I've been kind of going overboard with how much time I've spent in my classroom this week, but I blame it on getting new bookshelves and having to re-arrange and reorganize. Getting new bookshelves was a definite high-point! I have a lot of books in my classroom library. Like...lots. Like....close to 4,000. Yeah, I know, I have a problem. But it is a problem I really love! In recent years, my chapter books have resided on three double-sided rolling carts. While they are awesome, they take up a lot of floor space, which was frustrating. Through a series of circumstances, I was encouraged to request the installation of some library shelving from my previous (and much-missed) school, which was closed due to budget cuts a few years ago. The shelves in the library had been custom-designed and built for the library - solid oak - and they are beautiful. I was so excited to get two sections to have in my current classroom!
I realized pretty quickly that not all of my chapter books were going to fit on these beautiful shelves, however. Sigh. So I put on my big-girl panties and started weeding through the books. I took any duplicates and put them in a separate place, so they are still accessible in case more than one student wants to read the same book, or if two (or three...or four...) students want to read a book together. I also pulled some books to donate to the school book giveaway. Hopefully they will go to good homes!
So these are the awesome shelves! I love them!
I will post some more pictures of my classroom tomorrow. The book area looks pretty good, but a lot of the room looks like it has been ravaged by a tornado. I just couldn't face the mess today, so I stayed home, but I really have to get on the ball tomorrow. I want to have everything put away, curtains up, and desk organized tomorrow. And maybe, if I get really inspired, I can get the bulletin boards and walls decorated, too!
Alica
