New Storage for Center Activities

I am in organization mode the last six weeks of school every year.  I like to reorganize my room and set things up the way I want it next year.  Even though we have to box up everything over the summer, at least I have an idea and the pictures to help me assemble my classroom for next year.

I hated my old way of organizing my centers (which can be viewed in an earlier post). I wanted my activities easily accessible and quick to view at a moments notice.

I purchased the shoe bins at Walmart for a dollar and spray painted the tubs' lid red for Math and blue for ELA.

I labeled each tub with the skill and then listed the activities that were in that tub.  There are about 3-4 activities in each tub.  If I were to do this all over again, I would just type the skill, laminate the cards, and then with permanent marker write the activities in each tub because sometimes I add a new activity to the tub.  If it does change you can always erase the permanent marker with a Magic Eraser.  It comes right off!  (So, much for permanent...huh)  Each label has a red star that means, "Don't touch" (for the kiddos)

I got smart and applied my label idea to my ELA tubs (since I did these second).  Each label just has the skill, I still need to write with permanent marker the activities in each tub.  The red star on the label means, "Don't touch" (for the kiddos)

These ELA activities are strictly my Treasures activities.  Treasures is our reading adoption.   Each tub has a red dot on the label that means, "Stop, don't touch" (for the kiddos)

Spray painted the lids and basket (which was a purple color, not the scheme of my room)

I used spray paint for plastic.  

Since I was using a large portion of my shelving for my center activities, I needed more shelving.  Instead of buying a bookshelf (that will fall apart in a year), I decided to make my own out of cement blocks and wood.  I can easily store this over the summer by taking it apart (unlike other bookshelves I have in my room). When I move schools, cities, states, I can leave behind my cement blocks and just take the wood. Moving from Texas to Louisiana, the bulky bookshelves were a hassle to move.       

The tubs with yellow lids have scissors, highlighters, and Magic Erasers.  These used to be behind my desk, but I like that they are easily accessible and I don't have to stop my teaching just to get to them.  My white tubs have my math manipulatives.  I am thinking about spray painting them red to go along with my color coding theme.  In my apple basket I have my dry erase markers, which I love that are by my dry erase board.  I have "Star Pencils" for kids who are amazing, on top of my stereo is a basket with stickers and then my GONG.  Which my mom got for me because we couldn't stop playing with it at Lakeshore.  

Primer on wood

Working hard after hours!

I only painted the sides that you would be able to see.  I bought wooden stars and tape that will stick to cement to decorate the blocks with.  Maybe I will do that next year.