CLASSROOM SET UP 2022 | DAY 3... and a half! 

As a retired librarian, I can’t tell you how much I love seeing the emphasis you put on your library area. Teachers that value reading help raise readers.

Start with the Book Buddies "out of reach" and slowly introduce them into the library once you've set the expectations. Otherwise it might be a free for all day one.

I think the book buddies would be cute to display on the long shelf under your quote. I like to “highlight” my book buddies along with their book/books in my library. So, I will display a few Pete the Cat books along with the Pete the Cat book buddy on top of my library shelf and then change them out every few weeks. When you were talking about the blank wall space in the library, I immediately thought of the book character posters from @thebookwrangler or others that people have made. Just a thought. I think you will find that the Flisat table is super easy to put together! So glad Jake got it for you. They are sold out all the time. TFS ☺️💕

I’m always going to be biased for more pink in the classroom. I’m so excited for your new room. It was so fun to be around for your first year. I totally miss the “First year, first Grade” saying but kinder will be fun too. You’re amazing!

I really like how your classroom is coming along! Ikea can be super overwhelming, but I can tell you that the Trofast furniture and the Billie bookcases are really durable and are student and toddler proof lol I am also tickled at the fact that you live in my general area 🙂 If you went to the Ikea in Schaumburg, you were right in my neck of the woods!

Maybe start with the book buddies on display until procedures are fully taught, and then slowly introduce them for students to use! Makes them more special too

I keep all my book buddies in a cute basket in my library so the kids can access them anytime they are in that center. They are in great condition!! But it was my first year and maybe I just got lucky with my group of kids, Haha! Also your clip art idea of looking up coloring pages 🤯

You’ve got me wanting to add a huge quote to my wall now!! Gears are turning 🤪🤩 YOUR ROOM IS LOOKING SO GOOD!!

I know how you feel about traffic especially when you come from a smaller city for 5 years I started taking calm essential oils and praying before driving

Everything is looking awesome. I love your colors. You are creating such a happy, inviting space for you incoming kiddos.

Your room seems very spacious and I love the windows!

🌞The library 📚 so cute Love it

love your classroom! everything looks great!

Excited to watch your new library I like the book buddies so they can rake it and read.

Really like the quotes. Very clever how you used the letters you have for “Kind is cool” Teachers have so much ingenuity!

Love your videos! 💛 I can’t wait to see how your classroom turns out!

Love these videos. I’m a kindergarten teacher and I leave my book buddies out for my kids to read with at different times.

Loving this chatty video!

Library goals!

I LOVE YOUR LIBRARY LABELS!!!!

I have my book buddies for display only, but when I read the matching book, the book buddy sits on my lap.

Your room is looking fantastic and you have great ideas! One year I took white sheets to cover the shelves but the kids decorated them by placing there hand in paint and putting their hand prints on the sheets. They also used fabric markers to write their names. It was a fun activity to do as a center. Just a thought.

🌸So excited on how your room is coming along! Loving how you take us with you for all the “firsts” like the unpacking of the pods and IKEA adventure. Yes IKEA can be very overwhelming with so much to see - but kudos - you survived and even had a successful pick up! 🔵What about a teal circular rug for your cute library space? I think a circle will fill that area nicely. As for the Book Buddies - I keep mine on display but not accessible for the students so that one spot under your Life is Sweet in Kindergarten would be perfect (Saw your IG story and it came out sooo cute!)📚

I love the library. I have 3 library bins that I switch out mid year. Students are excited to see the new books. The buddies will definitely get dirty. Maybe, you can have a star student use one. That way the students can still love on them but not have much hand traffic.

I love your idea for the walls! I always go by the rule "A cluttered room makes a cluttered mind". And, over decorating wall space causes to much confusion for little minds. Also, the way you streamline your organization is very good. Placing the same style and type of storage containers in an area keeps the chaos down to a minimum. Fantastic job!!! Blessings 💕💕💕

You go girl! The library looks amazing. I am totally going to try find that display shelf right now.

Coming from a middle school teacher, I love how your room is coming together!! PS - I wish I had your energy when its 7am! Always so enthusiastic!

Love your room❤ You are making me want to completely change my room to a SchoolGirl Style Theme😅

loving this series 🌺✨🤍

For the metal shelves you need shelf brackets for…use the magnetic curtain rods to hang curtains on them

Thank you for sharing and inspiring me! I love your ideas!

I used to have book buddies in my classroom, i sprayed them with a fabric water repellent thing i found in amazon and then I vacuumed them every friday, and i took them home once a month to wash them! Also, i started introducing them as kind of a privilege/reward for my students, until they understood the procedures and expectations, and then i started slowly adding more buddies to the family, it went sooo smooth!

You’re classroom is coming along so well!! I can’t get into my room until the 1st week of August. I love your book labels!! I have your same theme so I would definitely buy them if you put them in your store. Also, try Hobby Lobby for a rug. They have a black with white polka dot rug. Haven’t seen it in mine but others have them. I’m definitely going to keep checking because I want it!

For library you could try the small area rugs made for bathrooms, would probably fit between couch and bookcase and easy to clean just throw in washer.

Put a green plant next to the couch and bookcase , would look great . Also paper trays in different colours is easy for the kiddos to identify what is in each tray

I bought book cases in black. You are going to make me go back and buy the white ones!!! Your room is looking great. What do you think about a circle shaped rug for the library? I agree with teal for the color!

You could always find floating shelves that you can use command hooks or super marvelous tape to put up. Then you could put the book buddies up out of little hand range.

you should think about doing a video about the books that your kids like most! i am very interested in your library (especially the seasonal books) and would love to see more!!

I used those stools from ikea in black and they didn’t last a year. My kids broke off the tops in just months. So I got rid of them. Hope they work better in your class. Love watching your set ups!!! You get me in the mood to decorate my classroom!!!

Me encantan tus videos. Gracias🙏💕

New subscriber here 👋 I literally love ur energy!! All the upcoming kindergarten kiddies will love you.

I really like the pencil banner! Cute idea for that small bulletin board. Your classroom is looking so good! As far as the book buddies, you could rotate them or use them as incentives. I had mine out all year and my kiddos loved them. I threw them in the wash every so often. I'm glad you talked a lot-I am cutting letters out and like listening! 😊

I am in LOVE with how your library turned out!! I think with the book buddies, I would put them on display up on the shelf but then also allow students to use them on occasion, maybe as a reward or special day. We typically do Flashlight Friday so students can read with flashlights and all the lights turned off, so I'd maybe give them a buddy for that! Just some ideas for you!

Hi I was thinking for the filing cabinets you want curtains for, get polka dot curtains and attach with velcro on the inside top. Hope that makes sense

You can use Velcro to attach the curtains to the shelves. :)

The book buddies and soft things will be great for a calming space and probably helpful for them to have access. Do you have a calming corner/space set up for the kiddos yet?! 😊

One thing you may want to use that wall space for in the Library is expectation anchor charts. Our curriculum (Being A Reader) has us create a couple different reading charts with our students as we introduce expectations for centers, and I usually hang them in/near the library so they can reference them. Your room is looking so good! And I agree with a teal rug. :)

We got to see Jake. I've been watching for a while (since the first year classroom set up) so I know that he doesn't like to be on camera. So Thank-you Jake for tolerating it this time. Your room is looking awesome. I really like the new color scheme and the library set up. The book buddies look really cute on top of the book shelf but I work in daycare so I know if they're out where the kids can get them they will get the very loved on look. So I'm torn I love that they're out where the kids can get to them but they're a really cute display so I want them up on the coat cubbies where their protected. So I say half should be for the kids and the other half for the display. Teal carpeting is my vote and the writing center pencils are really cute. And lastly...Um yeah you went to IKEA on a Saturday are you crazy. That place is a zoo on the weekends. Amazing but a zoo.🤣

Do the sensory table by your desk since there is a sink there

Don't feel bad, I've never been to Ikea either!! Love and uncluttered wall!!

I like it a lot

Circle rug!!

A round rug would look cute in your library😁

Try flat sheets for your curtains for the file cabinets....they have a nice hem in them that you can stick the curtain rod thru.....if you cut them to fit length wise, I think a twin should work perfectly. Use iron on hemming tape on the bottom to get a nice folded edge. Easy peasy! I love your sweet disposition and the chattiness is just a bonus! Keep it up girl....you are so sweet! All the best!

You could get an oval rug for the library. It might fit in the space better!!

You should totally put a cute fake tropical plant next to the little couch!

I think you could use the book buddies as a reward/incentive related to reading!

I love Chicago

Should I be working on my reading for tomorrow’s PD? Sure. Buuuuut, I’m pretty sure watching this before I start counts as self-care.

Book buddies for decoration. Maybe use as a class reward... if they are good they can read with a buddy.

I love your videos and I want to be a teacher when I grow up

You can spray stain repellent spray on the stuffed animals

You can actually still spray them after you have hung them up you just have to be careful and make sure you do it and then leave they will dry overnight no problem. It will not be perfect but it will help. Room is looking good love the library. Your fellow Floridian Mel

So crazy that I've come upon your channel and you are a neighbor! I'm a K-3 music teacher from Rochelle. Welcome to the area!

A circle carpet would be good for the library.

Hairspray would mattify also and would not damage plastic (laminated paper)

Yay!!!!!!!

You could put Velcro on the curtains for the metal bookshelves, if the tension rods don’t work.

I think you should put a hot pink rug in the library😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣 JK. Target has a cute aqua/mint pillowfort brand rug with white polka dots. So cute. Love the library!

As for the book buddies: maybe you could chose a weekly/monthly book buddy for the kids to use in the library. and the other ones could be lined up on top of the higher shelves as you mentioned... i guess then the kids are going to handle the book buddy more respectfully as it's just one (more "special") and not all of them at once. ☺️

Let them play/use the book buddies and then take them to be dry cleaned like once a quarter or whatever.

Library rugs schoolgirl

Your classroom setup is fabulous. I really love the library area. For the book buddies , my only suggestion would be to put them up high on the shelf until you introduce handling of them. For the labels for your writing station I would suggest a picture and the wording. I am thinking that you are going to have a range from non-reading to students who are reading a year above grade level just based on what you said about the area where your school is located. I know high readers are in every tax bracket but even more so in a high tax bracket. I’m a K-2 reading specialist in a district that sounds similar to yours. I am excited for you. I love the Kinders!

Love the idea for a teal rug. I would put the book buddies above the cubbies. What color will your valances be?

I’m the same way about leaving some wall space because it’s overwhelming for me lol. I wish more teachers would think about that when setting up their rooms :)

welcome to Illinois :)

Dang, I've been trying to get one of those tables forever. I work there, & our store's been sold out too!!

Love how your room is turning out. Where did you get the book display that has the baskets in your library area. Thanks for your help love your videos.

I wouldn't keep the stuffies where the kids can touch them they're my little thing and for them to look at ! I want my mo Willam stuffies to last a really long time! Sometimes I take them out as a prize. Like a speaking piece for morning meeting!

Always love your style! When your cricuting cut out the word “let’s” for the white space above write. Let’s write would be so sweet. My book buddies are free for kiddos to read to at read to self time. They can get gross but we set expectations on how with treat our book buddies.

LOVE your videos!! Where did you get your book buddy bin? It’s adorable! Also very curious to know if the mod podge will work for the glare so please update on this! I forgot to spray letters that I hung up as well.

If you want a pink rug, you do pink. I think it would be cute. Don’t worry about what anyone else says. You have to do you.

You know there is a special place for Kindergarten teachers in Heaven! LOL! I did one year in Kindi my entire career... and that was too much! God Bless you! I think you will be an amazing Kindi teacher! I would put the book buddies up with one of the books they are a character in with them... then the kiddos can borrow the book and not the buddy! Remember kindi kiddos have shmutz and things (like the L word) and you don't want any of that on your buddies if you want them to last. ;0) Best of luck... the room is looking really good. Michelle

Have you thought about a round or oval rug for your library space?

They have a black rug with white polka dots on sale at hobby lobby :)

OK... so I just need to know, what do you use on your lips! HAHA I know that is a random question, but they always looks great, not faded, etc! PS You are so sweet, love hearing your excitement! I am a 14 year teacher and still feel the same way as you do EXCITED!!! Keep the love and joy coming! Lots of love!

You probably mentioned this but I didn’t see it- where did you get your futon? Absolutely LOVE your room!

Típical América girl 😁😁.greetings from mar del plata Argentina 😁😁🇦🇷

Target is also offering 15% off to teachers until September... time to get the rug

Book buddy up top on bookshelves

I love your videos I want to be a kindergarten teacher I've worked in the schools since 2004 but as a para and then an admin assistant. And I moved from IL to NH

Library rugs

Depending on how big of a rug you're wanting they have a "chevron" teal rug on targets website now. It's a 4'x6' and only $55 I think

Where did you get your white book bins for your library? They look so nice! I love how your library turned out.

Lauren!!! I started my RU-vid channel 🥰🥰 I’m so excited to share my teaching journey with y’all 😊

Looking so good! Love the library! Can you please link the display book shelf? I don’t see it on your Amazon storefront.

What about the circle ABC rug, there are many colors available on Amazon

What of you got a runner for your library instead of a full rug?

You might have already bought a rug, but did you think about an oval shape since your corner is tricky with the diagonal wall?

I rewatched a few videos to try and figure this out but no luck - where did you have your pillows printed?