Classroom Makeover

Usually this time of year is when you are packing up your classroom....not re-doing it!  Me on the other hand, I get super motivated at the end of the year to switch things up; so I can feel less pressured at the end of the summer.  I have been super inspired by all of Mealnie's fabulous ideas at School Girl Style.  Her classroom decorating blog and business are fabulous!  If I could ever do it, I would totally start my own classroom decorating business!  Not just give advice and ideas but actually put together classrooms for other teachers.  It is my DREAM!  Anyway here are some of my classroom changes for the 2013-2014 school year so far.  My sweet kids this year have been really enjoying the changes too since they have a few weeks left.  One of my sweet little girls came in one morning and said "how come you keep changing everything??"  Below  are a few pictures of my classroom with tips I have taken and adapted from Melanie and School Girl Style. 

Tip # 1:  Decide on a color scheme and stick with it- Mine is primary colors- red, blue, and yellow.

Tip # 2:  Choose one border and stick with it!  Use double borders to make your boards pop, using coordinating colors.  All of my bulletin boards have red or yellow paper backgrounds with a double border. Every bulletin board has Dancing Dots on black border on the edge with a bordette double border (yellow, red, or blue).  Half of my borders have the new 3-D ruffle border trend using bulletin board paper, but it takes a long time and after multiple days of this my sister and I said four boards of ruffle boarder were enough! 

Tip #3:  Get rid of excess furniture that takes up space.  "Centers" mini pocket charts from a local school supply store.  (I will do a separate post about how I manage my centers)

Tip #4:  Accessorize and organize with coordinating baskets and labels.  Leveled library baskets from Really Good Stuff.  Primary polka dot labels from School Girl Style

Tip #5:  Add stuffed animals and matching books to make your classroom feel more early childhood friendly, cute, and welcoming.  This is my own personal tip because I teach first grade and after I started re-doing my room, simplifying, and organizing I felt my classroom was missing a child friendly, cozy feeling.  So I added some of my cute Khol's Cares for Kids $5 dollar stuffed animals and matching books to display.  The don't take up floor space and they are simple enough to add around the room or remove quickly when cleaning.  They don't give off the "cluttered" feel. 

Writing station with Cara Carroll's Writer's Eye bulletin board idea adapted with bright colors to match my classroom.  Click here to get this writer's eye freebie. 

-Rate your writing display from Hooty's Homeroom

-What do Writer's Write poster originally from Cara Carroll but remade by The Teacher Wife

-What Can I Write About? anchor chart (traced on poster board using my promethean board) from The Inspired Apple

-Kid Drawn calendar, birthdays, numbers, and healthy habits posters from Carson Dellosa.  Y'all I am seriously crazy about these kid drawn posters.  They have been around since I first started teaching five years ago,

 but I think they are precious, kid-friendly, and timeless.  I'm guessing they are about to be discontinued because they are on clearance and I've contemplated buying a second set of everything as a backup for when my sets I have no get too faded.  I have almost everything on the link above!  Pretty obsessed....obviously.