulletin boards by straight up posting bb paper and boarder on the walls.  You'll notice a few measly trays on the table.

Ok...my teacher desk has a little bit of life and there's a bulletin board in progress.  It was really difficult sprucing up my room with little materials.  Since this is my first full year teaching, I haven't accumulated much to keep in the classroom.  

Day 3:

The "big" bookshelf on the left came with the trailer.  Another wonderful teacher gave me the small shelf she wasn't using.

 Bulletin boards coming together!  Letters up! Boarders up!

 Still too many desks.  I do have a plant on my desk!

Look at that organized bookshelf!

I got all of this done before my really early open house (an entire week before school started).  I was just impressed that everything was in it's place.

D took me shopping for a few things I needed.  Here's a focus on some of my bulletin boards (because I know you all really care).

  We're the Gators.  My students put their weekly and/or yearly goals on this board.  Keeps them focused.

 I give my students a weekly salary.  I ended up separating the board into Rules & Rewards.  The students and I discussed how much extra "money" you should get for positive things and how much for negatives.

 Where we put our "Who I Am Matters" projects that we worked on the first few days of school.

I ended up putting up a missed work area on the top of the Information Station.  The Help Wanted section is for our jobs.  I took Polaroids of each student (also left over from the wedding party) and posted by their bi-weekly job.

 We haven't done much with this yet...I put up a couple "I used to believe" statements of my own.  I'm thinking we'll do it every quarter.

 My nicely organized area.

Since I took these pictures, I've gotten some additional items to make the room look better.  I've put more on the walls.  I'll try to post those pictures later.  The room is still pretty drab and boring...but it's a work in progress!  I know the students will help me spruce it up throughout the year :)