Classroom Decoration

Now that I have been in my room a few months (this is my 2nd year teaching at this school and ever, but I taught there a few years ago, so I feel like it is my first year) I am ready to redecorate.  As my diligent students were busy taking a test today, I sat watching them and began to daydream of what I would do differently next year.  I am excited for next year, but here are a few ideas I tried this year that I can recommend.   

This isn't my desk, but I have also wrapped my desk in wrapping paper, and it is super cute!  I bought what I felt like was expensive wrapping paper, for $5, (that's how cheap I am) for the durability, and it has held up perfect.  Buy the good stuff and tape the heck out of it, and you will have the cutest desk in school, I promise! 

When I moved into my classroom I had four ugly gray filing cabinets along one wall. So when I found out a few teachers nearby didn't have any cabinets, I practically loaded the hand truck myself so I could try this cute arrangement I found on Pinterest.  I don't have too much in my filing cabinets, (being a 'baby' and computer dependent teacher limits print outs) but I will happily hang on to them to keep this useful Magnet board.  

Click on the pictures to find more good ideas! 

This is a great tool from Blogger, Ian Byrd of Byrdseed. 

Ian's blog has amazing lessons, tips, and ideas for gifted education.  He also shows how he tweaks many common activities for gifted education (for multiple content areas). Reading how he increases the complexity of assignments has taught me how to do this too, which I really appreciate!! Thanks Ian for so graciously sharing all of these amazing ideas, and so far everything I've seen he puts up for free!  

The Differentiator is an online resource that lets you (or your students) choose how they will complete an assignment. The picture below is a screen shot, all words in color can be changed. I love it! I'm thinking about using this as a learning menu tool. The students could have full access to choice, or you could assign one skill and let them choose one, etc.   I think many of the students will gravitate to tasks that are on their level.  Just to be sure of this, I am thinking about having my students write an exit sticky note of how they will use this that way I make sure everyone is picking skills/tasks on their level.   

Let me know how you plan to use this in your classroom! I know it's a bit hard to see, but this is an example of how we might use this in class: