The Closet

The closet is a great place to store all the odds and ends that a teacher will need....sticky notes, staples, extra pens, tape, etc. In my old classroom I had a closet, but I also had some amazing upper and lower cabinets. In my new room there were lower cabinets, but no upper cabinets. Oh, NO! I thought about having my dad make some for me, but then opted to just make the best of it.

This is what my closet looked like before. Not much too it. We'll fix that!

This is what my closet looks like now.

  

The first thing I did was to add a black hanging shoe organizer in the open section where coats will go. I stored small items in there (staples, erasers, etc.). I bought several of the school boxes at Wal-Mart that cots $.50 and this is where these items are stored. Three school boxes fit into each opening. Very compact and organized. I can look quickly to see what is there.

 Then I added three plastic drawers and stored my extra computer parts and labels there. These go for under $10 a piece and are great because I choose how many I will need and build as I go.

Then I added a 4 drawer plastic unit on the bottom shelf to hold magnets and glue sticks.

The final addition was to add an over the door organizer. I used upholstery nails to secure it to the inside of the door. Because of the weight of the items, it needed the extra support. In these pockets are quick reference items (an extra stapler, single hole punch, sticky notes, markers, etc.).

I use shoe boxes to organize my office supplies. I didn't need to label them because I can see into each box to see what items I will need.

As you can see I got a lot of goodies into this very tight space. I had to be creative and use my space smart, but I think the finished closet came out quite nice.

IKEA Bound

In mid July by husband and I drove to Atlanta with our three year old son to select the furniture I would need for my new room. I am very blessed to have a supportive husband who understands that teachers need STUFF and no we won't every get our money back, but we will create environments that foster wonder, love, and a life long hunger for learning in our students.

It took us 3 hours to get through the store. It's an amazing store and there are so many things to stop and look at that you totally loose track of time.

After three hours we decided to go with a birch colored furniture and chose two styles (1) the Billy bookcase which is 84" tall and (2) the chunky yet durable Expedite furniture.

The Billy shelf is great b/c it allows for storage in a six shelf bookcase. I don't have a ton of space, but I could always go "up" so I chose the tallest bookcase I could find. I purchased four of them.

 

 

The Expedite furniture was chosen for my classroom library. It's durable and will last a really long time. With both styles of furniture, you have to put them together yourself. They come in big boxes but are pretty simple to construct. IKEA is very reasonable with pricing. I purchased all these pieces of furniture for under $500.

Now to get them all into the room and their locations pinned down.

The next stage will be unpacking boxes and loading the shelves.

If you are setting up your own classroom and you can't afford $500 then you could visit yard sales or post on Facebook and other network sites that you are looking for furniture. Keep your eyes open at thrift stores too. I had a friend find a couch for $16 and a her neighbor was throwing away a bookcase. She upcycled both and they are adorable in her new room. Just keep an open mind.

New Paint

I was very blessed to have a friend who's husband is a professional painter. He and his son painted my room the most beautiful shade of soft gray. The best part.....they did it for free. Can you believe my luck? Yep, I am one humble teacher.

The paint was purchased from AGI. I ended up having to buy 4 gallons of paint. It took 2 coats to cover the electric blue in the room, but it turned out beautiful. The color can be purchased from Home Depot and it's called Nearly Jade. A very soft gray. Stunning don't you think?

Now, to make that trip to Atlanta to purchase the furniture needed to make-over this room. IKEA, here we come. 

A Clean Slate

Just before moving all the UHaul boxes into my new space, I took a few pictures of the room so I would have a before and after picture view. Here is what it looked like. Other than a teacher's desk, student desks, and the bookcases bolted to the wall that didn't match, there really isn't much furniture to speak of. I see a trip to IKEA in my future.

The first task is to change the wall color. It's an electric blue and I would prefer to have a color that is a little more calming. I'm thinking of a very soft gray.

 

    

   

The Big Move

This year I decided to transfer schools to try to get closer to my son so I made the tough decision to leave my school after ten years of teaching 2nd and 3rd grade stuents. Yep! Ten wonderful years. During the ten years at my school I collected a lot of "stuff" and was blessed with a large room. In my new school, my room is much smaller, but I have the same amount of stuff.

One thing is for sure, after eight years of teaching a class called "Classroom Organization", I had to pull from every trick and tip I could remember to get it all to fit into my new room.

The journey began with moving day on June 25. We rented a UHaul and after a week of packing up my things this is what my once beautiful classroom resembled.

   

Although I left my old school with a HUGE lump in my throat,

I was thrilled with the possibilities of a fresh start, a clean slate if you will.

I thank my wonderful husband for helping me to untake the biggest move of my teaching career.



My upcoming posts will chronicle the steps I took in setting up my new room.

This blog will chronicle my move from a very large classroom to a much smaller one. Wish me luck!

This blog will chronicle my move from a very large third grade classroom at my old school to a much smaller third grade classroom at my new school. Over the years I have included as part of my classroom website at www.ourclassweb.com, a page dedicated to classroom organization. I will be putting all of my organization tips and tricks to the test during the month of June. Wish me luck.

I have already begun posting pins on Pinterest that will help me to navigate my way through the many rubbermaid bins and UHaul boxes that now sit boxed and ready in my old classroom. I'm just waiting on the "all clear" from my new principal to begin the move. I will be leaving behind all the furniture that I have been so lucky to utilize and will be making a trip to IKEA in Atlanta to locate furnishings for my new room which is without storage other than a small cabinet, sink, bookcase, filing cabinet, and teacher's desk.

PINTEREST LINK: http://pinterest.com/kmcdavid/classroom-organization/