My Classroom

Here are some pictures of my 2nd grade classroom starting off the year!  Everything is pretty empty, just the way I like it so that we can fill the walls together with our learning throughout the year.  I have really tried to clean out anything that I do not and will not use.  This year I am using a lot of my storage cabinets that used to be filled with all my stuff for materials that the kids use daily.  That way the room stays clear of clutter and we can all stay focused. :)

Here is the classroom library! I have really focused on organizing this space for book shopping to be easy for kids to find good fit books and FUN!  I put my reading CAFE board and Reader's Workshop board in the library because this is where I will put all the reading strategies and learning throughout the year.



I will probably post more about our library in detail, but here are some of the labels that I made for some of the series that we have in our room.



Class Books are one of my kids favorite things to look at in the library when we have extra time!

Here are the bins I pulled to start the year (I like to feature different books).  The "student author" bin is where kids put their writing that they want others to be able to read.  It's one of my favorite parts of the library! :)



Although I teach the Reader's Workshop Units of Study, I still plan to put all of the strategies that I teach from each unit on a CAFE board.  Before doing Reader's Workshop, I used the Daily 5 and CAFE .  I still love using Daily 5 lessons to launch Reader's Workshop and it helps me a ton with management.  I also still love having the CAFE board as a tool to keep the strategies that each unit brings organized (for myself as much as the kids to reflect back on what we have all learned).  I am planning on "color coding" my strategies from each unit to fit into CAFE, and I will be sure to post about it!  Stay tuned... :)



Those animal decoding posters are another thing that I couldn't quite let go of, so I teach these with shared reading and front load them in the beginning of the year and continue to use them with small groups.



I use these small sheets for small groups and kids that need extra tools for decoding.


Cute little reminder sign for by the sink. :)




I like to keep the headers in my classroom simple so that the information on the boards is featured.  I made my headers with a soft white and gray polka dot border (that doesn't really show up too well in pictures, but looks cute and calming in the room!) :)












This little tool has REALLY helped out a lot over the years.





















This is kind of where I store all the daily materials that I need to switch (literacy rotations, schedule cards for the next day, next day calendar piece, etc.).  If it wasn't all in one spot I would forget!






























I put these 2 bookshelves back-to-back and created another "board" for learning by covering the sides of the shelves with fabric and a border.  One side faces my area with my desk so that I can put all my bins that hold each day's materials in and other things that I need to prepare.  The other side is where I put another library shelf with some more bins for book shopping.



My materials for the week (this shelf has freed up a lot of space in my cabinets for student materials and it is right where I need it to be for getting materials ready).





This is the back side of the shelf: facing the classroom library where I store extra books.



I have students order lunch with sticks and put their stick in labeled holders (I also use the sticks as a way to take attendance quickly to see who is not here in the morning).  As for milk I have the kids order their milk with a whiteboard marker (checking it off on a laminated milk sheet).  The sheet works well because milk carriers take it down and we can go back and check what happened if we are short on milk that day.














































































I put fabric over a mini cork board and made that into our "Words" of the week feature board for new spelling words.  I like having those words portable so when we are talking about them I move them to the easel, and the rest of the time they are in the Word Work and Writer's Workshop area until the end of the week when they are transferred to the Word Wall.



I will explain this Rotations Board better with another post with more details on our word work.  During RtI time, this is what I have the rest of the class do (more information to come!)


Storage of rotation switches/calendar and schedule pieces...




Feature board for each subject.





The reason that I like to keep my cabinets free (at least the lower level ones) is because I like to have a "Writer's Workshop" materials cabinet, and a "Word Work" and "Math" Cabinet where all student materials are away.  Here is what some of these look like (especially at the beginning of the year).

I hang examples from students of the ones we have learned inside the cabinet where supplies are so that kids remember their options.  I will post choices that I add to the word work options.  I am trying to create or find more choices for 2nd grade that are challenging for some kids.

I put all of these labels on with velcro as I teach them, so early on in the year there are a few choices for word work and I had to them.  The same thing for Writer's Workshop paper choices, as we learn to write new genres, I add to the choices for materials.

 

I really hope that you get some INSPIRATION for your classroom!! I will add more pics about the classroom as the year goes on.  If you really like a lot of the signs and things that you see in the pictures, I have compiled the main things that I used for setting up my classroom in my Room Setup Product at my TPT Store!  I plan to add some room set up freebies as I create more as well. :)  

These are the contents of the Room Setup Product: