My 2018-19 classroom is FINALLY finished! Oh, who am I kidding? I'll probably change it next week! I'm so excited to share my classroom with y'all! I try my best to make my classroom cozy and comfortable. I want to make sure that my kiddos have a safe and nourishing place to come each week. Plus, during the school year, I spend more time in my classroom than I do at home. I wasn't kidding before, I change things around ALL the time. So, by Christmas my classroom may look completely different!
My classroom is pretty small, so I have to make the most of the space we have. Last year, I switched to full flexible seating in my music room. I have spaces around the room that not only have flexible seating options, but make stations and small groups much easier. Even when we aren't working in small groups, my kiddos can use the "fun seats", as we call them. It gives them a chance to find a spot that works best for them. It is interesting to see which students choose which seats, or choose to work in groups or alone. It gives a lot of insight without any effort.
I love having the walls and cabinets filled with things the students can look at. You'll hardly find a blank space in my classroom. I know some teachers believe that it can be too much for students, but I disagree. Having things to read on the wall can never be a bad thing. As you come into my room, there are four floor to (almost) ceiling cabinets that house most of my instruments and materials. On this cabinet, I have my Lines and Spaces. My kids use this as a reference all the time. The circle letters are from David Row at Make Moments Matter. I used my Silhouette to cut out the "Elephants Go Belly Dancing Friday" and the elephants themselves. I use this instead of "Every Good Boy Does Fine" because a 6th grader came up with it when I was student teaching. It has stuck with me ever since and my kiddos definitely remember it better than the classic. Please ignore my gigantic mess of program banners/visuals on top of the cabinet....like I said, small room. You can also see above the door I have a quote that says "Be (instead of follow) the Leader". We are a Leader in Me school, so it seemed a perfect way for my kiddos to leave my classroom. I also used my Silhouette to cut those letters.
The remainder of my cabinets are where I post my flexible seating expectations. We reference this throughout the year when issues arise with the fun seats. I'm lucky enough to have an office inside my classroom. It is mostly used as storage and a catch-all, but I love it! I keep the door closed most of the time since my computer and bag stay in there. I love having my posters on the door for the kiddos to see what kind of music I enjoy. You should hear the conversations we have about "Cash". Priceless.
This back corner of the classroom is one of my favorite parts of my room. The two black shelves hold my Orff instruments and extra materials (pencils, glue, crayons, etc.). My mom was gracious enough to make me curtains for these cabinets. Even though the kids knock them down 800 times a day (insert eye roll) I love the way they look. It also keeps my Orff instruments from getting so dusty. The rainbow bins are where the kiddos keep their recorders. There is a bin for each class. The two larger tubs hold whiteboards and clipboards. We use clipboards all the time with flexible seating. I'm a HUGE Harry Potter fan, so of course I have to represent my house and have my Hufflepuff flag hanging up. Does it match my room? Nope, but who cares! I think it's really important for my kiddos to know about my favorite things. I have pictures, band posters, quotes and lots more around the room so they can get to know me better! The quote on the bulletin board is one I cut with my Silhouette. I change this out occasionally throughout the year.
This is the continuation of the back part of my room. This back table is a great space for my kiddos who enjoy standing while they work. More often than not, those stools are pushed to the side while they stand. I also have bath rugs and other smaller rugs in that white and black tote. These are a very popular choice with my students, so I have about 12 of them. It's so funny how the cheapest option for seating ($2-3 on clearance at Target) is the most popular! My notes and rests display came from Ms. Wonderly Makes Music!
The next two images show my table options for flexible seating. Under the tables are my DIY Crate Seats. Check out the link for a blog post about how I made these. I'm lucky enough to have this huge wall of windows in my room. Usually, in the afternoons, I'll open them up to have some more light in the room. I don't keep my overhead fluorescent lights on, only lamps. It's nice to get some daylight into the room when we can.
This is the front of my classroom. Promise me you won't look at how much of a mess my desk is. I'd like to tell you it's always clean, but that would be a lie. 99% of the time my desk, like my brain, is a hot mess. My favorite part of my classroom is in this image. The huge quote "Practice makes Progress not Perfect" is something I've wanted in my classroom for ages. I cut these gigantic letters out on my Silhouette and laminated them. I also have them in my TPT store. I think it's so important for our kiddos to embrace the idea of progress. Growth is growth, no matter what anyone says. I reference this quote All. The. Time. with the kids. My Week in Focus is from Learning in Wonderland. Her document is editable, so I have a page for each of the grade levels. This is where I write our big topics we are working on for the week(s). Since we are a Leader in Me school, I have my 7 Habits posters displayed at the front of the classroom. Amy Groesbeck has an editable version of these in her TPT store! Last year, I added a simple calendar to the front of my room. Honestly, I bought it because it matched my classroom theme. (Anyone else buy things for this reason?!) Let me tell you, it has turned out to be SO helpful. I put up concert dates, grade level field trips, club day, no school days, and everything else we do. It's so good for my students to see that we only have "3 more classes" until the program! I highly recommend this for music teachers!
If you lasted through this entire post, you are amazing. My classroom decor is something close to my heart. During the school year, I spend more time in my classroom than I do at home. I want my students to feel comfortable in my class, but I also want to feel comfortable. If you have any questions please comment below and I'll answer them as best I can. Thanks for stopping by today!