Turquoise, Lime, and Chalkboard Classroom Decor

Sometimes when I see classroom décor on Pinterest, I get a little overwhelmed. I LOVE bright colors so much, but sometimes a mix of a lot of colors and patterns can feel a little too ‘busy’ to me.

For my upper elementary kids (4th grade), I really wanted to make my room cute but still simple and clean… but sometimes that’s harder than it seems!

When I first saw the Creative Teaching Press Chalk It Up! line at the EdMarket EdExpo last year, I swooned a little. THIS. This was what I was looking for- sophisticated and cute, but not overwhelming and distracting!

Here are my 8 tips for keeping classroom décor simple:

1- Use one color for all bulletin boards to give the room a cohesive look.

I try to use similar borders, too, so everything looks like it matches. You won’t believe what a difference it makes when they all look similar! My mom has fabric sheets instead of bulletin board paper so she can use them year after year.

2- If you want to try layering borders, stick to simple shapes and patterns.

    

This was the first time I’d ever layered borders, and after hearing how complicated it was, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Using a rectangular border on the bottom made it EASY for the borders to look really good.

The Dotted Swirl border is my favorite. The long, sweeping pattern makes my boards look longer than they are. I put the Lime Hexagons border behind it- a “solid” color from far away, but with a little detail and texture up close! Putting a bold pattern with a solid (or at least something close to a solid) really holds back the sensory overload.

3- Don’t be afraid to try something new.

Hmm. I am kinda liking my bulletin board with borders on just the top and bottom. Is this crazy? #classroomrenegade #classroomdecor @creativeteachingpress

A photo posted by Jenny (@luckeyfrog) on Aug 5, 2015 at 10:40am PDT

As I started putting the borders up, I did the top and bottom and realized I kind of liked the look without borders on the sides… so with some confirmation from my friends on Instagram that I wasn’t crazy, I went with it!

4- Use what you have!

Why did I choose lime? Well, I like it- but more importantly, the lime color tied in well with the palm umbrella I’ve had for a few years (yay for “end-of-season” Big Lots finds!) and the dollar store baskets I picked up for my very first classroom. New teachers, pick a color or two that you love, and stick to them when you can!

It was funny to me that a couple of teachers at my school assumed I’d spent a lot of money redoing my room, but I had long been collecting containers in my favorite colors (turquoise and green), so when I used those colors and added just a few new details, it really didn’t cost much to give my room a fresh new look!

5- Don’t forget the text.

Little things go a long way in giving your room a little pizazz! For me, the Chalk It Up! letters were easier than making my own letters in the workroom, and added that extra element of cohesion when I used them around the room.

To make them stand out, I used green duct tape or green paper plates. LOVE how this Scientist board turned out! (I can’t wait to show you what else I’m going to add!)

6- Shop for deals- but be careful!

In the past, I’ve used a lot of borders I’d found for $1 at a dollar store or spot- thinking I was saving money. I finished my ENTIRE ROOM- well, minus the one tiny spot- with one pack of Dotted Swirl, one pack of Lime Hexagon, and one pack of the lightbulb pattern (with a lot to spare in this one!) Plus, the borders were a lot longer, so it didn’t take me as long to put them up. Pretty sure the “cheap” borders ended up costing me more in time and money, by the time I got enough for what I needed. Lesson learned.

Now, I did splurge on a few things- but I try to make those splurges something I will use for years to come, like my new sign from Tallahassee Sunday. (He’s so HAPPY!)

7- Don’t be afraid of white space.

Sometimes I look at a teacher’s wall and it’s as though they want everything a student will ever know to be plastered on the walls. I know that we need to have reference material for our students, but sometimes students don’t use the things we put up before they arrive- especially when it’s one little section of a COVERED wall.

There’s nothing wrong with a little blank space. Just ask Taylor Swift- and any kid in your class with ADHD.

It’s also okay if your room is not done on the first day, too. This is what my biggest board looked like when students arrived. Yes- with a stack of books, and a small piece of border missing because I ran out! Just a background and borders go a long way.

8- Function over fashion. Always.

As I said in my post about classroom design for new teachers, “You were hired as a teacher, NOT a classroom cutesifier.” Your class should be designed around the instructional spaces you need. I am big on using anchor charts, so one of my walls is almost completely blank- ready for me to hang the anchor charts we make together.

I teach 5 classes of science and 1 class of social studies and keeping track of make-up work for so many classes was a struggle- so this make-up work system is a necessity!

We are required to post our I Can statements, so these posters have already been worth it. (I laminated them and use a chalkboard marker to write on them. Easy peasy!)

Ultimately… what is most important is our teaching. But there’s also power in giving our students a space they are excited to walk into, and enjoy spending time in. Our students should feel comfortable and happy in our space- and so should we- because we spend so much of our time in our classrooms, and we learn and teach better when we feel content!

When you start thinking about a classroom makeover, please consider Creative Teaching Press. I did get a chance to work with them this fall, so I’m definitely a little biased, but I think the photos of my room speak for themselves. This company makes some beautiful, practical teacher décor- and it really is perfect for that simple, upper elementary look!

You can check out more cute classroom décor from Brenda at Primary Inspired!

Classroom Supply Organization for Departmentalized Teachers

Back-to-school time is always a little crazy, but a few of my upper elementary blogging friends have teamed up to share some of our back-to-school tips and tricks!

Last year, I moved into a departmentalized 4th grade classroom for the first time. I love getting a chance to really focus on teaching science, but seeing 125 students instead of 25 really changed the way I set up my classroom! Today I’m sharing supply organization tips specifically for departmentalized teachers (although many of them would work in any classroom!)



I set up these Sterilite drawers at the end of each table, and they are a lifesaver! Everything my students need on a regular basis is in these drawers. Because they switch classes, it’s really helpful to have the glue, scissors, markers, and crayons here (rather than having them carry their own). The bottom drawer holds our science textbooks (the drawers struggle a little with that much weight, but we don’t actually get them out much), and the top drawer holds small whiteboards, dry erase markers, extra pencils and erasers, and sets of markers.

  

Having the markers in individual “sets” made it so much easier to find text evidence in the passages from my Text Detectives (for 3rd grade and now 2nd) and Colorful Close Reads. This year, I’m keeping an eye out for travel soap containers so I can store my crayons in  similar way. I love Crayola, but those boxes just do NOT hold up!



Last year I used shower caddies instead of these smaller craft caddies. They held a little more, but they hung over the sides of the white drawers and sometimes my students would bump them… and of course, everything would fall all over the floor.

  

My solution this year was smaller caddies and Velcro on the bottom. (I start with both Velcro dots on to make sure they will line up.) I’ll keep you posted how it works!



My kids have science notebooks that stay in our classroom, and sometimes last year one was left behind. Despite sticker labels, it sometimes took a little time to figure out where it belonged- so this year, I’ll be using duct tape on the spines to help easily see where it goes.

I can use the same color-code for almost everything in my classroom, too!



I store my notebooks in these Dollar Tree bins. The same color of duct tape helps students identify the correct bin quickly, and once the school year gets started, I’ll write the homeroom on the frog, too. All of the bins sit on the floor under the whiteboard, in the order of when I see each class.

Since my students come in and start their day with a Science QuickWrite, I have a couple of students pass out the notebooks at the start of class. As I dismiss groups at the end of class, each group can drop their notebooks in the bin on their way out.



With 5 classes of science and 1 class of social studies, I occasionally struggled to keep up with make-up work. While my students were supposed to come pick up their work independently, it rarely happened- and then I spent time later trying to figure out what was missing.

Putting these open folders up on the cabinet in the back of the room helped me so much! As my students get started on their QuickWrite, I take a moment to catch up with any students who have papers here- whether they are absent work, papers to re-do, or pages I kept aside for reteaching.



Being a science teacher, I could spend so much time handing out materials. As much as possible, I try to keep common supplies at the supply stations and any special supplies (such as those for a lab) in a bin at the front of the room. I can simply call up one student from each group and most materials are ready within a minute!

This also helps because I see my classes every other day. (Our kids go to reading and math every day, but during their third block, they alternate between science and social studies.) This means that I teach the same lesson for two days in a row- so being able to keep all materials in a bin makes for easy clean-up at the end of the day, too!



While the “stuff” can be overwhelming when you see six classes, the paperwork can be even worse! The students each have a binder with tabs for each class, and my teacher binder has tabs for each of my classes, too.

Once the papers are turned in, I group them together with Clip-Rite BinderTabs (shown above). I use a small class checklist to mark off whose I have, whose I’m missing, and what the scores are. (Makes it so much faster to put grades in the computer!)

  

As soon as I have copies made, I keep my papers that I’ll need for teaching in the purple, blue, and green plastic drawers. (I love that they’re the 12x12 size so I can put one stack horizontally and then the next vertically!) I use the top black tray for the kids to turn in regular work, and the bottom tray for the kids to turn in anything late (make-up work, late work, redone work, etc.). I love having a central spot for any other supplies a kid might need (stapler, tape, hole punch, etc.) so they don’t have to ask me!

There is so much to do this time of year- but hopefully these tips give you some classroom organization ideas! For more tips on starting the year off right, I hope you’ll check out the rest of the Back to School Survival Guide.



And to thank you for checking out our blog hop, we’re EACH giving away 2 gift cards to TeachersPayTeachers. If you could use $25 to spend on back to school goodies on TpT, be sure to enter the giveaway below.

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If you’d like a few more Back to School ideas (and more chances to win $25 gift cards!), please be sure to check out some of the other blog posts. Good luck as you start another school year!

An InLinkz Link-up

Bright Ideas- Label Centers for Easy Setup

It’s that time again! Today I’m here to share a bright idea for labeling your centers to make them even easier and quicker to set up each week.



I have a ton of “center” style activities. Even when I started using the Daily 5 in my classroom, I still used these a lot for Word Work, reviewing skills, small group focus lessons, and as fast finisher activities.



When they come with a cover page or directions, I like to laminate it and tape it onto the front of a manila folder.  (A colleague of mine likes to laminate the whole manila folder and then use an X-acto knife to slice apart the opening which is even sturdier!)



I also add a Velcro dot to the flap since the brad tends to wear out. Small pieces inside go in Ziploc bags to stay organized.



This has worked really well for me, but I still have to open each center and re-read the directions each year to make sure I set out the right supplies. This year, I realized I could make that easier on myself.

Enter: washi tape! (easily removable, and also cute)



With just a little tape and a Sharpie, I am labeling each center with the supplies students will need. I also put a C in a circle if I need to copy something, like a recording sheet.




Now, when I get out a center, I don’t even have to open it to know exactly what I need to get out. At a glance, I can make sure a center is ready and kids won’t need to interrupt me.



And the best part? I can gradually add these labels as I go through the year, so it doesn’t have to be a huge one-time project!

I love sharing ideas and resources from my classroom- so if you think you might be interested in more, please follow me on Bloglovin, Facebook, or Instagram : )

Do you love finding Bright Ideas for your classroom? Check out the link-up below to see over 100 posts from some amazing, creative bloggers. Every time we have this link-up, I stumble across an idea that makes my life so much easier- hope you do, too!

An InLinkz Link-up

Thanks for stopping by!

Bright Ideas: Tips for Organizing Progress Monitoring Materials

It’s time for another Bright Ideas Blog Hop!



Last time I was amazed at the wealth of knowledge shared, so be sure to hop through or browse through the linky at the bottom to find some new ideas to make your life easier as a teacher!

This year, I’m a reading specialist for 2-6 one half of the day, and a Title I teacher for kindergarten the other half of the day (at different schools). Organization has always been a challenge of mine, but this year it’s been impossible not to keep my progress monitoring materials and data organized.

For progress monitoring, I keep a binder for each measure. For instance, we share a big binder for AIMSweb passages at one of my schools. We have tabs to separate grade levels, and then we keep the ORF student copy on one side of the page protector, and the teacher copy (with numbers) on the other side. At my other school, I organize my EasyCBM Letter ID and Letter Sounds measures back to back, so that all of my week one materials are in one page protector and I just have to flip it over in between assessments.



I keep track of my official data for the class on a data sheet like this one I made. (Picture from last year, when we used DIBELS. Yes, I know ALL the tests now, haha.) I know this feels like one more thing to do, but like with my lesson plans, making the form that fits what I need at the beginning of the year is so helpful!



I also keep a sheet in my teacher binder for each student that I update just around grade card times or before conferences. It is absolutely vital for parent teacher conference organization!

For anecdotal notes, I kept it very low-tech and used basic supplies you already have:



I flip the index cards over and write the students’ name or number on the edge of the card.



Then, I tape it down from the top on the very bottom of the file folder.



I layer the next card over it so just the name is showing.



And keep going…



And finally, I put a cover for the teacher’s name (or group time, boy/ girl, etc.) on the top of each group.



When I am finished adding for each class, I can easily flip to the kid I need- but the notes are always covered & secure.



When I fill a card, no problem- I just put a new one in its place and file the filled one away in my student folders. I might also use scrapbook paper and/ or washi tape to cute this up- but I was in a hurry and this only took me a few minutes to pull together!



All of my notes fit in this one folder for the entire afternoon- and if a teacher asks about that kid, it’s easy for me to instantly flip to that kid’s notes.



This could work for academic notes, behavioral, workshop/ CAFE conferencing, or pretty much anything YOU need- but it’s a simple way to keep anecdotal notes at your fingertips!

Next up in the link-up, you can find some new, fabulous writing ideas from The Bubbly Blonde.

Thanks for stopping by!

An InLinkz Link-up

An InLinkz Link-up

Guest Blogger- Classroom Organization Tips from KTeacherTiff!

Today I'm welcoming a guest blogger. She is so sweet, and I hope you'll take the time to check out her blog and the great resources she shares!


Hi, there! My name is Tiffany, and I have a little blog called KTeacherTiff. I'm so excited and appreciative that Luckeyfog has invited me to her space today to share some ideas with you! I teach kindergarten, but I'm here today to blog about something that all teachers need: organization.

If you are one of those teachers who is naturally organized in all that you do, I am jealous of you. I have to force myself to be organized. While I do manage to keep the immediately visible space of my classroom presentable, what's lurking behind the cabinets is a different story. Hello, my name is Tiffany, and I am a stasher. And so begins the story of my craft cupboard.

Whoomp, there it is. I know. The doors don't close all the way because the plastic tubs on the bottom stick out too far. There is about an inch of dust on the top shelf that I can barely reach. And there is a lot more hiding on that bottom shelf than this photo conveys! It is a disaster. My New Year's resolution was to finally clean this bad boy out. 

I have read several books about organization. Being organized is something that I crave, which is only slightly outweighed by my urge to stash. Some of the tips that I will share with you are influenced by my readings (see a post about them here), and others will just be my own two cents. It works for me!

1. When in doubt, throw it out. I don't like to be wasteful, but is there really a need to hang on to the baggie of six foam letters or the three extra foam crafts in the hopes that I will one day need them? I think not! So I made a rule, and I suggest you follow it too: if you haven't used it or thought about it in over a year, get rid of it.

From that hot mess, I made a throw away pile, and the "what are you even doing in this cabinet?" pile. I found magnetic letters, a die, a roll of foil, and stamps hiding in there.

2. Use sturdy, pretty containers for everything. I like for things to look pretty. If it's pretty, then I want to keep it looking that way. Do you have any idea how many items I was storing in plastic baggies? I was using them to store pom-poms, glue sticks, yarn, buttons, glitter, craft sticks, and the list goes on. No wonder things fell on my head every time I opened that cabinet. There is absolutely no good way to organize plastic baggies with these types of materials.

I already had quite a few glass/plastic jars handy. I had been promising the hubs I'd get the jars on the left out of my house since April, so this was the perfect use for them. You can get these super-cheap at Hobby Lobby. Plus, you can always find a coupon for 40% off one item from there. The jars with the green lids are from this tasty Argo tea. My local Martin's (Giant) carries it in the organic/health food section. I bought one once simply for the container, and it turns out the tea is delicious! These are perfect for my colored rice and pasta.

 I dug up a few more jars and decent-looking containers from my closet, and was good to go. When you are excited about organizing something, do not rush out and purchase a million containers until AFTER you have sorted through everything and know exactly how many/what sizes you will need. It will save you money!

3. Label everything. Make it pretty, too. Again, if you like to look at it, you will want to keep it looking nice. Aside from that, seeing the labels will help to train your brain to put everything in its place! I found a cute editable freebie here. 

4. Be creative with storage. I was drowning in yarn. Some of it was nicely wound in the original skein, but I had this massive, tangled blob. So off to Hobby Lobby I went. These plastic paint buckets are very inexpensive. This is about as simple and non-crafty as it gets, while still managing to be cute.

Step one: Drill a hole.

Step two: Add some ribbon

Done! 

They're cute, right? And they really work! The beauty is that you no longer have to search for the end of the yarn. Tip: untangle it before putting it in the buckets. I pulled about half of the blue out before it tangled and I had to fix it. Not a big deal, but untangling it now will save you a step later. This would also be cute with multiple, smaller balls of yarn. I cleaned my local Hobby Lobby out of these, but I plan on making more!

5. Take a picture of your area once it's organized just the way you like it. If you ever let it slip, looking at this photo will give you motivation to go back and make it nice again. Seriously, man. This is truth. Just tonight, I looked at an old photo of myself from when I was working out regularly and I tell you now, I am getting back on the wagon tomorrow. Visuals give you something to strive for.

Just to recap--Before vs. After:

Oh, it's so much better. I may or may not have left this cupboard open for an entire day last week just so I could look at it. 

I hope that I have motivated you to go and do some organizing and purging in your own classroom this week. You will feel so much more productive and free! Next up for me, will be what I lovingly refer to as "the scary drawer." What area needs an overhaul in your classroom? 

Thank again to Luckeyfrog and to all of you readers for having me today!

Tiffany

Seriously, how great is that before-and-after? I always struggle with staying organized, so this was inspiring. Hope you check out more from Tiffany at  KTeacherTiff!