This is to show the 4 bulletin boards I have in my room. Above each of them, I have something different. Above the first one, I have "Ditto Cinemas." Above the second bulletin board, I have a sign "Party With the Stars." Above the green bulletin board I have popcorn bowls with kernels coming out of each. Each one has a students name on it. (This is why I couldn't take a closer pic.) Above the yellow bulletin board there is a sign that says, "Awards Night."
This project took me quite some time. I think I had to paint each bookshelf 4 times for the red to cover the old wood. "Readbox" is vinyl, so it easily sticks right to the shelf. On the top of each shelf, I have a sign-out for the books.
One of my least favorite questions as a teacher is, "What do I do when I'm done? I'm bored." This is a fast-finishers station. I change out the activities weekly. The board explains what each assignment is. At the bottom, there is a basket to turn in any fast finishers. At the end of the week, I draw 3 random assignments and they get a "raffle ticket" to be entered to win a prize.
This is my "concession stand." On Friday's, I choose 3-5 tickets and these are the prizes the students choose from. There is a variety of stuff: soda, candy bars, toys, nail-polish, no homework passes, sit by a friend pass, etc. The kids love this!
Each table is a color. At the end of the week, the table with the most points, gets a treat. The teacher and students points work great. At the end of each day, I write who has more points and how many. On Fridays, the students either get extra recess or owe me recess depending on who has more points. (The most they have ever had to owe me is 1 min.)
When the students have to use the restroom, they put this pass on their desk. (I removed the batteries from the flashlights and I'm sure you can guess why.)
This bulletin board goes over our 5 classroom rules and the rewards/consequences. The students each have a clip and may be asked at any time throughout the day to move it up or down according to their behavior. If the students clip up to white, they get a raffle ticket and a positive note home. If the students move down to red, they miss recess and get a negative note home. Once a student is on red, they can move up if their behavior improves.
Every Friday, I add a new name to the Wall of Fame. At the beginning of the year, the students filled out a questionnaire. I read each clue for the students on Fridays and they have to guess who I'm talking about. When your name goes on the Wall of Fame, you get to choose a candy bar.
I use my keyboard almost daily to teach important concepts. We have learned multiplication songs, songs about clouds, you name it. The students love it. I also let them earn the chance to sing a fun disney song. "Let it Go" seems to be high on the list.
It's impossible to picture everything. One thing I do that seems to be really positive in the classroom is allow the students to write compliment cards. The students have really taken to this. I read the compliments on Mondays at class meetings.
I also have a bin with a folder labeled with each date on it. If a student is absent, they can check the bin for any work they missed that day. My door has a quote from Walt Disney that says, "All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them." Each student signed the door underneath this quote.
This is just a quick glance at my classroom from afar. There is always plenty to do as a teacher, but I sure do love my students.