Classroom Design

Taking Lemons and Making Lemon Meringue Pie

With the end of the year approaching, that dreaded checklist will be in your hands soon. My guess is that the largest job on that list is packing up the room. This usually includes directions to move all of your materials to one side of the room, cover up everything, and take things off the walls, to name a few. I actually look forward to this because it is the perfect time to think about how you would like to set-up and decorate your classroom for the following school year. Here are my six recommendations for classroom design and set-up.

Staying Organized, Balanced, and Happy

With my son in kindergarten and my husband working full-time while taking two evening courses and completing an internship, I have no choice but to step it up on the organization scale. My top goal is to be happy and be a good mother, and I've been happy with the results so far. This might be one of the longest posts I've had (classroom, self, and home), but I believe this is the most important factor to me feeling successful in the teaching world.

Guided Reading in the Upper Grade Classroom: Getting Started

Whether you use a reading workshop approach or not, guided reading is a component of literacy that many K-5 teachers use in their classroom. I want our sessions to have a comfortable feeling where students can ask questions, try new strategies, and work together to become more strategic readers. Setting up this environment takes some work and planning, which is why our class didn't begin meeting until the fourth week of school. I'd like to share some of the fundamentals of getting guided reading off the ground at the beginning of the year. 

A Blended Approach to Reading and Writing Conferences

If I had to decide what moments I am most effective in the classroom, I'd have to say that it is when I am on the floor conferring with individual students about their reading and writing. This also happens to be the area of teaching that I have refined the most, always looking for new ways to make use of our conference time together. So much time has been dedicated to this, in fact, that I am declaring myself a reading/writing physician! This week I'd like to share with you how we now blend our reading and writing conferences to create a stronger impact.

Tour Angela's 4th Grade Classroom

Angela Bunyi, a teacher at Barfield Elementary, has made her portable 4^th grade classroom an oasis in Murfreesboro, TN. Learn more.