Thursday, July 11, 2013

Decorating an 8th Grade U.S. History / Social Studies Classroom: Part 1


For my first post on my shiny new blog I thought I’d talk about how I plan to decorate my room this year compared to last. In order to do that, let me clarify what happened last year. 2012-2013 was my first year as an 8th grade social studies teacher. I was hired two weeks before the school year began, and inherited a classroom so cluttered and full of garbage it took me nearly a 40 hour work week to just get it functional (cluttered – but functional). Throughout the year it evolved greatly, and as soon as I find them I’ll post the evolutionary photos that show the progression from dump to learning environment. However, I’ll be the first to admit my classroom was far from impressive looking. We did the best with what we had, but with only two weeks to dig through piles of educational memorabilia dating back to the 1980′s, I had very little time to devote to true organization, decor, or “feng shui”.
But this year will be different – oh yes it will be! I hit the stores right after the 4th of July for some clearance Americana goods. I’ve got everything from patriotic fabric for my bulletin boards, to color coordinated flower pens (handmade by yours truly), flags, and political themed goods. Check back later in the week for an update on how it looks on the walls! Here’s a sneak peak:
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