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Design Print Downloads
We love beautiful places and school is no exception. With so much of our time spent at school with our students, our extra effort to make it an inviting place always pays off. This is where you will find the steps we take to make every room more inviting and brain ready. Download these forms today and transform your classroom into the room you and your children will love. To open any of these materials, you will need a copy of Acrobat Reader on your computer. Get Free Acrobat Reader Here.
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Design - Involve Your Students in the Classroom Set Up (ARTICLE)
When children are consulted and their thoughts and opinions are valued, they take more ownership in the upkeep of the classroom. Our 6th grade teacher, Camille, is constantly asking her students what is working about their classroom and what they think should be changed to make it more inviting, more usable, more comfortable and more conducive to learning. . . .
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Bucket Stools
These colorful 5 gallon buckets make portable seating a breeze! Thanks to Patricia Yardley and Paige Petersen for sharing! . . .
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Walking in Art Shoes (ARTICLE)
I teach children to read and write. I love what I do and feel it's important. I also believe that our specials teachers provide essential learning for our students. Together we provide a balanced, rich education for our children. . . .
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Book Bag Holder (PHOTOS)
As women, we seem to be on a constant quest for the perfect purse. As teachers, the quest usually revolves around the search for the best way to store student book choices...be it boxes, bags, tubs, etc. Here is a new look at the storage solution sent in by a reader. See what you think. . . .
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Design - A Welcoming School Entrance (PHOTO)
Just like the cover of a book can draw you in, so too can the entryway of a school or classroom. It really is true that first impressions are important! This photo was taken in the entryway to Gail's school . . .
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End of Year and Summer Cleanup (ARTICLE)
One of the many things we love about being teachers is the calendar. Not the fact that we have a hiatus from the intensity and pace of being in charge of children's development but the fact that there is a true 'end' to our year, a closing and conclusion. It is the time of year when we tackle that project of cleaning up our classrooms for the year. We've got a few favorite tricks and strategies for the end-of-the-year cleanup. . . .
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Design - Library Makeover, Part III of III (DOWNLOAD)
The past two Tip of the Week entries addressed Classroom Libraries, a Fresh Way to Organize. The first part of the series featured the process we went through to organize our class library. In the second portion, we posted a couple of looks at the library table of contents. In this third and final portion of the series, we focus on the tubs themselves. A big part of setting up a classroom library which empowers children to independently self select and return just right books is making sure the tub labels are child friendly. Some teachers have students create the labels for tubs as shown in the photo above. Others create the labels on their computer. Do whatever works best for you. We wrap up our Library series this week with copies of labels for tubs that you can use as is, or as a springboard for your own personalized library. . . .
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Design - Library Makeover - Part II of III (DOWNLOAD)
How do I organize classroom libraries", is one of the top 10 questions we receive. Do we organize by level? How about by author? What if a student really wants to find a book of science experiments? Below you will find two downloads that feature library table of contents from our friend Lori's library as well as Joan's. . . .
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Design - Consider the Walls
"The quality of the classroom environment is one of the key non-verbal messages students receive in their schooling. Classrooms that are warm, bright, attractive, stimulating, and cared for send children a powerful message that the teacher values them as individuals and is committed to their learning and achievement. High-quality classrooms convey a sense of comfort, respect, and stability within which positive behaviors and learning skills can be developed." John Visser (May 2001) . . .
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Design - Reflecting On Classroom Environments (DOWNLOAD)
Thinking back on our first years of teaching, the environment we created in our classrooms then looked very different than it does now. Yet at that time the space reflected what we believed; the teacher needed to have complete control over the classroom, curriculum, and childrens' behavior. The room was set up for quiet since our teaching was evaluated on the amount of noise that was produced in our rooms; little noise...great teacher; lots of noise...teacher had poor classroom management. At one time in our teaching history we even had student desks in rows with our teacher desk looming in the front of the classroom facing the students. . . .
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Design - Layers of Classroom Design (DOWNLOAD)
Have you ever thought of redesigning your classroom environment but didn't know where to begin? Setting up a classroom at the beginning of a new school year can be overwhelming. There is so much to think about...where do the student desks go? How about the paper on the wall? What about the teacher desk? With so many questions swirling in our heads, we needed a systematic way to reconstruct our rooms. This system really works for us, and we think it will help you as well. In fact, we follow these steps every time . . .
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Design - Seven Steps to Designing Physical Space (DOWNLOAD)
Once the reflecting process and planning for your classroom environment is complete (or you are just tired of thinking about it and want your room changed RIGHT NOW) - these 7 steps may be just what you need to get started. When reconfiguring a classroom or moving into a new one, it can be tricky to see the space through new eyes. Some of the phrases that we hear or have used ourselves that interfere with change are, "I have to have the room set up this way because it's how I always do it." Or "My desk has to go over there." To begin with a clear head we move . . .
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