#TptChat Classroom Decor

Every Sunday I participate in the Twitter chat #tptchat.  I discovered it about a month ago and haven't looked back!  If you have yet to try it, I highly recommend stopping by to see all the action :)

This Sunday's topic is classroom decor, a topic that has pretty much consumed my summer and of course I have plans this evening :( So since I'm not sure how much I will be able to participate live in the chat, I thought I would also do a blog post about it!  

As you may or may not know I am moving into a new classroom this year (only the 5th year in a row, no biggie) which is all good except for one major thing... the color of my room.  Not joking, it is the color of the bird in the graphic above on all 4 walls and just as bright- you can see before photos here. It doesn't look SO terrible in pics... but in real life it is a different story.  Now let me just say, I am all for bright colors in the elementary classroom as long as its done right.  I prefer bright pops of color or accents and more subtle walls.  I desperately wanted to repaint the walls this year, but summer school was held in my wing, so that wasn't going to happen.  So I've spent the summer stressing about how to make this the ideal environment for both me and my learners.

My ideal learning space is one that students feel comfortable in.  I like to try and make it more "homey" than institutional.  While I have a highly structured environment, I strive to create a space where the students can move around, access materials easily, collaborate and have fun.  As we all know, this is much easier said than done and I am nowhere near perfect :) 

So here is my room last Thursday, just minutes after summer school ended (I was very eager to get in there and get to work!)

 Here is a peek into "the tub" that is currently residing in my dining room...  I think you can get a feel for what I'm going for this year!

These prints were given to me as a gift after my daughter was born.  They were in her nursery :)  They will look perfect in my classroom- and I will love looking at them again!

This was also her lamp... I'm going to see if it works and fits in with my color scheme!

One major problem right now is that the other teacher's belongings are still in here... so I can't get much done until they relocate to a new home :( :( all 42 boxes of it.

So this is what I've been able to do so far (warning, its not much!)  

I put up two bulletin boards... although I'm still not sure what I'll be using them for, and got my classroom library spot picked out.  Now I just need more shelving :-/  (my room last year had built in bookshelves)

Moved my desk... last year I chose not to have a desk, and set my computer on a table instead.  That table did not make it to my new room so I'm just going to deal with it this year (I'm already making a big enough stink about the boxes).  I'm wondering why I seem to have a plethora of grown up chairs...

This is my tentative small group area... not sure though.  It was going to be the classroom library... but from past experiences I'd rather have me closer to the door and the library further away (I've had a runner or two in my day)

I have spent the majority of the summer creating classroom decor that I may want to use in my room. After many hours of creation I decided on this set:

 I love the patterns of chevron, polka dots, quatrefoil etc. and all the colors.  I think they will help create a more soothing effect while still incorporate the wall color in the room.

Another set that I created (and I LOVE) has been widely popular on my TPT is my "Into the Woods" collection:

Over the years I have purchased a few classroom decor items, mainly word wall or classroom labels.  This year I thought I'd try my hand at creating my own visions and I have to say it was a little addicting!  There are so many wonderful options for papers/ clip art out there that the possibilities are endless!  I just can't wait to get in my room and get it all put together.

Make sure you tune into #tptchat tonight on Twitter for more details, and if you can't stop by for the live action search the hashtag!  Happy decorating! :)