Saturday, August 11, 2012

Super-Awesome Classroom

Welcome to the Super-Awesome Classroom of the Super-Awesome School of Super-Awesomeness!*


Our classroom has changed a lot over the years.  Not surprising, since my kids have changed a lot over the years, too!


These tables used to be lined up so the kids could do most of their work together.  This year, they each requested their own workspace, so I put them corner-to-corner.  You can just make out the empty clothesline on the far wall, waiting to display this year's art and other creations!


 We try to keep the tabletops pretty simple.  A placemat works as a pad to write on.  Most of their supplies are kept elsewhere so they have plenty of space to work. 


Here is Super's tabletop.  She has a placemat, a new box of 64 crayons (yay!) and a few German flashcards.  Apparently she decided to tape a reminder about the order of operations here, too. (Dude keeps a multiplication chart on his table.)


A dollar store napkin holder keeps reference cards handy: shape properties, poetry response prompts, flashcards for making plural nouns, etc.

 

Super's table is closest to the heater because she is always cold in the winter!


The table in the middle holds each kids' filebox, nature journals, the hole punch, and their giant history binders (looking kind of empty after we cleaned last year's stuff out!)

 

Other everyday supplies are kept in this area.  The blue drawers hold lapbooking supplies, markers and colored pencils, rulers and tape measures, empty folders, new composition books, etc.  The white bookshelf has reference books, a couple of workbox-type activities that I put together, the microscope, and our "brain breaks."  
(Those are the little activities we do when we need to refocus or just take a quick break.) 


This was quite a find!  A local bookstore was going out of business (very sad) and I asked if they had any shelves to sell.  This awesome rotating bookshelf shows off the beautiful covers of our art books!


This messy bookshelf holds all kinds of things: a few art supplies, some of my teaching materials, the kids' binders, and other random stuff.  Past projects of every kind are displayed on top.  You can see my disorganized pile of posters and maps in the corner, plus a comfy reading chair covered in a beloved blanket.


This is the extent of my planning "system."  I use a Word document to plan our days, normally about a month in advance.  This year, to my complete surprise, I'm actually prepared through November!  Everything I need for those plans (worksheets, manipulatives, books, whatever)  goes into these files.  On the left: math up to 11/16.  On the right: everything else up to 11/16.


This shelf is right next to my desk and it holds a few math games and whatever books we are using at the moment.  As we finish a science or history unit, these books will get put away or returned to the library, and new books will reside here.


Culling a ton of books over the summer allowed us to add this great reading nook.  As you can see, Gomez really enjoys hanging out here.  He doesn't read (as far as I know) but he enjoys cuddling with readers! 


I'm not posting a picture of my desk because it's so clean and organized, it would only make you feel bad.  In other words, it's a total pigsty at the moment!  And every moment.


We love our classroom, but like most homeschoolers, we can learn anywhere we want!  As long as the weather is warm, we'll be spending plenty of time here as well.


Can't wait to see all the other amazing learning spaces on the blog hop!  Have a fantastic year learning with your families!


*This is what you get when you let a 1st and 3rd grader name their school.

23 comments:

Sara said...

Wow! I love it, and wish I had a space like that to call my own when I was a kid. Our own schoolroom is not nearly so well set up and ready for action ... you've inspired me to get to work on that. :)

Michelle said...

Very nice! I am super-awesomely jealous!

Phyllis said...

It is wonderful you have so much space to school in!

Sparklee said...

Thanks for visiting, everyone! We are very spoiled to have so much space, Phyllis! This room was supposed to be a home office, but we weren't using it so we turned it into the classroom.

Sara and Michelle, before you get too impressed, you should see how neglected the rest of the house is after I spent so much time on this room! :-)

Precision Quality Laser said...

Great organization and fun workspaces for your kiddos!

It IS a SUPER room! ;)

jeana said...

Love the way you set up the tables. Such a nice space!

Laura said...

Love your school name! So funny! And it thrills my soul to see that a kid that is learning German and order of operations and poetry writing still has a big box of crayons RIGHT THERE! Not put away somewhere, right where she can use 'em. Awesome!

Your school room is great! I especially love your new reading nook. Of course, the hammock is pretty great too! Have a great year!

Sam said...

What a neat way to arrange your tables!!

http://samsnoggin.com/2012/08/the-schoolroom.html

Heidi @ Home Schoolroom said...

I am in love with your schoolroom! It looks like an exciting place to step into ready for new adventures and fun reminders of old adventures (like all the projects on top of the bookshelf). The cozy reading corner with a dog ready to cuddle may be my favorite spot.

I'm also jealous of having your lessons ready up until November!

Mommy to the Princesses said...

Thanks for stopping by at my blog! Love your room. Great organization. I also love the last picture which pretty much sums up your relaxed homeschooling style! Neat!

Mrs. Nerdy said...

Um,..... I am pretty sure your classroom is the one that I dream about:) Thanks for stopping by my blog, your comment made me laugh.

Good luck on your adoption. It is a crazy ride, isn't it?

Unknown said...

What a fabulous room!!! I love how you arranged their desks!! What a great idea!!!!

Candace said...

Hello! Thanks for stopping by my blog. You have a huge space! I'm a little jealous of your rotating book shelf. Definitely a great find!

Best wishes on your future adoption! Where are you adopting from? Perhaps if I browse your blog further I will find out.

Having a toddler around again is very fun...and very busy! It's been a great experience.

Have a fantastic year!
Candace @ Growing with the Greniers

Jenny said...

Love your school room!!!

Lynette said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog. Your room is amazing. I love it! Have a fabulous year!

Kim said...

It IS Super Awesome!! LOVE the rotating book shelf. What a fantabulous find! (That's how I got my awesome scrapbook table - store went out of business.) LOVE the hammock... we have them in our classroom. Blessings for an AWESOME school year!
http://lovinglosingliving.blogspot.com/

Sparklee said...

Hi, everyone and thanks for visiting my blog!

We're adopting from South Korea. It has been a very long process, and we still don't know exactly when our little boy will arrive! Based on other families' timelines, we're hoping for January.

That rotating shelf was such a happy find! For me, anyway. I was sad that the little local bookstore was closing. I also came home with stacks of art and science books that day.

We love our school space, and I feel very fortunate to have it!

Hope you all have a great year of homeschooling!



Karen said...

This is the.best.room.ever! Wow. I love it! So organized. Please tell me it won't stay that way!!! :)

The Adventurer said...

Love your school room...we don't have one at the moment but hopefully when we go back to the states....congrats on your pending adoption

LEENA7 said...

Totally love your whole room.The way you arranged the desks is genius.Your organization is awesome..my favs being the placemats and napkin holders..so simple yet never would have thought of them.Thank you for sharing.

LEENA7 said...

I really,really love how you set up your books. Here are a few sites that may help you when you do them..and they are free.Hope they come in handy
http://www.bibliocat.org/
this one has several ideas for your Hundred Dresses book
http://www.loveland.k12.oh.us/district/technology/ITech/LES/Reading/H.htm

Aaron Paul Ingebrigtsen (Plarndude) said...

I don't get the Boldly part, with the down arrow. Where's the Addition? Weird order of operations there.

Sparklee said...

Hi, Krepta. DMSB is a very common method for remembering the steps of long division. Some teachers use Ducks May Swim Backwards but we changed it to Ducks May Swim Boldly. The steps are Divide, Multiply, Subtract, and Bring Down--there is no addition.