Thursday, September 13, 2007

Around the Schoolroom

To understand my schoolroom, you have to understand my past! I used to help teach preschool... I fell in love with 'centers'! I had so much fun helping to set them up and look for things for the centers.... there was organization, easy cleanup, focused learning and lots of FUN. Who could ask for anything more? There are so many activities to squeeze into a school day... not worksheets! So this is one fun way we keep our minds busy and learning and it is not a task, but an adventure... This first one is one of my personal favorites... SNAIL MAIL center. You probably can't read it, the little envelope holder on the wall says 'snail mail'. The little mail box holds a roll of stamps... the basket on the left holds our address book and a large assortment of cards, one for every occasion! The basket on the right hold books with little ideas to make our letters to our friends more interesting. I encourage the kids to have a riddle or a secret code or a little poem or even just a drawing included in all of their letters to make it more interesting for the receiver. My favorite book in there is one Lora gave me that was published in the early 1800's called 'How to Write a Letter'. The little boxes are stationary sets.


This next little center is GROWING! It is our 'Leisure Library'. This is the perfect place to put all of those interesting books that are easily read in about a half hour.... and those books full of tidbits of knowledge....classic comic books... short stories...art books...maze books....sign language books....you get the picture. Well... this center is getting so large (there is a whole other basket below this that is over flowing!)that I am planning on moving it to the foyer soon. (when my foyer is emptied of Amelia's bedroom things and Iris moves to her new home) Just a couple of days ago I found this *lovely* green dresser at a thrift shop for $10! Yes, green is my favorite color.... but YES this is getting painted. (besides it clashes with the green walls in my foyer!) I will use the drawers to house my growing collection of music cds and audio books and other music *stuff*... I will place my little record player on the top along with my Leisure Library baskets... The foyer will be empty except for the piano now and a nice floor rug. I will look for a comfy reading chair and it will become our 'music room' or 'leisure' room.
This is a new, thrown together center... I am running out of surface area for baskets! I guess this one is self explanatory! I send the kids to these centers for about 30 minutes of 'play'... they love it! The most used I guess is the math center... the multiplication and division basket! We also have a geography, art, science and manipulative center as well as a treasure chest of a creative thinking center!

This is a new addition, also, to our schoolroom. We are often working on an on going project... where DO you put all the stuff when you need the table cleaned for other work???? In the 'Project Box'! Right now it is housing all the materials for the puppets they are making as well as scripts to study for the recital. So pretty, isn't it? (Another thrifted item!)

4 comments:

Christin said...

I hear you! I love organization...especially for my little ones! And baskets for books. AND thrift stores for all of the above. :) If not for thrift stores (and hand me downs) our home would be pretty barren!!!

Anonymous said...

Nice dresser! Looks like you got a good deal. You are the queen of organization! It all looks really nice.

Oh, about the Jane Austin heroine quiz (on your other blog)... You are just the lady described. I was Elizabeth Bennet which I don't see at all. Oh well...

Promise Christian Academy said...

Lora,
I wish I was Lizzie!
Hilda Rebecca

Family W said...

I love the dresser. :)