(Architect/Space planner here) The bookshelf could be turned sideways to come out from the wall, along side those cabinets by the door. It would stick out a little beyond the cabinets, but you wouldn’t lose the whiteboard space. You could even put a cheap tack board back on it to post things on what you do see of the back.
When I taught 3rd (I teach kinder currently) they loved the Who Was series and the Who Would Win books. My 3rd graders loved non-fiction! They also loved graphic novels.
Holy storage closet Batman!! Jealous!! Love how you organized it! It’s so much work but I live for classroom organization every summer😊 Can’t wait for all the adventures in third!!
For the cubbies, I would buy baskets or bins that fit inside them, label them and put material that you need accessible. It could also be for lunch boxes and water bottles.
Any graphics novels like Captain Underpants or Owl Diaries are always a hit! Second-hand, like Abe books, has saved my wallet, sometimes you can snag whole sets, too! The Who Was series are a hit with 3rd graders as well.
I’m a second year third grade teacher and you’re right…third graders still love picture books. My students also loved going to the library to get books that they really wanted. It was a great way to keep them motivated to go to the library. Hopefully you can get some from your wishlist but honestly not having a lot of chapter books wasn’t a big deal and all of my students passed their eog’s and were high readers so if you give them opportunities and encouragement, they will read no matter what!
I’m a third grade teacher as well! My kiddos regularly pulled from my picture book stash. They loved reading them. As for chapter books, my class recommended the Louis Sachar Wayside School series and any graphic novel series. The current favorite was the Magic Tree House graphic novels.
I’m a 6th Grade teacher (starting year 38 in August). Your room looks amazing and I’m a bit envious of your storage closet and cabinets. The only recommendation I would have is to keep your favorite, beloved copies of books, for your use only especially if you have copies for student use. I can’t speak for 3rd graders, but 6th graders can be rough on books. Unless you don’t mind, I’d keep them for your use with students.
I teach 2nd but used to teach 3rd…..the kids always loved Amber Brown, Judy Moody, and Stink (Judy Moody’s little brother). They also love Geronimo Stilton.
Welcome to 3rd grade! It’s really good that you have lower level books, I have had several students in the past reading on a kindergarten or first grade level so don’t get rid of those .
I would suggest having your students store their backpacks and lunchboxes in the cubbies. Make it part of their routine to make sure they are completely empty at the end of every day. Then they can hang their jackets on the hooks! TRUST ME you will enjoy the separation and them being tucked away. Also, if you move your small group table in front of your whiteboard, can you push your other desk forward and have room for the big bookshelf there? OOOO also another idea! Keep your chapter books in the shorter cubbies and have your picture book bins on top!
👋Hello!! First grade teacher here and loving your set up series. Glad I stumbled across your channel. I’m currently watching the section of your library dilemma. I suggest putting your nonfiction books in a nice labeled bin and place at the top of the bookshelf. This will help fill that empty white board space on top. You can then pull the bin down when you want it accessible to the kids or when you need it. 📚As for personal teacher favorite books - I have my own teacher library housed in my teacher desk area. My students know that space is off limits - it also helps keep those favorite books looking nice 😊 🥳Kudos to a great job adjusting, moving, and adapting in your new spaces both home and work! Excited for the next vlog! You’re giving me inspiration as I prepare to set up my class as well in a couple weeks. 💜
Aww thanks for watching!!! I will miss first grade for sure!! I moved the nonfiction to its own space and agree that it’ll probably work well! I will be moving my personal books too! Good luck starting your classroom set up!
I’m only at 6:55 where you’re talking about the honking cabinet, but what if you got a book end and did your books on top of the cubbies all in a row leading up to the end where the cubbies get a little higher, if that makes sense (I use the rainbow spine labels from TPT, but that’s not a must-have). The cubbies themselves could be used to store common manipulatives like unification cubes, or literacy center activities, replacement supply buckets like crayons, glue, etc. I definitely think students have enough space in their desks!
Really important to try and encourage chapter book reading and build reading stamina. I love using picture books as read aloud and also to use as mini lesssons.
You could use the cubbies for just their backpacks and move out the big cabinet with hooks out? I do like the idea of smaller shelves under the boards for your library. Then they’ll have the whole carpet area to use for reading.
My students love the Dragon Masters series, Eerie Elementary series, Zoey & Sassafras, Ellray Jakes, Junie B Jones, Goosebumps, Amelia Bedelia, Bad Guys, Ivy and Bean, Stink series. They also really like picture books too though!
Hi! I teach third and it’s great having decodables for struggling readers. I usually keep them behind my desk so I can make sure they’re picking a good one and to help them get going. I make a big deal about how they get to have cool secret books from my special bin (shh! Don’t tell!). That way I can make sure they get started okay, have an opportunity to build a positive relationship with them, and I think it helps with the stigma to make it special. Works for me!
I teach 2nd grade. My class LOVED Dog Man! The other books my kids loved are Bad Guy, Zoey and sassafras, National Geographic kids, What if you had animal books, graphic novels, piggies elephant, and magic tree house! I hope you have a great year!
I am a third grade teacher who switched from first to third a few years ago! Third graders LOVE picture books still but here are some other titles they enjoy as well: -The Last Firehawk series -The Kingdom of Wrenly -Zoey and Sassafras -Lunch Lady comics -Science Comics -Who Would Win? Books -I Survived series Hope this helps!😊
Hi! I taught reading in upper grades for 10 yrs. Couple things to think about, accessibility to your books, that book shelf if really tall I would just go ahead and pay for a cube shelf that fits under your white boards so kids can grab them easily ☺️ also I would use bins for books categorized by genre or topic or subject, you could even allow the students to help make labels for your bins so they take some ownership in the library! Best of luck!
I have a step stool - I’ll keep it close by!! Wish cube shelves didn’t cost 🤷🏻♀️ I also keep them organized by authors last name so I can find books easily but I have some spare bins so maybe I could add some categories in the future!
Hi! I would put the big shelf for the library in front of the boatd just to the right of the TV and use your library there. It covers up a board, but that doesn't seem so bad. Then buy or find other shelves needed for extra books. Use those cubbies not for the kids, but storage for math or other storage. You aren't used to it, but 3rd graders don't need a cubbie and are usually more able to organize on their own. You can train them to organize their own desk. You will still be stuck in the first grade mindset for a while. Good job! You can do it! 😀 You can turn another wall or doors into a buliten board, or even hang a big marker board on a wall. I had a marker board that I could move around the room daily, that I bought. It was like 3 feet by 4 feet and it worked fine. A janitor could help you hang a big board like that. Or put it on a big easel, which is what I did for second grade teaching.
My child just finished 3 grade her teacher had the owl diaries and I purchased all the collection on Amazon very inexpensive maybe about $60 for 17 books she loved them all and went through them in 1 week she was hooked on them, and bonus they have pics.
Hi I’ve taught 3rd grade for 8 years! Some of my students favorite series * Dog Man * I survived * Babysitters club (new graphic novels so cute!) * Bad Guys * What if you had animal… (not chapter but great non fiction series)
Here are some books and series that my 3rd graders enjoy: The Wild Robot (an overwhelming class favorite), Dog Man, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Judy Moody, Stink, The Last Kids on Earth, Charlotte's Web (class read aloud), My Weird School series, A Boy Called Bat, The Lemonade War series, Roald Dahl books, The Treehouse Series by Andy Griffiths, According to Humphrey series, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The One and Only Ivan, Zoey and Sassafras series, Mindy Kim series. I like to buy books from Scholastic's Branches series to help bridge some of my students from picture books to chapter books. For nonfiction, my students like the following: National Geographic Readers, Who Would Win, Little People Big Dreams, Ordinary People Change the World series by Brad Meltzer, Leaders Doing Headstands series, and pretty much all animal nonfiction books.
You are making great progress! I love seeing everything transform in your space. Don't worry about your classroom library. Third graders absolutely still love picture books because they are easy, quick, fun reads. Some recommendations for adding to your library: any graphic novel [Dog Man, Wings of Fire, Last Kids on Earth, Babysitters Club, Magic Tree House, I Survived], Who was/Who is? series, Black Lagoon, I Survived, and nonfiction are some of the popular choices with my 3rd graders!
I would do the library with low shelves like the cube ones (target 15 % off) in front of your desk and under white board like L shaped with a big rug. Move small group table to the corner with the deep built in shelves and you can use those to store teacher materials for small group.
They (the boys especially, but also reluctant girl readers) LOVE graphic novels. Dog Man, Cat Kid, DC Superhero graphic novels, Babysitters Club (new GN series), graphic novel versions of Magic Tree House and I survived are all hits.
The wire file crate holders are from old Pearson science curriculum. I kept the bins but not the wire holders, now I wish I had kept the wire holders since you can put crates on them. Kicking myself.
I'd still see if it would fit in the space by the door, except instead of lined against the wall, maybe line it against the end of the counter and you can use the back as more space to hang things up by that counter? You may even be able to use the cabinets above as an anchor for safety as well
Your comments have so many excellent suggestions for chapter books. I would also suggest many more nonfiction books. Books about dinosaurs, sharks, animals, space, cultures, historical events, states... Some students prefer to read nonfiction.
For book go to balf price books. They are super cheap- sometimes 1.99 each and you can get 10%off everytime! Doesn't matter if on sale. That is how I have built my library and then check teacher scholastic-they are cheap there too. Captain underpants, Junie B, any Marvel books, Ivy and Bean and Millie Mavin.
Check into Scholastic’s Branches book series collections…Notebook of Doom, Eerie Elementary, Dr. Kitty Cat, Owl Diaries, The Last Firehawk, etc. Some only have a couple of books, but there are several series that have a large number of books already. Other series lots of 3rd graders enjoy are My Weird School, Bird & Squirrel, Bad Guys, Dog Man, Captain Awesome, and Unicorn Academy. There are, of course, many more, but I thought I’d offer some recommendations. :)
Hi, I like your channel. I have been a third grade teacher for many years, and I love third grade. Good luck to you. Here are some book ideas. Third Grade chapter book ideas: Unicorn diaries, Owl Diaries, Dog Man Books, Arthur books (even though they are not a chapter book), Magic Tree House Series, Weird School Series Books, Horrible Harry. For higher third Graders: Dork Diaries, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Judy Bloom-Especially "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" and stories about Fudge. I Survived Series Books. There are also 2 books "Third Grade Angels" and "Fourth Grade Rats"- I use these as read alouds and my kids love them.
Can you talk about discipline in your classroom? If you send students to the principals or make them stand in the corner? It is my second year as principal.
You have a lot of good suggestions for books, any books in a series are what will hook your 3 rd graders. I would add the following series: Ordinary People Extraordinary Lives, big head biographies (Who Was, What is), Wedgie and Gizmo, Wings of Fire, Babysitters Club, books by Raina T., Bad Guys, Big Nate, Wimpy Kid, Mac B Spy Kid, Cupcake Diaries, I Survived, joke books, Myth Busters, Who Would Win, Amulet, Bone, comics like Calvin and Hobbes or Garfield, Kayla and King, pizza and Taco … I could go on and on but ask your school librarian!!! Signed a school librarian!
The top shelf of your desks fit a shallow drawer from the rainbow-10 carts. We have had a few frames die but the drawers found new homes. I taped one of the dollar tree long pencil sized baskets that come in a set of 3 at the front and the kiddos stay much more organized. Bonus, it’s a lot harder to loose things in the back of the drawer than the back of the open shelf.
When i was in Elementary School these were my favorite chapter books magic tree house, Alvin ho, my Weird School, junie b. Jones, Fancy Nancy, Bad Kitty,Ivy and bean, Boxcar Children, Ann of green Gables, Esperanza Rising, Because of Winn-Dixie , Little House on the Prairie, and who was series. But my absolute favourites were Winn-dixie, Magic Tree House, Esperanza Rising and Junie B Jones. I hope these help+ I was very picky when it came to books and i was hard getting me to read so if i like a book my people knew it was good. Because i wouldn't just read anything p.s. now I'm in 9th grade
The one and only Ivan is a great read allowed. I know this because my 4th grade teacher read this too us and all the kids in are class loved it. But the one most of the class hated was the book holes it was so boring. But the movie for the book holes was good.
I remember crying the summer before 3rd grade crying because my sister told me I couldn't read picture books anymore and my 3rd grade teacher would only have chapter books. I would have loved to have the option to read picture books as well in 3rd grade.
Hiya, your classroom is looking AMAZING! Well done for all the hardwork. Just curious about the tubs you for your unit resources on the top shelf. Do you know where you brought these from? Ive been looking everywhere but cant find their name.
+Mrs. Katie in Elementary Remember Katie, Hot is the life in Florida. I can only imagine what the heat index is there right now. Question: what are your tips for beating the heat? Meanwhile I look forward to seeing your classroom all done. - Dwight
I know you said you got your file crate stand from a retired teacher, but do you have any idea what it's called? Does it have another function that just happens to fit file crates? I've tried looking to no avail.
I love your setup series! I have a random question for you. Where did you get the white wire stand that your green and teal milk crates are on? Sorry if you have answered this question in another video.
Thanks for watching!! I wish I knew/had a link for you!! I got it years ago from a retiring teacher and have never been able to find anything similar for sale anywhere! Sorry!!
You already have so many good recommendations, but I’ll add to the list. 😆 *Magic Tree House series *Magic Tree House Merlin’s Missions series *Magic Tree House Fact Tracker series *I Survived series *Trapped in a Video Game series *My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish series *Amulet series *The Last Kids on Earth series *Flat Stanley series *Ivy and Bean series *Judy Blume books *Roald Dahl books *My Weird School series *Pax by Sara Pennypacker *Louis Sachar books *Wish by Barbara O’Connor *Who Would Win series *Beverly Cleary books *The Bad Guys series *Minecraft books *Robert Beatty books (Serafina series, Willa of the Wood series) *Keena Ford series *Big Monty Books series *Marvellerverse series *Tristan Strong series *The Pennymores by Eric Koester *Pilar Ramirez series *National Park Mystery series *Mr. Lemoncello’s Library series *Who HQ books series I could go on and on - I teach 3rd grade AND have a rising 4th grader.
Do you live anywhere near a half price books? If so you can call them tell them you are a teacher and ask them. Sometimes they can donate boxes to teachers.
