Classroom Tour 2023-2024

Hello, friends!  It's been a while.  Life has been going and the blog has taken a backseat.  Hopefully you are following me over on Instagram (@mrswheeler44), where I share a lot.  

Today's post is a wee bit late, but here it is-a tour of my classroom for the 23-24 school year.  I've tried to link things you may be interested in.  *Anything that is in bold font is linked to something.  As always, if you see something you'd like more information about, please email me at meganwheeler44@yahoo.com or send me a DM on Instagram!

First up are two "before" photos.  I always snap some of these the first time I walk into my classroom after summer break.  Sidebar--that first walk-through feeling is so great, isn't it?  I just love the feeling of newness and a fresh start.  

My animals are freshly washed and in position to welcome a new group of students!  I wash them each summer (because DUST).  I take them home in garbage bags and place them into garment bags.  I wash on warm and gentle and then air dry them in the laundry room or outside.  Most of these are from Kohls, Barnes and Noble, or Amazon.  I've been collecting them over the past 20+ years.  I began collecting during student teaching.

Here's our shoe-tying area.  I love how I have it set up this year.  Students can visit it to practice.  As students learn to tie, they get to put their name on a shoe cutout (shown below) and I tape it on the wall.  Currently, we have about 6 students who can tie!  The rest are eager to learn and have been practicing!  Click HERE to grab my shoe-tying pack.  Grab the wooden shoe HERE.  

I never open my classroom library right away because I have to teach my students all the things regarding use.  In the meantime, I request a teacher collection at the library (back to school theme) and have those books on hand in bins for students to browse as they finish assignments.

These are my skill tubs.  I sort my materials by skill.  That way, when we are working on something, I can grab all of my activities that coincide.  It makes finding things SO easy.  I have done this for probably 15 years and can't imagine organizing any other way.  *I don't include holiday activities in these bins--read why down below!  Grab the editable skill tub labels HERE.  

My holiday-themed activities are located in these file box bins.  Inside are hanging file folders labeled with holidays or themes.  When a holiday or special time of year approaches, I check my bin and pull out what I have.  This makes finding things so simple!  The labels I use are linked for you HERE.

Here is our classroom library.  I sort books by theme, so students can browse by their interest.  Grab the labels HERE.  Read about how my students use the library by clicking HERE.  

This is our SEL area.  We use the PATHS program.  We are also a PBIS school.  My sticker chart is something I use for PBIS.  Students earn blue tickets for good behavior, being responsible, respectful, etc...On Friday, they trade their tickets in for stickers, candy, trinkets, mechanical pencils, erasers, or a larger prize (visit an old teacher, etc...).

Here is my Math area.  The giant number grid is from TPT and at the moment I can't think of who made it.  I've had it for many years now.  I do know she is a kindergarten teacher.  The Math strategies poster is linked HERE.  

 

This is the front board.  Grab my birthday straw printables HERE and my noise-level visuals HERE.  I would die without the noise level lights.  They have been so great over the past few years.

I'm a quick and easy hallway decor kinda gal.  This welcome back sign is available HERE.

That's it!  Hope you enjoyed my tour.  Hope to see you back next week for all things back to school!

xo

Megan