Welcome to my first EVER classroom!
This post will give you an idea of what I walked into last May, and what I'm leaving next week. I still look back on these pictures and think of all the things I could have done with more time, knowing what I know know - and well... having access to unlimited funds!
And yes.. we desperately need a paint job, but I try to ignore it now.
I'm going to be completely honest, I think overhauling the look, feel and overall aesthetic of my classroom was one of my favourite parts of my whole first year teaching. I love seeing the before and after photos, because I know how much work was put into changing and revamping each section of my classroom. I'm not saying the classroom didn't function well before, but I honestly I believe I made a much more comfortable and organized space to foster my students' learning. These changes took about 2 months to complete, but I was also using the space everyday for summer camp - so there was only so much I could do with the children needing to use all parts of the classroom each day. My classroom door at the beginning of the year is probably my favourite out of all the one's I've done. I still have the saying outside my classroom and will remind my students of it every now and then. As I head into graduation planning before I leave, I am ecstatic to hear my students referring to the words on this door as future careers for themselves. I believe that first impressions are a huge deal - but so is consistency. I have been very conscious of ensuring my students know that I believe in them, and that they are capable of anything they want to do. I think this is super important for children to learn at a young age. Here's a short list of some of my favourite tips for a great kinder classroom:
1. A COZY SPACE: The first thing I wanted to do in my classroom was create a space that was "cozy" for my students to use as a calming spot. We use our "cozy corner" as a place where only books, pillows and other comfy items are allowed - no toys. And my students are encouraged to use this spot if they need a minute away from the rest of the class. It has been a huge success and I wish I could make it more of a "getaway" spot, but unfortunately I need to see all of the children who are in it. Our cozy corner shifted spots throughout the year, but the concept stayed the same. Here's a picture of how it looks now.
2. TOY ORGANIZATION: When I saw how the children were putting their toys away, it pained me. I needed organization and this was something I got done in the first week of being in my classroom because I just could not deal with the chaos. I got the children to help me sort, organize and decide where the toys would go. I think it's very important to allow the children to help you decide where things go in the classroom as they are the ones that will be accessing them every day (provided you have the opportunity to ask them). A huge tip I would give anyone for their kinder classroom - or any classroom with toys - is CLEAR bins. This makes the toys super accessible for your students and gives the classroom an organized feeling, yet still colourful. You can get them pretty cheap at the Dollarstore or in a back of 10 at Michaels. I could tell the quality of the Michael's one's are a lot better and they did last longer with my kids, but it depends on your budget.
3. WORD WALL CHAOS: My word-wall is something that didn't go as planned, but it's all about learning right? Turns out the children enjoyed yanking the letter rings off the hooks too hard and they all fell off in a few weeks. I could have used velcro strips - which I've seen in some classrooms, but I never got around to doing it. Our word-wall is now a word-basket and it seems to work just as well. I think the little command hooks would work well in a grade 1 or 2 classroom, but for kinder it just didn't work.
4. FLEXIBLE SEATING (CRATE CHAIRS): The last thing I want to mention that took a decent amount of work and $$$ is my crate chairs. I was lucky to have a connection to get the crates for free (Thanks Ty) and my dad helped me build them, but I still had to buy the spray paint, plywood, fabric and batting. Just for the 4 chairs the entire project was still almost $100. BUT! They were totally worth it. My kiddos LOVED using the crates as a different kind of seat, we were able to store some toys in there, and they used them when they were playing. If you need a little tutorial on how to make them - let me know and I'll do a little DIY post. This is one of the only things I am taking with me when I leave my current classroom, and hopefully they will have a new home soon. Overall, I have to say that I am very proud of how I transformed my classroom, and I CANNOT wait to have another classroom to transform one day. Honestly - I would totally do this as a part-time job if you're looking for someone to plan, decorate and organize your classroom, this girl has got you covered.
If you'd like to see some more pictures of my classroom before I leave, check out my instagram @mskkindergarten and have a look! That's all I've got for now, but check back soon and I'm sure I'll have something else to talk about.
Always re-organizing, re-decorating and re-arranging,
Kayla
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