Tuesday, July 31, 2012

I NEED YOUR HELP! Computer Withdraw! And some new classroom pics ...

So, since I left my job this year, I had to give them back my Macbook :( I wish there was a bigger frowny face. This left me with my old Dell. Now, being a PC girl for 25 years of my life, I'd never guess how much I would miss that Mac. But I do, I REALLY do. I feel like I can't do ANYTHING!
I started making materials for a unit on magnets, something I will be teaching in science at my new school this year. It took me 3 hours to make 5 pages because that is how slow Power Point is on my computer! So, I quit.
My induction for my new job is in 2 weeks, and it can't come soon enough because they will give me ... you guess it ... a MACBOOK!!!! I seriously can't wait.
So, this is why I have not been blogging lately. This computer drives me so crazy, it just doesn't seem worth my frustration. But today I felt like I was going through blogging withdraw as well.
The good thing is that this weekend I leave for Savannah Georgia. By the time I come back, I will have only 1 day to wait until I get my new ... MACBOOK!

In the meantime, I took some pics of my new classroom. I'm a little nervous. It's small ... and has no shelves ... and NO WINDOWS, on yeah, and 2 super tiny bulletin boards.
I need your help!!!
Here are some pictures: 
These two are pictures from the back of the room. You can see my one white board and two small bulletin boards. The room looks deceptively big because there are only 15 desk in the room. I will need 25 for the students in my class. The right side show the only shelves in the room. These are built in to the sink unit. 


The next two pictures show the room while standing in the front. The right side of this picture shows the student cubbies. Above the cubbies are the only cabinets I will have for storage (yikes I have a lot of stuff and not a lot of room to put it!) I was thinking of getting large plastic bins to put above the cabinets. 
I was also thinking about where I will put the bins for The Daily Five so all of my students have their just right books. I was thinking about using the little cubbie right above their hooks. They are meant for lunch boxes, but those can be kept in backpacks or set at the bottom of the cubbie. 


In this picture you are see the very empty, white back wall. Why on Earth are there not bulletin boards hung here?! The trouble with hanging this on this wall is the strict rules about using tape and other sticky stuff on the paint. I had a crazy brainstorm to use some type of foam board and wrap it with fabric and use it like a bulletin board. I thought maybe I could attach metal hooks to it and use some type of fishing line to hand it from the ceiling. So far, I'm not quite sure how and if this will work. Ideas? 


The next view shows the side of the room where there is one strip of tack board .. ooooh aaaaah. 


And finally, I lied, there is a window ...sort of. It's actually a sky light. I would love to decorate or do something with this space to make it more inviting and colorful. 


Ok, so there it is.  And here is where I need your help:

Problem 1: Lack of bulletin board space. I need a creative way to be able to hand all of my stuff! 

Problem 2: Storage. There is no where to put a classroom library as my room only came with the little bit of built in shelving. I thought I could use that for student supplies such as crayons, paper, etc. But what about a classroom library. I need a LARGE place to display all of the just right books for my kiddos. 
PLUS, where on Earth am I going to keep all of my stuff?!
I know I can go out and buy shelves, but gracious they can get expensive! I need ideas!

So, what do you think. I know there are some amazing minds out there with some incredible thoughts! 

6 comments:

  1. Have you asked about bookshelves? I remember when I moved into my first room, it looked like it had NOTHING. Come to find out, the previous teacher in there TOOK them to her new room! So they had to go hunt them down in the school, but I got them!

    Fourth Grade Fanatics

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    1. Thanks for your suggestion. I did ask ... and there are NONE. Can you believe it?!

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  2. Here is an idea, what about hanging cute shoe organizer either on the stripe of tack board or on command hooks to hold stuff. I am in the same boat as you I moved from a room with tons of closet space to a room with very little. :(. Hope this helps some.

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  3. Will they allow Stikkiclips or sticky tack? I have had and enmpty wall and used sticky tack to hang plastice party table clothes on the wall. They aren't heavy. Then you can use moer sticky tack onto top of the the plastic and it won't ruin the walls. As far as shelving, have you stopped by the GoodWill? A coworker of mine got a bookshelf there for $7. Another type of storage shelf that gives more bang for your buck are the Elfa metal snap together shelves. They can fit 9 bins if you use the top as a shelf, and they don't cost as much a regular shelf.

    I love the "hidden window" BTW! Very unique. I don't know what you do with that!
    Hope that helps!
    EmilyK

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    1. Thanks for the ideas on shelving. I will have to look into what I am and am not allowed to put on the walls. I just need space to display!!!

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