Classroom Setup – An Introspective (Part 2)

So if you missed part 1, I looked back at my second classroom (and the room I was in the longest) – it went through some pretty big changes.

I’m going to briefly skim over my new classroom in my new school:

She was pretty. And I liked both colors that were on the back wall – they just weren’t my favorite together. Sadly, I only got to be in here for a few months before we shut down.

And when we came back…things got really crazy. Long story short, I ended up having to move out of that room after it was 90% setup for 2020-2021 about three days before school started…I was not a happy camper. However, that next room was basically identical to the old one with a few exceptions.

So you can see the after (first picture) and the before (I HATE that pink color). This was really the only interesting part of that room…and it looked fantastic. I would have stayed in there happily for a few years…but it was not to be. My style with these two rooms really started to shift from color and pattern to black and white and more natural colors – greens, wood, stone, etc. I will also say that if you really hate a cabinet look, contact paper is a godsend – that is how I transformed this ugly pink and taupe into wood and marble.

So why didn’t I get to stay? No space. My school is way overcrowded, so I was moved to a “learning cottage” AKA a portable AKA a trailer. This was a whole issue for me, because there was nothing in that room for storage – no rods, hooks, or shelves in the closets and getting a bookshelf into that room from the school was an act of Congress.

So this was the portable. Not a terrible space, but not my favorite place to be – I need to be with other people so I do not like being out in a portable. I made the best of it. I also learned with this – because the ceilings were so low – I had to really limit what I put on the walls. It looked super crowded and overwhelming so I had to be really thoughtful about what I put on the wall.

A few things I learned from this room: one, persistence pays off. After asking repeatedly, I got shelves in my closet, and I got four bookshelves. And I got all the things taken out of the room that were not mine. I was the squeaky wheel, but I had to be.

The next year, I moved into my current room that I will (hopefully) be in for a while. (I doubt it because my school is going through a renovation…but a girl can hope).

The before

The before and the after. She’s big. She’s bright. She’s got good storage. Not enough storage, of course, because what classroom ever has enough storage? I think for next year, I’m going to do a layout change, but overall I’ve been pretty happy with this room and the layout. I have moved the desks a bunch, but that has more to do with the chattiness of the students and not the function of the room…

This room has almost nothing on the walls that isn’t academic/helpful for the students. Most of the things are also black and white, with elements of green and wood. I have living (for now) plants, lots of lighting so I can use the overhead lights less…and a few cozy touches, like curtains and a nice rug. (Several nice rugs…)

We’ll end this one here. Next time: my top ten classroom setup tips and tricks – I’ve been in 7 classrooms in 13 years, so I have learned a few things the hard way and I’m happy to pass that knowledge on.