Creating a Home Classroom
My District recently made the decision to begin the 2020-2021 remotely for the first nine weeks. I will have to report to the classroom a few times a week, however I want to do as much teaching as possible from my home. As a educator, it’s important to me to create a bright, inviting, and purposeful environment for my students – even if that’s from a distance this year. Let the home classroom makeover begin!
Have you thought about making a dedicated teaching space in your home but have no idea where to start? In this post, I will share 6 tips for creating a home classroom that will set you up for remote learning success!
Tip #1: Find a space
The first step to creating your ideal home classroom is to find a space. Keep in mind that you don’t need a fancy office or an entire room. Even a wall or corner of your home will do! I chose a small area off of our bedroom.
Tip #2: Make a list of your Teaching from Home Must-Haves
Teachers love lists, and I am no exception! Make a list of those essential teaching items that you need in order to be successful at remote teaching. As a kindergarten teacher, my list included a calendar, alphabet, birthday set, a whiteboard, a pocket chart, and lined chart paper.
Tip #3: Use what you already have
Review your list from above. If you already have some of the items, bring home what you can from your classroom.
Tip #4: Go shopping for what you need
Set a budget for what you want to spend on this project, and head to Carson Dellosa Education to shop for everything left on your list. Choose your favorite Schoolgirl Style collection, or mix and match coordinating pieces.
Tip#5: Decorate
Once you have everything you need to get started, it’s time to decorate!
It’s All About the Borders!
I like to begin my classroom makeovers by choosing borders that compliment my theme. Here are the five different borders I selected that go perfectly with Schoolgirl Style’s Simply Stylish Tropical Collection from Carson Dellosa Education.
Calendar and Birthday Board
I designed a bulletin board on the long wall of my space using white bulletin board paper and framing it with the borders from above. Next, I used the Welcome Printable Pennants at the top. Then, I added elements from the Pineapple Calendar Bulletin Board Set. Calendar Time is such a critical part of the kindergarten day. Students learn days of the week, months of the year, concepts of number sense, patterning, and so much more. I completed this board with pieces from the Simply Stylish Tropical Birthday Set so that we can virtually celebrate my students’ special days. Because I am limited with space, I didn’t have room for the entire set that I have displayed in my classroom at school. I plan on switching out the birthday cakes each month. Below the board, I displayed the Alphabet Line Mini Bulletin Board Set.
Book Bench & Whiteboard
Reading to my students is one of my favorite parts of the day. I wanted to turn the one corner of my space into an area for streaming or filming read-aloud stories. I found the perfect bench, added some bins, and decorated them with Schoolgirl Style Popsicle Accents. The scalloped pink border was the perfect finishing touch for the bottom of the bench. I hung a dry-erase magnetic whiteboard above the seat and decorated it with Schoolgirl Style Tropical Pops Straight Borders and Black and White Striped Borders. The board will be perfect for lessons on phonics, writing, reading, math, or just about anything!
Chart Paper Space-Saver Hack
At school, I prefer to use lined paper on my easel for all of my writing lessons. This allows me to model how to correctly form the letters. Since I didn’t have room for my easel at home, I used this space-saver hack…I simply hung two hooks on the door for my lined chart paper. Of course, the chart paper wasn’t complete without adding some fun scalloped borders to the top and bottom of the paper! The great thing is that you can switch out the chart paper to hang whatever you need to display including anchor charts, posters, or pocket charts.
Printable Decor
Did you know Carson Dellosa Education offers Schoolgirl Style Printable Decor? These are great if you need decorations in a pinch! I love this Simply Stylish Tropical Printable Posters set. I added a few of these to my home classroom for the perfect finishing touches!
Tip #6: Get Organized
Once the decorating is done, it’s time to get all of your teacher supplies in order. Adding a small desk or a table to your workspace is great for organizing all the things.
Carson Dellosa and Schoolgirl Style have endless classroom organization options that coordinate with your theme. Take a look…
I added the black and gold square Tabletop Storage Pieces as shown in the photo to hold my Simply Stylish Tropical accents and notepads.
I used these amazing desk accessories that feature different black and white patterns!
You can even create your own DIY organizers that coordinate with your home classroom theme. Simply collect containers and add your favorite borders with a dab of hot glue! Here I used a soup can, vitamin bottles, and laundry detergent lid. I also spiced up some older organizers I had with cute borders.
There you have it – “Home sweet classroom.” Check out the before and after photos…
Here’s to year 15 in kindergarten! It will definitely be one to remember.
I hope that this post has inspired you to try creating a home classroom where you can virtually do anything. May you have your best teaching year yet!
Head to Carson Dellosa Education and save 20 percent on your order with promo code CASEY20 ! You can also snag an ONLINE EXCLUSIVE deal for the ENTIRE Simply Stylish Tropical Collection for a limited time@
Visit the My Classroom section of my website to see more of my Classroom Makeovers!
