A Simple, Time Saving Trick for Decorating Your Classroom Next Year

Take pictures. I know, you are thinking, that's it? That's your big tip? Hear me out on this one.

Many teachers take photos of their classroom, but these pictures are pictures with a purpose. Think of them as maps that will guide you year after year.

When you hang up your posters, design that gorgeous bulletin board, or set up your supplies just so, take pictures. 

Save the pictures on your phone or computer or print them out and keep them with your decorations. 

Note: I took my pictures at the end of the year (you can see my storage boxes and mess), but I would do it at the beginning of the year so you don't forget. You can always take more pictures later.

If you change your bulletin board with the seasons or create special displays in the hallway as the year goes on, don't forget to take pictures of those too.  

Then when next year rolls around, you don't have to waste time figuring out how to layout your posters on the wall so they all fit or try to remember how you hung those lights over your desk. 

With your photo "maps" from the previous year, you will finish decorating your room quickly and can then use your time for planning those awesome first day lessons. You can even have your spouse or child or friend or colleague help you because they can just look at your photo "maps" rather than needing so much of your guidance that their help is no longer helpful.

Trust me, you will thank me (and yourself) next year.

How to Organize Your Classroom Library by Genre to Increase Student Reading

This isn't a new idea. We have all seen those colored labels on library books that say fantasy, biography, etc. I wanted a way to organize my classroom library in a way that worked for my students and would help them pick out books they liked.

I noticed that most students like to read books about characters who are like them: about boys if they are a boy and about girls if they are a girl. So each books gets either a purple sticker for a female protagonist or a green sticker for a male protagonist. You will notice that the green sticker in the photo above also has "AA." Like I said, most students like to read books about characters who are like them so the AA is for African American, HIS for Hispanic, and so on. If a book has narrators of both genders, I put both a green and purple sticker on it.

The yellow sticker denotes the genre of the book. "N" is for non-fiction and "H" is for historical fiction. Look at what you have in your library. Sort them out into categories that work for you.  Once you have got it all figured out, post a key of what the stickers mean so your students can use your system independently. I also did:
A= action, adventure, sports
F = fantasy, science fiction
T =teens, realistic fiction
P = poetry
D = drama, plays

The supplies for this are easy to get and inexpensive; its just stickers and tape (and a Sharpie). I bought the dot stickers at Target in the office/stationary aisle. When purchasing the different colors, remember that every book needs a genre sticker (yellow for me), so you will need more of that color.

After you put the stickers on the spine of the book, cover them with a piece of packing tape. I buy the kind on the roller that is maybe two inches wide. You don't need large strips of tape, just enough so that it covers the stickers and wraps around to the front and back cover of the book a bit.

I am hoping this system will make it easier for my students to choose books they like to read so they will do more reading this year.

If you are looking for cheap/free books to add to your classroom library, check out your local public library. Often people donate books to them, which they sell for twenty five cents to one dollar or you might be able to make a deal to get them for free because you are a teacher. Never hurts to ask. Another great resource is First Book if you work in a school district that qualifies.

Happy reading :)