Essentially the room will be split into an active learning space, and a quiet meeting/thinking/supply space.
The active learning space will be filled with tables, learning tools, and a variety of seating. The quiet meeting/thinking/supply space will include books, more learning supplies, and a science station.
The main task will be to sort the many, many materials I have into categories and then store them in easily accessible spaces throughout the room in the following ways:
- Science cabinet: materials that can easily spill, awkward to store materials, and materials that are best stored under lock and key.
- Yellow cabinet: Lots of lesson materials that are used infrequently.
- Drawers: Materials for student use--those that are used often
- Metal Shelves: Outdoor education materials
- Basket: Playground balls, jump ropes, and more outdoor materials.
- Book baskets - those baskets will be stored around the room and organized by subject connections--drawing books, fiction, science informational books, picture books. . . .
- Walls: I'm going to hang up fewer posters this year in order to leave room for students' 3-word posters--I want those posters to illustrate who students are and what their goals are for the year. I'll work with colleagues to create a mock-up of the poster that leaves space for student individuality.
In August, I'll refer to this list, sort and organize, and likely do another purge of outdated materials. With a few years to go, my long term goal is to leave the classroom highly organized with the most important learning materials. Onward.
