Classroom Preparation and Organization!
Materials
There are so many materials that will be needed within the classroom. For starters, a diverse classroom library is important. I want to ensure that students are offered both windows and mirrors into other cultures and lifestyles. Reading a book about a perspective different from your own is a great way to learn and empathize with other people. Crayons, pencils, markers, scissors, rulers, glue, and notebooks, folders and headphones are also some basic essentials that will be necessary for projects, assignments and everything else! Depending on the district, I would assume that I would be supplying many of these materials myself. I will send home a list to parents in case they can contribute, but if not there are many resources I can use to obtain these materials.
Organization
An organized classroom with defined routines, procedures, and dynamics is crucial to the successful start of a school year. A well organized classroom can help students adjust to their new learning environment. Distractibility may also be a challenge for some students so it is so important that I keep an organized and well ran classroom. One way I will keep my classroom organized is by organizing books by genre on bookshelves. Students will keep their personal supplies will like pencils, crayons and markers in personalized pencil boxes. Pencil boxes will be stored on an accessible shelf in the classroom where students can retrieve their supplies easily when needed. Students will also have cubbies that hold their backpacks and jackets, as well as any take home papers.
What Will My Classroom Look Like?
My classroom will be decorated with inspirational quotes and displays. I plan to have a reading nook near the bookshelf. I also plan to keep the student created classroom norms visible in the classroom for reference and reminders. I want to use flexible seating in my classroom, so I plan to have clip boards and an assortment of seating options. All students learn differently, some students may prefer to sit at a desk while other might learn better sitting on the rug with a clipboard. If there are issues of visibility, distractibility, or accessibility accommodations can easily be made. Another key component to my classroom will be toys! I believe free choice play time is so important for students to connect and build social skills. I will have legos, art supplies, games, puzzles and more.
Initial Contact With Parents and Caregivers
To prepare for the first day of school I will send out a newsletter to parents and caregivers. In this newsletter I will introduce myself, and include photos of my family and I. Also, I will inform parents of my teaching and classroom management style. With this newsletter I will give a list of useful supplies, but I will be sure to tell parents that if they cannot contribute to the list their child will still have everything they need. I will also give parents my contact information for any additional questions.
Sub Plans
Just like any other career, there will be days when I have to miss work. For those days, I will prepare a sub-binder full of all the information and teaching supplies the substitute will need. The binder will contain: any handouts students need throughout the day, a typed check-box schedule for each lesson and activity, a written note about classroom procedures, helpful students, and any other necessary reminders. In addition to this binder, I will have a full-day PowerPoint presentation created in advance that follows the daily schedule and guides each lesson.