I think it would be helpful to have a “writing rules” or spelling rules board with things like: The difference in their, they’re, there The difference between effect and affect I before e except after c Context clues Sound it out Difference between You’re and your Simple stuff that is commonly misused!
For the fabric on the desk, you can try buying a tension rod (like a shower curtain rod - they’re super cheap at Walmart) and put it underneath the desk. Then hang the fabric on top of that. Basically like mini curtains underneath your desk :)
Don’t be so hard on yourself.. Ive been teaching for 6 years and I still don’t have the correct way.. its time I think.. and once you have taught a year you will know what you like and don’t like and what worked and what didn’t.. experience that we cant buy! Don’t give up!! Love it so far 💜🇨🇦
I don't think there's a 'right' way to set-up a classroom. I do think it helpful to plan your classroom with your routines in mind. You need to think about basic things like how are students going to turn in their work, what do you want them to do when they enter/exit your room, what do you want students to do when they finish early, or how do you want them to access supplies (if you want them to), etc. When you think about these things, I think it will help you narrow your focus a bit on how to go about doing things. Your first year is always super overwhelming, but you'll get a better idea of what you need to based on where your students are at and what type of teaching style you use. No two classes are ever the same, so a lot of times it does feel like a lot of experimentation and tweaking plans. I would consider adding a word wall and the writing process. Perhaps the scientific process? Hope that helps.
This just reminds me of how much our teachers do for their kids and some kids are just so ungrateful and rude. Thank you for all you do! #BeNiceToYourTeachers ♥️🙏🏼👩🏫
I can tell that you’re putting a lot of thought into what your doing for your students and the classroom. Honestly, since it is your first year teaching (and I assume you don’t have much prior knowledge of how the students did last year yet) I would focus on making the room warm and inviting. You’ve got a lot of painted white brick walls and boxes with wires coming out of them all over the place. For me, that would drive me bananas. If you just make the bulletin boards “pretty” for now, within a week or two of school starting you’ll know what kinds of references your students would benefit from being displayed. If you can manage to make it look comfortable, and FEEL comfortable, your students will really enjoy that and look forward to the time they spend in your classroom. Even if you just do up a pretty or fun bulletin board with the intent to change it up within the first couple weeks of class. You’ll feel better about having accomplished a task and they’ll look forward to coming and spending time in your classroom.
Aghh I’m a first year teacher for special needs kiddos starting August. Super exciting, yet so much to do which can be so overwhelming. Love getting to watch your videos and getting some ideas for my classroom. Theme this year is boho rainbow vibes! Cheering you on from Miami 💕
So I would put my small group table over by the pocket folder holder so that you can use it to keep track of what group you are working with during centers? Six seems like the right number of groups to me and if the kids are groups according to what they are working on, I know I'd need a way to keep track for each subject and group. Or I would use it for daily missed work (M-F) + work with No Name - cause it seems like there is always that one kid who forgets their name!
Just discovered your channel and love love love it! Your classroom is looking GREAT! I recommend putting small group table between the borders like you suggested. You could also find a fabric you like(maybe the one you just bought with the polka dots) and just drape it over your desk like a table cloth if you can’t figure out another way to put it on to hide whatever you put behind your desk!
If you need like any storage under your desk to like put your purse, period supplies, etc. they have short filing cabinets. My mom uses them and loves it because she can also lock them if needed
I just have to say, I am also a first year fourth grade teacher and I absolutely LOVE your videos!!! I may or may not have just binged watched all of them oops. I realized we have the exact same theme and style in general! So excited to keep watching you on your journey!
First year teacher (kindergarten) as well! My head teacher told me the best plan of attack for setting up is to take it a single area at a time. So I’ve been assigning a specific area a day to tackle and if I get to it then I can move on to the next thing. For example I’ll solely focus on my desk area for Monday and then do small group area on Tuesday. Hopefully that helps 😊
It’s looking great! Props to you for getting out of Hobby Lobby with just that one bag of stuff. I have horrible self control at that store! 😜 You are so cute!
I've been using fabric on my board for years and I love it! I will never go back to paper again because I hate having creases and kinks from trying to put the paper up. I buy about 2 yards of fabric since we have really tall boards in my classroom. I just fold them to the size I need so I don't have to cut it and reuse it every year.
My mentor teacher attached fabric to her computer cart to hide the space underneath using stick-on velcro strips. Worked really well and looked so cute! Love that idea!
I always do layout and organization first, so I know where I want everything to be. I save the decorative/bulletin boards for last, so I can plan my boards around my layout and make it the most functional
First! On a bulletin board, you can have the steps of the writing process. Amazon has a giant laminated sheet of paper, you could use that to do example writing with your class. You can also have a board to display student work. Now I want fabric for my room. I think put the small group in the corner.
This will be my 17th year teaching and I have learned that my bulletin boards do not need posters on it at the beginning of the year. As you make anchor charts, a word wall, focus wall and collect student work that will fill in the gaps. I do not purchase all the cute posters anymore because they have not been useful for my students.
I totally agree! My first year I had everything on my walls and my classroom was cute. The students didn't reference them at all. However, the following year I had empty walls and we did anchor charts together. My students looked at the charts ALL the TIME! That was my biggest take away. Now I introduce EVERYTHING before putting on my walls. Everyone have a safe and wonderful 1st day of school. 🤩✏🖍✂️📘📚📌📏🖇
Use velcro stips on the fabric to put on your desk to hide the underneath. The makeup chart is a great idea for the burlap file folder. Suggestion is put a TON of staples in it so the kids don't pull it down. I put staples along the outside in the trim and 2 rows down the middle to save mine.
My best advice is to set up your desks and furniture and decorate around your furniture. I moved my desks and teacher desk about 20 times this year trying to find the best set up. Wait to decorate all of the boards until the year starts. Most importantly it is always okay to change boards and set ups throughout the year as you learn. 🖤🖤
I don’t teach but as a fifth grade student I think a word ! Me and my friends love writing down places and drawing them out of a bucket, then you have to find the place! Or instead of a word Wall something with cards in it that if the word isn’t on it students can ask an adult to write the word for other students! This was very helpful last year
Girl! I almost bought some of that polka-dotted fabric for my own boards. Let us know how the fabric application goes. I am going to go back and get fabric later once I determine how big I am going to make my displays (I have no actual boards).
Ahh I saw your shirt and got so excited! Fellow UNGer here!!! I’m in the nursing program but I love these kinds of videos😆 I hope you have a great first year teaching!
By the way you and so many other teachers decorating classrooms and doing all this stuff makes me wanna be a teacher so bad when I’m older and I just can’t wait keep going girl
For attaching fabric to your desk...Sew or glue velcro to the fabric and hot glue the other side on the edge of the table. It allows you to wash the fabric if you need to.
I will begin my 29th year of teaching elementary school in August. Just remember that it takes three years to get used to the profession. Fourth grade is a transitional year for students, and they will have to face the challenges of using their skills from the previous grades to apply them to their learning. You might want to have functional anchor charts with specific skills on them that can be used as reference materials. It would be wise to have an anchor chart with a writing rubric since you are teaching writing. I hope that you will be teaching cursive handwriting as well.It is not stressed as much in schools, but cursive handwriting does serve to protect and preserve the analog soul. Best of luck to you.
With regards to your AC: If possible, consider getting a personal clip-on microphone. SO many teachers end up damaging their voices trying to project over loud ACs and even louder voices. It doesn't have to be Super powerful, but it could definitely save you some voice troubles later. Your school's SLP will likely agree with me!
Hello, fellow fourth grade teacher here! I recommend adding an “anchor our learning” board where you can staple your anchor charts there for students to reference. ✨ Love the room so far
this might help. so i don’t like going into class when i know there won’t be “fun” things todo SO with that being said you could like have a period with like 5 minutes or so and do something fun like walk outside and get fresh air. and another thing that i saw on like youtube was teachers took one day out of a month and had a “fun” day where they did work and learned stuff but did it in a fun way if that makes sense also for the fabric on your desk you could do a shower curtain OR you could possibly with a slim chance staple it to your table and i would also put it on the side so they don’t see through the side also another thing i saw on youtube is making your class a game sometimes and have candy for when they win the “game” but like make the game on stuff your learning and if certain kids don’t understand what the topic was over go over the topic again to make sure the kid understands fully because that’s something i struggle with the most i not understanding and the teacher moving on. i hope that helps and i hope the kids love your class because you are so nice
HI! Fellow GA teacher & teacher vlogger here on RU-vid! I've loved watching you set up your classroom. I'm about 4 days into setting up my classroom on my channel as well. I teach middle school ELA! So glad I stumbled upon your channel! Can't wait to see. how it all turns out.
Writing is one of those tricky subjects to teach. I highly recommend Not So Wimpy Teacher on TPT. She makes teaching writing so easy. This is what I used as my writing curriculum, as what the school provides for Writing is hit or miss. Science....Mystery Science curriculum is amazing! It is all hands-on video based instruction. You do need a schoolwide subscription, though. However, if you're wanting to do science centers in your classroom, What I Have Learned Teaching has an amazing 4th grade bundle on TPT that covers all national science standards. Social Studies...if you want to go the TPT route, Rockin Resources has some great stuff for 4th grade Social Studies. Another option is Studies Weekly, which is a curriculum with online and newspaper options. It was so much more engaging for my 4th graders than a textbook!
Im from Georgia too !!! I love your videos ! I can’t wait to decorate my classroom 💕 You can also make a board displaying students work , I know they love to see their hard work
I see a lot of people suggesting placing anchor charts on bulletin boards, but I’ve also seen teachers use magnetic curtain rods and placing them on the white boards! You can use binder rings to connect the charts to the rods, and you can hang multiple to flip through. I’m planning on doing this in my classroom this year 🙂
Part of the big Bulletin board could do student work. I know principals like to see students work up in the classroom. Not sure if you have that already planned. Anchor charts is another thing to put up there. I have a bulletin board that big and broke it up into three sections.
I just got out of 4th in Albany G And something that was sooo helpful is a chart that is like some things that we need to remember or things that are easy ways to remember stuff and that can’t rlly be done until your get into that part of your units so I would keep space for those and… make sure your done cover a area your could put kid art Bc we love to draw or write notes so have a place for that! That’s all I would suggest! Bye!
I found you on instagram and love your videos! I watched your set up day 1 and 2 today, and just saw this (: I teach 4th grade math and science in Georgia, going into year 4!
Something I would recommend is a matte finish spray for your laminated posters. That will help get rid of the shine and make them easier to read with the overhead lights.
I think if it fits you should put your small group table in the back middle. I think it would be a good use of space. You can store materials there and hang anchor charts or references on the doors
i was thinking about that too but then i would have to move my classroom library so students could have access to it and i’m not sure where i’d move it!!
For things to have up, I would check your states evaluation criteria. In TN, having student work displayed is part of what is expected. Also don’t worry about filling all the space, you will add to it with your kids.
I would also be thinking about paper flow. That is my main goal of the summer even as I’m going into my 4th year. It seems small but when you have a lot of students, all the paper can get overwhelming very quickly.
Hello Emily! Love your channel 💗 you are doing a great job. I just have a question. Is it easy for you to read those posters up on the wall?☺️ Those would be way too difficult for someone like me to read or even see 🙈 since I have to wear glasses in order to see properly 😅 greetings from Mexico. 💕
On the board with the pink fabric put a boarder where you and to put another piece if fabric do birthdays there so that people can wish them happ birthday or you could put a mini whiteboard ther to right the list of things for the day there
Your classroom is going to so cute and welcoming to the students! I’m assuming you got the posters on TPT, do you know the shop you got them from? I would love have those as well :)
I would just put boarder on the line where the two fabric pieces meet. And then just make a "mini" board on the small side. Like your schedule or something small!:)
Add "writing process" posters to your bulletin board. You can also add a vocab wall possibly, and different types of writing... Informative, narrative, persuasive, etc. Good luck!!
i will most likely be at my small group table most of the time but i do like having a separate desk i think?? who knows honestly we will have to see!! ☺️
For ur small group us the tool box for little books,pencils,or either eraser’s orrrrr orrr The little erasersYou put on your pencil when your pencil runs out of its erasers
I teach fifth grade, and for social studies it’s definitely helpful to sneak a map in somewhere! I use both my world and state maps, but I know our fourth grade teacher does a lot with the states with her students so she just has a map of the United States hanging. I hope that helps! :)
Your room looks amazing!! Would you be willing to show what you're planning on putting inside of your teacher toolbox?? I have the same one and I'm needing ideas.
On the empty board with the fabric a lot of people put the name of all there students and it really depends on the season like for fall you can put a pumpkin with there name on it
The bulletin boards will be fine. Once you put stuff on the boards, no one will notice overlap or different backgrounds or whatever bothers you. The focus will be on the content. 😁
Put up writing anchor charts, a board for student work, science and social science vocabulary that can be used in writing. Another tip, measure you boards.
i know i’m late but it would be cool to get like tapestry’s or just one and you could put in in like a chill area and stuff or some small bean bags so kids could do work out of there seats if there being good
