As a first year teacher, things can be a little bit overwhelming. I recently graduated college and was lucky enough to be given my very own classroom in October. However, moving into my new classroom a few months into the school year with no clue where to start was a difficult challenge. The previous teacher had left me with absolutely no organization or classroom decorations to succeed with an amazing and fun classroom environment.
As we all know, social media is a huge part of our generation. I created a Twitter and Instagram specifically for my classroom in order to connect with other educators. Along with connecting to teachers like me, I was able to find new and exciting ideas to replace the old boring room kids had trouble learning in. One day I had stumbled upon Really Good Stuff through my social media and became obsessed with the amazing furniture, decorations, and supplies they had for every type of classroom imaginable!
Decorating and Organizing the Classroom
After I had rearranged my room with a storage cart and lots of multicolored bins, a student walked in my room and said, “Wow, Miss Shanley, this is amazing! I’ve never seen this room so organized and colorful. The different colors really make me excited to come to computer class.” Although it sounds cliché, it truly made my day so much better. By providing these kids with organization, structure, and a few bright colors, their learning experience changed almost immediately!
My multicolored bins have specific jobs. The labels that come with them designate which bin is for substitute plans, class rosters, my robot curriculum, and activity books. Having everything in a bin in the right place not only makes the room look nicer, it makes my life easier!
Paper Organization
Being a technology teacher is definitely different than a homeroom teacher. Because I have every class in the school, I have hundreds of papers, log in sheets, and tools that need to be organized by grade. I purchased a storage cart in order to properly organize all the log in passwords and information that my students need. Because there are 10 classes to keep track of, each class was assigned a drawer. It also provides a home for my friend NAO the Robot to sit on when we are not using him!
Being a first year teacher, money is definitely tight. However, I am so thankful that Really Good Stuff constantly sends out emails for discounts, sales, and amazing deals. Really Good Stuff is able to provide me with just the right amount of storage and a place to put all of my students’ work away neatly! Without Really Good Stuff, my students would still be learning in an old, outdated classroom. Every product I have purchased fulfills all my wishes for an awesome learning environment for kids of all ages! Thank you Really Good Stuff!
About the Author
My name is Ashley Shanley and I am a Technology Teacher in New Jersey! I recently graduated from Rutgers University. I am certified as a Microsoft Innovative Educator and love learning more about the technology around us! Being a part of the teaching world is a dream come true. Follow my professional social media accounts on Twitter and Instagram to share your experiences with me and we can grow as educators together!
John says
Mrs. Shanley I must say heck of an article. I’ve tried getting my students to appreciate my decorations for the last 25 years and there hasn’t been one person say “Wow Mr. Carlos I really appreciate what you do”. Back in 92 I came up with similar ideas but the bratty New York children didn’t appreciate it at all. Its hard teaching kindergartners!! There is no glory in teaching 7 year olds. But then again, back in my day we didn’t have robots like NAO to keep the kids happy!! Can I possibly borrow him sometime? LOL pm me!
Best-John Carlos