ideas for setting up a 3rd grade classroom

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Curriculum-aligned resources to engage and inspire your class. The goal of an effective classroom set-up is really to create a sense of order for your students and an environment that is conducive to learning. A functional, well-configured classroom will truly buzz with excitement for learning.

Keep your receipts for these classroom setup purchases, as you may be able to. Will the students be walking through this spot to exit for lunch or specials? The things that made you passionate about teaching kids are often your very best tools in the classroom. I look at the beautiful classrooms on Instagram in awe, but I dont have the creativity or budget to create an Instagram classroom. I am a National Board Certified teacher with 17 years of experience in the classroom. So take off all that pressure youre putting on yourself to have a perfect, Pinterest-worthy classroom! If you would prefer for students to work independently (and each produce their own final product), then you can have students collaborate through feedback. How often have you heard house-hunters on one of those HGTV shows describe the feeling of finding the right place by saying It just feels like home? That feeling doesnt come from a perfectly curated grammable space; it comes from a familiar and welcoming purpose-built space made with them in mind. The best classroom setup will inspire your students to love learning. Bundles that you can download with one click. In younger grades, particularly Kindergarten and 1st, I might focus my teaching on one or two stages of Design Thinking, whereas with 3rd grade, I will utilize all five stages Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test in my teaching. Its a great opportunity to get to know your new colleagues, too. In todays blog post, Im going to share tips and strategies for implementing Design Thinking into your 3rd grade classroom. Step 2: Define. Before we can begin building a solution, we need to better understand how our school lunchroom functions and how it is designed. They ask about what to include in their calendar area, what resources they should scoop up, what to consider when selecting a location in their classroom for their calendar time, and much more. One of my classroom walls was a retractable wall that allegedly has the ability to open up to the neighboring classroom to create one giant space, but has always been treated as a permanent. It is incredibly hard if you are a new teacher, or teaching a new grade. Remember dont stress too much and try to have fun when setting up your fourth grade classroom. classroom decorating bulletin patriotic theme classrooms boards decor themed decorations star grade cool chocolate elementary series national If you have a neighboring classroom with adjoining doors, take a look to see where the teacher has placed their desk, student desks, noticeboards, bulletin boards, and technology. In my case, the school had a classroom resource fee for each child and each teacher used this money for classroom purchases. All first, second, third, fourth, and fifth grade classrooms should not only have a calendar posted in their classrooms, but be using it regularly. Regardless of their age, theyll love seeing a little piece of their identity already incorporated into your classroom. Lastly, Ill share some additional project ideas to spark some extra inspiration. It is easy to hang: It is light, so you can use staples, tape, or small magnets to get it to stick to your wall. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). It is essential for students to learn how to work together at the beginning of the year, so that is why I always start off with my desks in groups. We want our students to have that warm and fuzzy feeling of belonging when they walk into their classroom. Here are these Writing Strategies Posters. If your calendar wall is a cork board, consider using these handy little clips to hang the numbers on your board. I created Clutter-Free Classroom to support busy elementary teachers like you! . It will have to stay at your school, even if you transfer. I love this resource! We've been breaking it up into weekly grammar lessons. Join the 75,000+ elementary teachers who receive free resources from us each week. summary graphic organizer grade story writing 3rd chapter reading summarizing worksheet tipos texto fiction worksheets report nonfiction elementary books teaching What problems do they notice? Students can use I like and I wonder feedback when checking in with their partners. And forget that feeling that you need to create every single thing from scratch. to support you if you decide to take this route, as well as more than half a dozen, Anything you purchase privately, but for use in your classroom, is yours to keep as you move about into different rooms and even if you change schools. Thats another great tip for teaching 3rd graders! Absolutely LOVE all the resources created by this seller! The kids and parents dont expect to see a fully functioning classroom on the first day. It is easy to hang: It is super easy to hang on cork bulletin boards using push pins and white boards using magnets. Use their locations as clues as to how the last teacher had their room configured.

What problems have we identified? How are walls utilized for displays? Other teachers dont touched their rooms until the work week, and then they rush around throwing things together to be ready at the last possible minute. I like to model for students, especially third graders, what effective, collaborative feedback looks like.

This option may need to be replaced after a few years: Consider laminating it if it isnt already to help it last longer. What is the date of his birthday? Calendar concepts often come up on standardized tests, but are not necessarily part of your schools curriculum. Its magnetic and for a few years I had my calendar on that wall and used number cutouts with donut magnets hot glued onto the back. One of the biggest things that can make or break a classroom are the routines and procedures. First, well define Design Thinking. Your amazing classroom setup will set the tone for the year youll share there together. While this is the most obvious example of encouraging collaboration, it is still an effective strategy. WOULD YOU LIKE ACCESS TO ALL THE FREEBIES FOR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS? This list could include things like a calendar, the number of days in school, the date written out, weather, question of the day, etc. Youll collect lots of student work to display within a couple of weeks. What does the entryway look like? Next, students would choose their favorite solution and build a prototype using recyclable materials. This made changing them each month super easy. Many of my colleagues love having tables in their rooms, but I find them bulky. It is customizable: You can add ribbon, washi tape, and colorful tissue paper to have it match your. steal items from anyone! organizing classroom supplies and teaching materials, SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING IN THE CLASSROOM, 60+ Classroom Decor Themes for Elementary Teachers, How to Teach Calendar Math in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grade Classrooms, How to Set Up Your Whole Group Meeting Area, 8 Tips for Assessing Writing Skills in Your Elementary Classroom, Gratitude Videos for Students at the Elementary Level in 2022, Perspective Taking Videos for Elementary Students in 2022, Jodi Durgin | Clutter-Free Classroom, LLC. Here is a list of books you might use for a project: Much like the School Lunchroom project example, you can also have students explore a Design Thinking project connected to their interests or your community. Creating your ideal space can be one of the most exciting tasks at the beginning of the school year or one of the most confounding if youre not feeling like youre quite up to the task. Make sure you visit some other teachers in your school, particularly those with rooms similar in shape and size to yours, to steal amazing classroom setup ideas. Wild about Mo Willems? Step 4: Prototype. After it is delivered to you, it is super quick to assemble. Here are these reading skills posters. Keep your receipts for these classroom setup purchases, as you may be able to claim them at tax time (check with your accountant). What your students need most is you and your passion for teaching not something you spent hours outside the classroom creating. And if youre a regular blog reader, you know that I love Design Thinking at every grade level! Then, once students have collected enough information, I would have them come up with a needs statement. I might even write a sentence stem on the board: A problem in our school lunchroom is ______.

How do you know whats important? you totally nail your classroom setup in elementary school? Download a FREE Today is a Great Day to Learn Poster to set a positive tone in your classroom! It is imperative to have some method of organization. The most important thing about creating seating arrangements is taking into account the students who have 504s and IEPs. Teach Reading Using a Novel Study: Top 5 Reasons, STAAR Writing Notebook and Grammar Practice Pages. Here are these FANBOYS posters. I highly recommend it! I might have students explore the following questions: I might also encourage students to come up with additional questions to research. One strategy for incorporating collaboration during a project is to have students work in small groups. Hands down my FAVORITE resource! This is my first year to teach in the state of Texas and her resources have been so very helpful in making sure that all of the skills that I need to teach are being met. to build their prototypes. to whether you opt for a teacher desk or a podium. You want to set your shelves up, so they are organized and easily accessible for students. Our project has five different steps. Being thoughtful about your classroom set-up will help you get ahead of the game on classroom management and prepare both you and your students for success. Subscribe to our curated library of teacher-designed resources and tools for So take off all that pressure youre putting on yourself to have a perfect, Pinterest-worthy classroom! Print all of the resources you purchased and gather all the materials you purchased and need. Because of these characteristics, I enjoy incorporating Design Thinking, a five-step problem-solving approach, into my 3rd grade curriculum. Yeah, yeah, no pressure, right? Explore resources by theme, topic, strategies, or events. Design Thinking can happen in short 60min sprints, where students complete all five stages in a short amount of time. Jodi Durgin | Clutter-Free Classroom, LLC Website by KristenDoyle.co, Teacher Desk Ideas for Those Looking to Refresh their Space in 2022, How to Teach Informative Writing to Elementary Students (K-5) in 2022. they need to make teaching easier and more enjoyable. Some things about your new classroom will inevitably be inflexible, like the location of the whiteboard and the phone. To introduce our project effectively, I will show my 3rd graders all 5 stages of Design Thinking upfront.

What is important to put up and leave up throughout the entire year?. Show your passion in the classroom, and youll see those little light switches flip in your students brains as they see what it is they love about the topics that have made you so passionate. On the final day, students would test their prototypes. If you did, then you may also be interested in these posts: Clutter-Free Classroom is the place where elementary teachers get the time-saving tips, ideas and resources they need to make teaching easier and more enjoyable. Need more ideas? Youll want to keep the path clear. Are students interested in where food comes from? Make addition fun in the classroom, or even at home, with these creative, easy, and effective hands-on activities. Customize and create your own teaching resources and display materials. Teachers want their rooms to be welcoming and comfortable for their students and themselves. The sixth on this list of classroom calendar ideas is to purchase the materials you need. Some teachers are naturally creative and their rooms reflect their personal sense of style. You can also align a Design Thinking project to your curriculum! It can take as much or as little time as you let it. Visit Here: Tim Bosque. For example, to spruce it up I used party streamers to create ruffles around the perimeter. Students would be encouraged to use I like and I wonder language to give feedback. Its not cheating to simplify or buy a Teach Starter subscription which allows you to download all of your resources in one place whenever you need them instead of spending hours making them. Use a tape measure to measure the wall space you will designate for your calendar area. for a coordinated look, or pick and choose for an eclectic fun vibe. Floored by flamingos? This guide fits all the grammar TEKS into the first 6 weeks of school, so you can get introduce revise and edit questions by October. I then stapled them to the calendar and attached ribbon to hide the staples and give it another pop of color to match my classroom color scheme. I receive a lot of questions from new elementary teachers looking for classroom calendar ideas. I actually sat with some of my students during a rainy indoor recess and they made the ruffles for me by scrunching up the streamers and stapling them at the bottom to hold the ruffle together.

How should I arrange them? You end up with so many folders of resources that youll need quick access to, having them close by will save you a lot of time and energy. Thanks to this I was at 90% passing rate in writing. Custom blog design by Designer Blogs on Genesis Framework. Make sure you visit some other teachers in your school, particularly those with rooms similar in shape and size to yours, to steal amazing classroom setup ideas. Who uses the space? The eighth on this list of classroom calendar ideas is to hang the backdrop of the calendar area. If you dont already have them, youll need to purchase a calendar pocket chart or poster board, washi tape, stapler, donut magnets, tissue paper, bulletin board paper, etc. Browse through all the blog posts over the years, How to Set Up Classroom Routines & Procedures. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. We would begin these stages by referring back to our needs statements. Design Thinking sparks innovation, encouraging students to explore wildly radical ideas. The other reading comprehension skills posters I rotate through my bulletin board by simply slipping them in a page protector. Lastly, students would have structured time to reflect on the entire Design Thinking process (not just their final products!). There are a few posters I leave up year round because we discuss these skills in everything we read. Decide if you are going to purchase a classroom calendar pocket chart or poster board. Be sure to consider funding options: Donors Choose, schools math budget, personal budget, etc. When we talk about classroom setup, we arent just talking about your classroom decorating decisions although theyre important too. And Step 5: Test.. Pick a spot in your classroom that will be your calendar area. I love a routine and students to do. Theres no place to write the date: It does not include a place to write the date and if you are like me and require your students to date everything, it is really important to display a model. They are perfect for displaying paper and because they are attached with a squishy adhesive of sorts the clips can be repositioned, removed, or reused. It can last you several years: It is often pretty sturdy and can last a long time if you take good care of them. It can feel overwhelming to figure out where to start when you first get your classroom.

Mostly, school staff are a caring bunch, and theyll be all too happy to help where they can. Im Jodi. For example, because my students access the calendar when working on their number of the day activities as well as when using the calendar task cards during our daily math workshop with guided math groups I needed to keep it in a spot that was visible from all around the room.

I might have students brainstorm their ideas by drawing detailed diagrams and labeling any important features. You could use bulletin board paper, a bed sheet, or a shower curtain. Creating your ideal space can be one of the most exciting tasks at the beginning of the school year or one of the most confounding if youre not feeling like youre quite up to the task. u-shapes?) Im Christine. Chat with your administrators to see if they will release some money for you to purchase needed items. Use classroom music (and find school-appropriate songs) throughout the school day with these teacher tips. Check out these tried and tested classroom desk arrangement ideas to get you inspired! Design Thinking works really nicely with project-based learning, so instead of having students complete the entire process in one class period, consider extending a project over the course of several days or weeks. The goal of an effective classroom set-up is really to create a sense of order for your students and an environment that is conducive to learning. I really enjoyed reading you post. Students would spend a good amount of time brainstorming, or ideating. Hi! Will all the desks be able to see the whiteboard easily with your intended classroom set-up? I think about what worked and didnt work, what furniture should I rearrange, and what materials on the wall are out of date and need replacing. FREE Today is a Great Day to Learn Poster, Set up a welcome sign with your students names like this, Never miss one of your students birthdays. Wed be remiss to cover classroom setup without mentioning seating arrangements. Arrange their seats first its not only the law, but it will prevent you from having to redo your entire arrangement! My STAAR Writing Posters include grammar skills and expository writing strategies. This post is packed with tips, ideas, and recommendations to support you in creating the classroom of your dreams. Here are the pros and cons I found: Once you have selected the materials you are going to use, head on down to the next item on the list of classroom calendar ideas to consider. one easy price. Classroom routines are always very difficult to determine and usually changes every few weeks however this post was definitely very informative and helpful. Grab this freebie and engage your students in a fun seasonal activity. The door is the first thing that people see when they walk into your room. After all, you will be living there eight hours a day, five days a week! Heres the best advice a member of our Teach Starter team got when she was in the classroom. Five or more teachers. Read the pros and cons of both below to help you decide which one is best for you. For this project, I might extend our learning over the course of an entire week (or, five classes) to really dive deeply into our project. I dont want to spend too much time defining Design Thinking in this blog post, so if you are looking for a complete breakdown on all 5 stages, you can check out another blog posthere. If you turn to Instagram or Pinterest, you will definitely overwhelm yourself. You can also view all my posts on Design Thinkinghere. (LogOut/ Where has the teacher put the desk? Then, based on that feedback, students would then make adjustments to their prototypes. Are students interested in food waste? You may have been allocated funds to purchase equipment (no, really, it happens sometimes). Over time it may bend or rip. What works in our school lunchroom? It also made teaching revision easy. Some more tips for a warm and welcoming classroom environment: The best classroom setups take flow of the room into consideration. It often does not come with everything you need: You may need to scoop up some number and month cards. Take a step back and look at your calendar wall as a whole. Lets dive right into these classroom calendar ideas! If its working for someone else, why not give it a try yourself? For example, you might have students share their prototypes with a partner to receive feedback and additional ideas on how to improve their designs. The fifth on this list of classroom calendar ideas is to choose materials. Change). Some will have preferred seating close to the teachers, some will have preferred seating close to instruction, and others will have seating away from distractions. As a result, I decided to write this blog post to guide 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers step-by-step towards achieving a fully optimized classroom calendar area. Where has the teacher put the desk? Take your class on an educational adventure over multiple lessons. By outlining these steps at the start, Im able to provide students with structure and predictability, as well as set up clear expectations for our entire project. Design Thinking is an iterative, human-centered, problem-solving process that involves five key steps: (1) empathize, (2) define, (3) ideate, (4) prototype, and (5) test.

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The most important thing about creating seating arrangements is taking into account the students who have 504s and IEPs. Lower elementary students may answer questions like, What is the date today? and What will the date be tomorrow? Upper elementary students, on the other hand, may answer questions like, Juans birthday is in 2 weeks and 6 days. What does the entryway look like? But Design Thinking can also happen over an extended timeline, allowing students to dig more deeply and lean into the process. 3rd grade students can use the entire Design Thinking process and structure as an approach to identifying and solving real-world problems. Learn about the different types of assessment in education and how to improve your student progress monitoring. Dont forget to grab things like staplers, tape, and scissors that you need so you can complete the project uninterrupted. Many 3rd graders are often eager for their next learning adventure (Responsive Classroom). I know that this is a problem because ______., Our school lunchroom needs a way to ________ (need) because (or but or surprisingly) __________ (insight).. Attach one clip to each day. Not bad, huh? Expand what's possible for every student. These include: Authors Purpose, Point of View, Theme, and Genre. How are walls utilized for displays? You are definitely right about this one, planning routines and procedures can make or break a classroom environment, thanks for the informative post and keep up the good work. It will become very full, very quickly. I might spend another two days (or two class periods) to focus on the Ideate and Prototype stages of our project. What other ideas do you have? Step 3: Ideate. Here are these drawer labels. At a minimum, youll need a pen holder, a paper tray, stationery storage, and space for a laptop and planner. Leave yourself space to go with the flow once your kids are in the room.. How should I set up my room? Easy way to incorporate a challenge in your language arts lessons!