Classroom Tour 2013

I've found nothing on the Internet that is more helpful than music teachers posting how they set up and organize their classrooms at the beginning of each year.  I know we all have different styles and different materials to work with, but I hope by posting my set up it will give someone else some ideas :)

 

I tried something new this year - I have always had these flip form risers but I kept them hidden away in they gym.  I tried them my very first year teaching and I HATED them!  I only have 4 sets and to get all of my students to fit they have really had to sit close together (my largest class has always been 24+).  I have had the students sitting on the floor in nice straight rows for the past 6 years with no problems, but with the addition of new technology came the need for a new seating arrangement.  I (finally) will have a document camera and data projector in my room this year.  Not the interactive whiteboard that I wanted, but hey, anything is better than that ancient overhead that I've been forced to use up until now!  I needed to get the kids up off the floor so they could see over the table that I am putting the projector on - hence the risers in my room.  Today was the first day of school for us and I tried it all out.  I told my kids today that it was an experiment and if we decide it's not going to work we will have to figure something else out.  I still am not sure that they are going to work, but we'll see...

 

This is the supply shelf where I keep all of the things that you might possibly need to complete small assignments in the music room.  I have colored pencils, erasers, glue sticks, scissors, dry erase boards/markers/erasers, wipes, vis-à-vis pens and crayons.  I also have full and half sheet notebook paper.  On the left side I have a few classroom mailboxes to keep work for the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade classes.  I will probably keep center work on the 2 shelves below.

 

I decided over the summer that I wanted to do something a little different with my workspace.  I spend a lot of time here planning out lessons and getting myself organized for the day, so I wanted it to be comfortable, super organized, and a little homey (is that even a word?).  I purchased the chair from Wal-Mart.  It's purple so it gives the room a little of my personality.  I also purchased the small bookshelf from Lowe's Home Improvement to put my binders in.  I tried just standing them up against my computer last year and they all kept falling over.  This seems to be working out much better so far.  The white drawers underneath my desk have the extra worksheets and materials for a substitute in case something comes up and I can't be at work.  Emergency sub plans are in one of the binders.

 

 

A closer view of the desk shows the "teacher toolbox" that I made (pinterest inspired).  You can't really see the labels all that well, but they are things like paperclips, 3M strips, post it notes, etc.  And of course it would not be at all complete without the bottle of Mountain Dew :)

 

 

I also (with the help of my father and my sister) made these crate seats - also inspired by pinterest.  I might use these for extra seating in case we decide that we can't fit 24 5th graders on the risers.  I originally planned to use them when I give out independent/group work. 

 

 

The bookshelves on the left are the home of my music classroom library.  I have a pretty decent collection of picture books that have a music theme (or regular picture books that can be adapted for a music lesson).  If we ever have extra time (which is VERY rare) or on free choice day, the students can choose to read a book from the classroom library.  I also will have my recorder resource bulletin board here, but I have not had time to put that one up.

 

Here is a view from the very front of the room, so you can see how it's all laid out.  The classroom library is in the back, my desk is back on the right side behind the supply shelf, and the risers are in the middle of the room.

Classroom Set-Up 2012

Ok...I know I'm a little late getting started here...but I figure the first post should document my classroom set-up.  I went with something a little different this year - I usually have my desk in the back of the room with bookshelves in front of it, but my computer has to be in the front of the room because of the network hook-ups.  I got tired of having to walk across the room every time I wanted to use my computer, so this year I put my desk beside my computer table and rearranged my entire classroom from there.  It took me and my friend Amanda an entire day to set up my room, and then I came back the next day to finish what we didn't get done.  In the end, I am very pleased with what we came up with :)

 

This is the view from the back wall.  The dot spots are only to teach the classes (especially the Kindergarteners) how to space themselves apart and make straight lines.  Once they master this skill, they are not needed anymore.  I bought them at Amazon.com. 

 

 

In the front of the room I have my piano, a bookshelf, my CD player and my overhead (yes, I'm stuck in the dark ages as far as technology!). The bookshelf is great for organizing the materials I am using for the day.  I have also found that my piano bench is exactly the right height for my overhead :)

 

 

I put magnets on the back of a bulletin board border and put it on my whiteboard.  There wasn't really a reason - I just wanted to make it pretty.

 

 





This is the view from the front of the room (standing at the whiteboard).  In the back of my room I have one small window, 4 moveable bookshelves, and a bulletin board.  Soon, this bulletin board will have my recorder information, but right now it just lists the different things that one might learn in an elementary music class.

Here is a closer view of othe back wall.  The bookshelves on the left side have my "music library" - a collection of picture books that are music themed.  I share these books during lessons, but I also leave them on the bookshelf for students to read independently during extra class time or "free choice" days.

This is my "home-away-from-home.  My desk and my computer table form an L, and my mini filing cabinet sits right beside my desk.  If I'm working on my computer, I am facing the door. 

Right behind my chair I have 3 pocket charts that I bought from Michaels.  I have one folder for each class I teach.  In the folders are my class rosters, my seating charts, and any other information I need handy about the class (such as health forms, behavior records, copies of notes sent home, etc).  I pull out all the folders I need for the day first thing.  It has really helped keep me organized.

Right beside my desk I have 3 bookshelves that house my classroom instruments.  I bought the material and some tension-type curtain rods at Wal-Mart and made the curtains myself.  Above is my word wall - it has been up for 4 years now.  The wall is covered with carpet, so the words have velcro on the back.

In front of the computer table I have another set of bookshelves.  I am fortunate enough at my school to have 2 sets of textbooks.  I have the McMillan-McGraw Hill "Spotlight on Music" series and the slightly older Silver Burdett Ginn "Making Music" series.  I use songs from both, but I rarely ever hand out textbooks anymore.

This is the supply shelf.  I put it right beside the door so students would be able to pick up any supplies they need on their way into the room. 

I got this idea on Pinterest...but I made it myself.  I took a wood plaque and painted it black.  Then I painted small wooden letters pink and glued them on the plaque.  The hooks were tricky.  I used wooden circles, something that looked like an empty spool of thread, and another wooded circle.  I painted them all different colors and then glued them together.  I bought the hall passes at Wal-Mart, cut the cheap ribbon off and added my own.  It's not exactly how I envisioned in my mind; nevertheless, I am pleased with the result. 

This is the view of my classroom from the hallway.  I have a welcome table right outside of my room.  It is covered with yet another material that I found at Wal-Mart.

I came up with idea all by myself!  Laminated strips of black construction paper and a set of store-bought music notes.  I wrote the letters on the note heads with a white out pen.

So that's my classroom :)