This is one of my favorite spots in the classroom – my guided reading area.  I love using guided reading lessons to reinforce the reading skills I’m teaching each week.  My students love guided reading time, because they are able to get more individualized attention.  We also have a lot of fun during this time!

I use this old bookcase to store my guided reading books, and materials.  It helps keep my room organized.  Without it, I was constantly looking for materials I needed for our 2nd grade lessons.  It has been a true lifesaver.

This is another favorite area for me.  This is our carpet which we use for morning meetings, classroom read-alouds and many more activities.  My students love gathering on the carpet, and so do I.

Another area that we love is our classroom library.  I took this picture when I still had a traditional listening center.  Recently, we were given iPads which now make our listening center far easier to navigate.  Either way, my students are always able to read to themselves, to one another, and listen to reading.

This is another organizational time saver.  I like having a central location where students can get the tools they need for our lessons.  I purchased these drawers at Target, but they sell them everywhere.

This is our compliment box.  I allow my students to write compliments to one another.  They LOVE this!  I encourage them to write compliments about kind things other students have done, or compliments about one another’s character.  We stay away from complimenting outward appearances or material things.  Once a week, I read all of the compliments to the classroom.  It’s a great classroom management tool, and promotes kindness.  The first couple of weeks that we do this, I make sure that all of my students receive a compliment.  This encourages my students to think of students they might sometimes forget, and makes sure that everyone has something to smile about.

I try to keep my materials for literacy and math centers organized.  By using bins and racks, it’s easier for my students to remember where everything goes and clean up after themselves.  When it does become disorganized, I pick special helpers to clean it up.