The Daily CAFE is a Professional Development website designed for teachers and literacy coaches using The Daily 5 and The Literacy CAFE Assessment System. It is loaded with professional video and downloads, all created for teachers like you!
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Design Slideshows

Our inspiration for classroom design comes from other teachers and from children and the work they do. We hope you find inspiration in this corner of our site.

Check back often for added slideshows of different classroom topics: seating options, childrens work displays, the teacher area, tight spaces and more. Each slideshow will allow you to peek into real classrooms and hopefully inspire you to design your room so it feels simply beautiful!

Design - A Table Everyone Wants to Work At . . . The Coffee Table (PHOTOS)
These design photos show students working productively at low tables that provide another kind of seating choice. . . . More...
Individualized Stools (ARTICLE)
Jonie Gerspacher presents delightful and versatile stools which students personalize, use all year, and take home as a memento of their school year together. . . . More...
Extreme Closet Makeover - Part 2 (PHOTO GALLERY)
Trish has determined to tackle her walk in closet. First step....empty and evaluate everything it contains. Oh my....this is going to be good. . . . More...
Extreme Closet Makeover - Part 3 (PHOTO GALLERY)
Trish Prentice has worked tirelessly on her Extreme Closet Makeover and now it's time for the big reveal! We are so excited! . . . More...
Sitting Inside the Box During Daily 5
Michele Goldstein from Heron Heights Elementary in . . . More...
4 Bookrooms Support Readers (SLIDESHOW)
Check out these 4 different bookrooms that are all in one school. . . . More...
A Free Word Work Tool (PHOTO)
Looking for a free material to add to your Word Work Collection? Check out what Michele Goldstein came up with. . . . More...
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. . . . More...
FAQ - What is a "go to" tip for creating comfortable learning areas for students?
Designing comfortable, functional working spaces f . . . More...
Design - Shelves Here, Shelves There, Shelves Everywhere!
by Trish Prentice What kind of shelves w . . . More...
Redesigning The School Library (Photos)
Do you ever wonder why we are drawn to places like . . . More...
Design - Welcoming and Comfortable (Pictures)
These must see pictures of Patrick Desrocher's cla . . . More...
Design Collection - Not Just Flat Surfaces
This Design Collection features articles, download . . . More...
Design - Refining and Defining Space (COLLECTION)
This Design Collection features articles, download . . . More...
Design - Starting the Room Design Process (COLLECTION)
Are you ready to set your room up for a new year? . . . More...
Design: Classroom Library Reorganization (Collection)
Someone mentioned how nice it would be if everythi . . . More...
Design - What seating options are there for art, science and math? (SLIDESHOW)
Years ago when we began to look differently at our classroom seating options, the changes we made were driven by having small rooms, large class sizes, and bulky desks for each child whether or not they performed well in the assigned spot and given chair. . . . More...
Design - Classroom Library Makeover Part I of III (SLIDESHOW)
In this slideshow, you will see photos from the library makeover of our friend Lori's classroom as well as pictures of Joan's classroom 'den.' . . . More...
Design - Making Classroom Walls Work (SLIDESHOW)
When we were beginning teachers our classroom walls looked very different than today. We used to have a different colored paper on each wall, with a variety of borders. We realize now having each bulletin board a different color; each border a different pattern creates high visual noise in our rooms. This noise can elevate the level of distraction for our at-risk kids as well as turn the focus to the bulletin boards themselves rather than the thinking placed on them. Below is a slideshow of the boards in Joan's classroom showing how we can make our classroom walls work for us. . . . More...
DESIGN - Conferring Locations (SLIDESHOW)
Where do you meet with small groups of children or confer one on one with your students? Envisioning how to set up a classroom in a way that will accommodate the diverse needs of our students can be easy, once you've seen examples you like. This slide show will give you a tour of how Joan's room is set up to lead cozy small-group instruction as well as individual conferences. . . . More...
FAQ - Thoughtful Seating Options (slideshow)
Our friend Lori said she knows summer is over when she lays in bed at night and mentally moves furniture around her classroom. Thoughtful seating options have the power to make our classrooms work more efficiently and productively. So, if you are mentally or physically setting up your classroom for a new school year, you may want to look at the variety of seating options shown in this slideshow. . . . More...