When I graduated from college and began looking for a teaching job, I was only really interested in teaching High School Math. I’ll spare the details of the job search, but I was offered a job teaching 7th grade Math and I gratefully accepted. It has been everything I could have every wanted in a school. My principal was ideal, the students were wonderful, yet challenging, and the school culture was something worth jumping out of bed each morning for! Fast forward nine years and my tenure at my lovely middle school is coming to an end. (More to come about that process later.) So, in honor of me leaving my love and home and heading over to the big, scary high school, I thought I would share some pictures of how I decorated and organized my middle school classroom. It is currently being packed up, but this is what it looked like last week.
This is the welcome banner that hangs outside my classroom door.
Here is my numbered calculator pocket for a decorative look and easy organization.
My desks are numbered to match their calculators and calculators’ pockets. It helps students remember their calculator number and keeps them accountable for not taking them from the room. If you like the number circles and would like your own, I offer them FREE in my store. You can download them HERE.
Our team name is Team Discovery, so this is my play on the word, “Discovery.” When a student earns an A, they get their name posted and get a treat from the treasure box.
This is my student objective board. I teach 4 different classes, Advisory, Learning Tools, Accelerated Math, and Math 7. This keeps them (and me) organized. The objective labels read, “Today I will…” and the homework labels read, “Tonight I will…” To the left of the board are my “ATQA” posters, which our school uses as a reminder to “answer the question asked.” Above my board are the eight Standards of Mathematical Practices. I list them by number under the objective for the day, so this gives students a quick reference.
This is my fun reading area. It is an old, but perfectly comfortable couch. The students love it!
For most of my books, they are organized in tubs by genre. These three black shelves contain my books in a series, organized alphabetically by author. Books in a series are my favorite!
I have tried many solutions to win the pencil battle with Middle Schoolers, but haven’t tried the winning one yet. This one was WONDERFUL…for a while. I purchased purple pencils with, “Please Return to Mrs. Travis” engraved on them and loaded up the “Sharpened Pencil” basket. Their instructions were to return it when done and put it in the appropriate tub. Instead, they took them. So, it WAS wonderful…until I ran out. Of 100+ pencils. By Thanksgiving. Back to the drawing board.
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My classroom was decorated with a polka-dotted theme, so this was my desk. (Excuse the mess on top.)
And that’s it. It has been a good ride. I will miss so many things about my school, my lovely little classroom being one. If you have any questions about anything you read or saw or have any comments for me, please email me or leave a comment below.
If you would like to check out how I decorated my high school classroom, click here!
0 thoughts on “Decorating and Organizing in Middle School”
That was a gorgeous set up for a classroom. Your handwriting is also ridiculously amazing, haha
Good luck in high school!
Anisa @ Creative Undertakings
Thank you so much for the very kind compliments and well wishes!
Kacie
I am OBSESSED with your classroom….LOVE it! Cute, but age appropriate!! I am totally going to number my chairs this year, did you make those labels yourself, or find them somewhere else?
Thanks!!!
Carrie
#Hashtag Fifth
Hi Carrie! What a sweet thing to say?!?! Thank you! Numbering the chairs makes life SO much better! I actually have those numbers for free in my TpT store. Let's see…I think you can copy and paste this link and you can download right away! Enjoy!
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Circle-Numbers-in-Fun-Colors-1-30-824077
Kacie
I just realized it would probably be helpful to all to link to those in the actual post. Off to edit now!
I loved the pencil borrow and return signs. Do you have a copy of them? Or are they in your store?
Mc5shelton@twc.com
Hi! They are not currently in my store, but I will have to consider adding them! Thanks for the idea. I am emailing them to you now! 🙂
Kacie
I am interested in copying your jean calculator keeper hanger. I need to know the dimensions of each of the jeans pieces. Are they square or rectangular? For example, 8" x 8"? I am helping a math teacher decorate her classrom. She is the idea girl and I'm trying to make this picture a reality. Any help is appreciated. Nikki