Classroom Tour

So today I think about drove my kiddos crazy with my camera. There will be many pictures to come of things we are completing this week such as math games related to adding 3 whole numbers together, conjunctions, and prepositions. However, I thought I would start my first true post with a tour of my classroom. I am not sure I will keep this color scheme next year, although I totally love it (GO DAWGS!). I am all about organization, but I need more bins to truly accomplish what I am going for (summer project!). Enjoy the tour...

Here is a challenge board I use in my room for various activities (mostly designed for my gifted learners in my class, but it works for everyone). Currently I have Boggle on it, an estimation station, and brain teaser. Our county has a wonderful program called Math Stars and it is a great resource for getting the students to think deeply about their math. I put them up on the wall often. I am hoping next year to add Sum It Up to the challenge board. It is like Boggle, but with numbers (totally Pinterest inspired...where would we be without Pinterest?!). Love my crinkle paper border! SUPER EASY!

Next is my math centers task board. This allows the students to know what group they are in and which center they should be at. I tried to come up with math names for their groups, so I chose the shapes they tend to miss on tests. More about my guided math to come soon!

This is my vocabulary wall. We add words as we learn them, so right now it is pretty full; I really should take some down. It covers words from our content areas. Next year I think I want to separate the science and social studies a little better.

Next, we do Daily 5 at our school. Only we don't have that great of a books on tape/CD collection. Therefore, I have made it into the daily 4 by taking out our listening to reading center. The students still hear fluent readers daily, just not through a listening center, so I don't feel too bad about it. It was also an management nightmare. Our CD player was always breaking. I group my students heterogeneously for centers and call guided reading groups during this time.

Here is my word wall. I add and take away as needed. I think word walls tend to get a bit too cluttered (like my vocab. wall). I also think they are the most underused resource in the classroom. I have really tried to focus on my word wall the past 2 years.

Anchor charts hung by clothes pins (thank you Pintersest!). Love this! I can add and take down so easily.