Out with the Old...

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 my 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.

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.