Take a Tour of My Classroom

As you know, I teach Fifth Grade at a private school in my hometown of Boynton Beach, Florida. I finally took pictures of my classroom to share with you, my readers.

When you enter the classroom, this is your first glimpse:

Hanging above the desks are three strings of yarn with this title: "We Are a Tee-rrific Class!"

During the first week of school, I have my students create poster board shirts that represent them. They have certain directions to follow, including what to put on each sleeve. The students present their shirts to the class on Friday, and I hang them up with clothespins for the month of September. (Thanks to Kristi, my supervising teacher from my internship, for introducing this activity to me. I pretty much stole it from her!)

To the left of the desks, you'll see various items, including cabinets, mailboxes, and trays where my students turn in their classwork. Also, notice the map of the United States and the row of Presidents on the wall. (Those were certainly fun to hang... HaHa!)

If you were to look straight ahead when you walk in, you'd be looking at the items in the next picture. There's an overhead projector, which last year's class named Neil, some bulletin boards, and other random things...

Once you begin walking into my classroom, you'll notice the amazing technology! I've been blessed to have a SmartBoard. The school only has a handful of 'em, and my classroom is one of the lucky ones to have access! In order to use a SmartBoard, it must be hooked up to a computer and a projector.

Last year, I had it hooked up to my main computer. It was really awkward to use because the students had to sit on the floor in front of it, and I didn't particularly care for that. Rhiannon stepped in and bought me a laptop for Christmas to use strictly for the SmartBoard. It works perfectly now; the students can stay in their desks when we use it. :-)

When I was in Fifth Grade, my teacher created a bulletin board that had all of our names in a crossword puzzle. I've never forgotten it, so I decided to make it a tradition for me by doing it in my own classroom.

The back part of my classroom is used for small group instruction, including the use of Eggspert, which is an interactive game where the students buzz in their answers. I use Eggspert every week when I review for a quiz from the current section of the novel that we're reading. The students LOVE it!

In the back of the classroom, I also have an amazing classroom library. Thanks to donations, gifts, and my own spending, it is well-stocked, and I feel like I have one of the best classroom libraries on campus.

Plus, I have to represent my college, Florida State University, by displaying some memorabilia! (And... If you look closely, you'll see a poster of Bette Midler with her children's book, The Saga of Baby Divine. My classroom wouldn't be complete without The Divine Miss M.!)

Every classroom needs a job chart, and mine is no exception! I use a money system in my classroom, so I "pay" my students to complete their jobs each week. The students love it! (The money system also came from Kristi... She's the best; what can I say?!)

Accelerated Reader (AR) is vital in schools today. (I didn't have it when I went to school!) Students must obtain a certain amount of points each quarter by reading novels and taking comprehension tests. This is where I keep track of my students' progress.

Finally, I'm blessed yet again to have a bathroom in my classroom. I don't have the craziness of having to send students out of the classroom to use the restroom.

I take advantage of the space by hanging up my students' acolyte robes and blazers that they wear for Chapel on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

So... There you have it! You've just toured my Fifth Grade classroom without even coming to Boynton Beach!

I love my classroom, and I'm so proud of how it looks. I'm glad that I could show it to you all. :-)