I keep a journal for the end of each year. I have lists of "what worked " and what "didn't work", along with my ideas and lists of items for next year. Its a great reflection tool.
Currently doing my student teaching and love what the teacher I am observing does for her water bottles. she had all her friends and family to save their Lysol wipes container and she took the label off and zip tied them to the back of the students chairs. they can then put their water bottle inside the container and they are out of the way.
I’d love to see a video on things you want to keep the same for next year. And I’m lucky and have a bunch of built in cabinets in my classroom so I keep my indoor recess games in there. I also wanted stools and beanbags for my classroom so thanks for the heads up! Also with areas in my classroom that get really congested I’ve found it much easier to have the paper passers pass out the things. Or send the kids up one table group at a time. After recess I set a two minute timer for kids to get drink of water and get settled, if I have something that I still need to prep really fast after recess I put on a read aloud while they get a drink from their water bottle or go to the bathroom and calm down before the next lesson.
For water bottles, one of my teammates has collected empty Lysol wipe jugs, poked holes in the side, and zip-tied them to the students’ desk legs or chair legs so their water bottle is right there at all times and it has its own place. The only time this becomes an issue is if a student’s desk gets rearranged and the jug is on the wrong side so she has had to redo a few of them throughout the school year. Also keeps the water bottles from noisily dropping on the floor.
For the rainy day board games - we use a zip wallet. So take the game out the box, cut the picture off the front and stick it inside so you know what the game. So much easier and tidier to store when they are all in the same packaging xx
I just did this with my puzzles and games. I ordered plastic envelopes off of Amazon and will now be able to file them in bins. It should also make clean up easier and faster.
Hello, I've been a 2nd grade teacher for the past 11 years. What has worked for me with whiteboards are to keep them in a bin like yours. However, I use book dividers to keep them upright. This way they are easy to access. Also, I invested in clipboard whiteboards, so they can be used for both (scoot games etc.). They are to keep an eraser and expo in their pencil box. However, I do have a small supply cart where they can access supplies when needed. It has open boxes with expos, glue sticks, squares of black felt for erasing, rulers, extra scissors. I will occasionally replenish the supplies when needed. Its in the back of the room too, so it doesn't create a distraction. I have one bean bag in a reading nook. Also, I have 6 crate seats I've had for over 10 years still going strong. Every 1-2 years I'll replace the cushion and fabric with a staple gun. Also, I have one long wall with focus boards for the different subjects for anchor charts, vocab. etc. Displays that don't need to be changed out are in a place that are too high or not easy to access but can be seen easily. Also, I have 3 teacher desk areas! =) One for business in the back of the room near my printer with important documents. One for my elmo and computer set up during whole group teaching. And the last one in a small groups table with minimal things on it with a 3 tier cart with teaching supplies. I traded out a jelly bean table for a trapezoid table that is much smaller and I love it! The kids love it too! Can't wait to see your set up this summer! Good luck!
Hi Shelley, been a while. For the water bottle, you can use the behind the door hanging pocket organizer. IKEA has it. A cupboard can store the board games out of sight. Other alternative to rearrange the book might be book deviders/ book ends with labels. Hope the change helps. Blessings to you 🙏💐🎉
For the whiteboards, I ordered these mesh type zipper bags that fit my whiteboards, a marker, and an eraser. I keep them all together in a bin by my carpet
I'd love to see your assessment filing system and anything erase that worked well. I put my indoor recess games in a big opaque bin out of sight. Works well.
For the students books and materials, there’s chair pouches that can help students place their materials. For the voice levels, have you tried giving a student the job of pressing the voice level button? I always forget to do things in my class, so I just make a class job so students can help. :)
I switched from Bean Bag chairs to little kid camp chairs. I get them on clearance from Target at the end of the summer. When I don't want them out I just fold them up and put them in their little bag. I also HATE the stools from Amazon. Last year only one was broken. BUT my school isn't as rich as yours, and our PTA doesn't give us as much money. So I have not been able to find a cheaper, nicer solution. I just found your channel, looking through it just before I start my 4th year as a 2nd grade teacher.
For the water bottles, I teach kindergarten. My para makes circles out of contact paper and puts them on the counter and they have to put their water bottle on a circle. This makes sure they all have a place and they arent all on top of each other. We just always talk about when its an appropriate time to get a drink and not... They aren't allowed to keep them at their tables because we have ipads and i don't allow them to have any water near their ipads.
For the board games, I personally hate how the boxes fall apart and I had some cheap scrapbook containers lying around so I took the games out of the box, into the scrapbook case, label the case and put the game pieces in a snap container or ziplock bag. They stack neatly in cabinets and they're out of sight and out of mind until we bring them out for rainy day recess.
When I setup in a new space, I envision a triangular shape. This helps me think about how the kids will move within the room and throughout different parts of the day. I keep our main areas to 3 points…like a triangle. My 3 points were mailboxes, small group table and whole group carpet time. This helped me determine where shelving and bulletin boards made the most sense and how students would access materials throughout the day. Whiteboards: kept at the front of the room where we met for whole group time. They were in open shelves. I only use black markers and black socks. Keeping everything the same eliminated students wasting time trying to find a fun color or eraser. I also dismissed by table groups or in rows on the carpet. Students HAD to line up. This was a routine we practiced and practiced and practiced. Was it a little more time consuming? Maybe, but once students understood my expectations and why a simple routine like getting a whiteboard was a specific process, it too maybe 90 seconds for everyone to get their materials and sit down. As students got their boards they had options to practice skills from what we’ve learned or just doodle 🤷🏼♀️ Honestly I always loved when students had to get whiteboards because it allowed them to practice efficiency and teamwork while also having a calming moment to grab their materials and work on whatever they wanted until we were all ready to move on…including me!
Great video! One thing I’ve done to control the white board situation is to put card stock into a sturdy sheet protector (I do one side blank and one side lined). Then the kids can store their dry erase marker and eraser (I get black felt in bulk and cut it up) right in their little dry erase board/pocket. I teach kinder and it has lasted all year 😀
My janitor drilled completely new holes through those stools straight through the top so like you can see the tiny screw on top of the seat but it doesn't poke them or anything and it's worked im on my 4th year of using them after all of them broke off my first year and he fixed them
As for the games. Look up the you tube organizing moms of school age kids. They bought these zipper bags from Amazon, cut up the lid of the picture of the game and put the pieces I. The bags. No more boxes in their game cabinets. Disclaimer I myself haven’t done this, but I’ve seen many you tube moms do it for their homes.
Do you have a low cabinet that you could repurpose for indoor recess? Or large black Rubbermaid tub (out of sight out of mind). IKEA stools were the best I have found. Bean bags 👎 I prefer vinyl cushions (stack nicely, wipe down easily). Black felt for dry erase erasers they never look dirty👍 Water bottles, agggghhh!!! I have no good solutions for you👎 I feel like I might have some other good suggestions… going to give another view.
What I do for the water bottles is have them stored in a plastic shoe holder (the one that hangs off of a door) at the front of the class. It's called the "Hydration Station" and really has helped with spills and the giant clang of hydroflasks hitting the floor.
Hi Shelley! Can you talk about student binders in a future video? Are they specifically for homework, class work, etc? And do you use a weekly folder to communicate with parents/send work home? Thanks!
I made whiteboard pouches for my students last year with those zipper pouches from Amazon. They keep their board, their eraser, and their marker in their pouch, which is then stored in their chair pocket. So if they need to bring it to the floor, they just grab their entire pouch and are ready to go.
Make a student in charge of pressing the buttons. My kids run the classroom, they teach themselves, they do the trash, they turn off the smart board, they know how to turn on and off my lamps, they control the volume on my speakers, ect. They all have jobs and I don't do much except teaching new things, planning, and testing.
I bought wobble stool from Amazon for my kidney table. They are sturdy and help with the wiggles. I saw a first grade teacher put a whiteboard, eraser, and marker in large ziplock bags. They get passed out when needed.
I’d ❤️ to see a video of what systems you love in your room! I’m currently revamping things in my room too. One thing that seems to be working is putting whiteboards and a skinny pencil basket with expo markers and felt erasers (cutting up a felt sheet into small rectangles) and keeping those in the bottom basket of a 3-tier rolling cart from Michaels! It allows me to roll it anywhere in the room to work with a small group. 🙂
There are some bags for board games, specifically for them, where you put all the pieces and then you just cut the front of the box so you quickly know what game is in the bag and leave the instructions inside. I had the same problem as you, but this was my solution. Sorry for my grammar and spelling, I'm not american.
First year teaching second grade !!! I’m doing three grades this year so exciting but challenging! Ur overwhelmed girl get rid of some bulletins. Too much visual clutter…. Sometimes it takes years to narrow it down… redo the layout to fit more in… less is more.
Hi Shelly! I love your videos. I am a new teacher, and I will be teaching a 3rd grade class in August. I would like to see any suggestions and see a video for your 3rd grade class setup.
What about moving your library book shelves to the Opposite wall where the whiteboard is? Move the low cubbies in front of the window OR use those as benches to sit on near the library. I would designate two wall spaces or 3 for Reading, Writing, and Math anchor charts/posters. Make it where the students can access it or see it easily. I made book bins for each student where they kept their whiteboard and belongings. Every morning they came in, unpacked, grabbed their book bin, sat it on their desk or next too. End of the day, dismissed so many at a time, took book back, packed up. Water bottles: I had all students come in and rest while I called so many at a time to get a drink/bathroom break. I hope these suggestions help!
I’m student teaching and in one of the first grade classrooms (I’m with 3rd) the teacher zip tied a plastic cup holder thing onto one of the legs of the desks. Maybe you could zip tie something similar somewhere?
I use student canvas chair pockets for whiteboard storage and clipboards. Especially when kids couldn’t touch the same materials. There is a zipper pouch on the pockets for the eraser and marker…attached with Velcro. I’ve had to remove them and found a new place for erasers.
I teach pre-k and water bottles was an issue in my room 🤦🏾♀️. What I did was put water bottles in shoe pockets. I used the hangable shoe racks/holder and hung it on my cabinet door. I wrote each student name on their water bottle and assigned them a pocket. They went and got their water bottles before and after recess and during snack time only. It helped with transitions and it eliminated a lot of unnecessary traffic. I also dismissed them to go get water bottles by tables. I hope that helps!
I have a cabinet with doors that keeps them (indoor recess games) out of sight so they don’t ask for them. One of my unofficial classroom jobs is “Organizer” and it’s usually the same person who’s great at keeping things neat and tidy Love the vids! Looking to make my room more open, welcoming, and less cluttered…not my strong suit whatsoever so I’m learning from your vids!
I got a whiteboard from amazon and I think it would work better than an easel. It doesn’t take up much space and it was an easy set up/ it has wheels to move it around. It’s magnetic too. It was $110 and very worth it
Here’s the answer; get a job in a poor Catholic school where there are no resources/materials, etc… and no storage. Just an empty ugly room with broken desks.
You need tote tray towers for your kids. They each get one drawer, we use these in our classrooms and kids use the top for their water bottle and fruit break. They keep their white boards/markers/erasers in them and a sketch book and any unfinished work or pencil cases. I'm in Australia so I'm not sure what you would call the tote tray towers?
Chair pockets instead of book bins, home depot buckets instead of stools, 3 tiered charts for each table group. The first shelf is for water bottles and pencil pouches, the next to shelves for daily folders and homework folders. I hope that hrlps .
I have had the same problem with water bottles and have found that keeping their water bottles in their cubbies by their book bins works well. I let them get a quick drink periodically throughout the day.
Thank you for sharing. When I first started teaching, I thought I had to have everything worked out. I would be so hard on myself when things weren’t working. Now I’ve come to realize teaching is a work in progress. Thank you
Thanks for sharing.. Sometimes.. I feel since I placed something up or in a spot.. I have have to commit to it. Please share on the things that works in your in class.
My students have seat sacks , they keep their writing folder, science, soc studies, white boards erasers and rulers all tidy in there . I have a shoe organizers and created a water station for them there. Purchased dollar tree water bottles numbered them and that’s where they go. No problem.
Hello! For the materials that you have in the book boxes and cubbies have you ever considered chair pockets? A teacher on my team had them last year. I ordered me some for this year and I am so excited. it also eliminates them needing to get up to grab things.
Water bottles were such an issue for me too! Now, I placed a tray where they place their bottles by the door if they want a drink they hold up 3 fingers (w) and when I see the signal I let them go they know only 2 ppl max. Having it by the door allows easy access to grab it on the way in/out of the room for recess/gym/etc.
I bought all my kids a water bottle at the beginning of the year. At the end of the day, they were to put them in their lockers. If they were left out, I told them I would throw them away. How many are still around? Zero. What a waste of money. I guess my kids actually wanted to walk around while hydrating.
My whiteboards and erasers I have on top of a shelf and there’s a kind of pathway I have made so students go around and pick up their supplies and return to their seat so it’s not a huge pile of bodies bumping into one another. I also have them in partners, so partner A gets whiteboards,markers and erasers and partner B gets manipulatives.
I use to have a rainy day box that I put games, colouring pages etc. So I could just bring it out on rainy day and can easily be put away out of sight.
I have a over the door shoe holder. Each child puts their water bottle in their numbered pocket. In order to get water, they have to use our signal for water just like they signal to ask for bathroom.
In my first grade class they keep their water bottles at their desk, and for the few students that this is too distracting for, they have theirs on the windowsill. Then I have designated water breaks, after each recess and after PE they get a 1 minute water break. It works great, every once in a while there is a spill... but it is just water so it isn't too big of a deal to clean up.
I make us all fill up water bottles at the very beginning of the day and they have to keep them in their backpack or sit it on the floor up against the wall under their backpack hook. When they ask to get water, I only let them if we're not in the middle of direct instruction. They learn quickly that they cannot get up to get out of work or get away from the lesson or even go out of the room to fill water. It works for me, at least.
I have a white board bucket and a marker bucket in the front of the room. I have 2 helpers for the room each week. Whenever, we need them one helper grabs the boards and the other grabs the markers to pass out. Erasers are kept in their pencil boxes in desks. If passing out materials becomes a hassle or takes too long, I count down and everyone must be ready at that point.
Hi! I let my students keep their water bottles in a caddy on the table. They *must* stay in the caddy unless being drank. I think they are humans who deserve to drink water and use the restroom when necessary! They get one warning about their water bottle spilling, and then it goes in a basket outside.
Put a curtain over the games. I have a shelf full of games and random things and with the curtain they can’t see them and I can’t see the clutter! Works like a charm!
We had a small table basket for our whiteboard supplies in our classroom when I was a kid, it was attached to the side of the tables for us, though we had rectangular tables.
Have you considered a hanging shoe organizer for the water bottles? You can hang it somewhere and label with the kids name/number whatever you use and they can just put it in the shoe organizer. I've even used two, one on one side of the white board the other on the other side so that it divides all the kids up so the whole class is not standing in one area waiting to get their bottles. Of course I teach prek which is different entirely but it's an idea.
For the stools you can get some new ones at ikea or you can also get cubed seats if you want the more affordable choice you can get those cubed milk crates and place a cushion on top
Use a small curtain rod with a cute curtain to cover anything on shelves that you want hidden like those recess games etc., and could you use the table top easel of large Post-it notes To make anchor charts together? You buy it already like a pad of large post it notes but it is made to sit on a table.
For the white board issue when working at their seats just use their desktops as the dry erase boards that way there is less that they have to go get. They can keep their dry erase marker in their pencil cases.
I also struggle with the whiteboard situation… my students cannot keep them in their desks without losing or drying out the markers every day. I have student helpers pass out and collect each part but it still takes longer than I like. My temporary solution is giving them a plastic sleeve that they can put different worksheets in and passing out just markers and erasers. That has made one less thing to pass out and collect.
We have cubbies in my classroom so I store my recess games in there. I hate the boxes too so I put them in sterilte bins but I'm thinking of plastic bags and putting them in a hanging file bin (if that makes sense). We shall see how it goes.
I feel you on the same child managing to break multiple stools. When teaching 3rd grade, every classroom in the school got new furniture for the reading corner/classroom library, including nice baskets. The only problem is that the baskets were the kind from IKEA that you assemble yourself, and my class managed to break them all! I screwed one back together, then gave up and just stored the broken baskets on a shelf and fixed them at the end of the year. I thought maybe the baskets were flimsy, but apparently it was just my kids - none of the other classes broke any of their baskets!
where are those bins from- ELA/Math/ trips etc that are labeled- I teach remote first grade this year- hopefully still next year- and my goal for the summer is to organize my home office
I see that she does have some Sterilite clip boxes. I have them too and they are great for organization. They come in several different sizes and work well in stacking together.
Here is couple options for water bottles . 1. Go back to the bins but have their names on it and then send one table at a time to go get there water bottles and line up so it’s not every student going to get there water bottles and if they run or talk to line up have them go sit back down and try again 2. Have a hanging cubby spot for them 3. Have something on back of their chair only for water . 4. Have a spot near your teaching desk for them so you can monitor when they go and get them
