a picture peek at our school space

 

 

To have a school space/room or not.

 

 

That is the question.

 

 

Am I right…or am I right?

 

 

:: wink ::

 

 

Being ever the wishy-washy-ist, I fall right smack dab in the middle of that discussion.  Which is not to say that I don’t love my school space.  Because I do.  Oh I do!  Having a space to organize and meet for together time helps me feel centered.  Peaceful.  And Lord knows…I can’t ever have enough peaceful.  Also, we already need a space for Trevy’s home based therapies…it just makes sense to have that room be multi-purpose.

 

 

That said…our learning happens everywhere!  My heart sings (because, yes, I’m a sappy head) every time I read “the world is our classroom” quote that’s floating around everywhere right now – because I believe that too!  We enjoy learning on the couch, in the kitchen, at the playground, the library, in the back yard…  It’s just that our learning world also happens (for now) to include a dedicated school room.

 

 

A peek from the hall way…

 

Our School Space is actually a bedroom just off the living room on our main floor.  Being a bedroom, it is small-ish.  Hence the pieced together photos.  I couldn’t figure out how to get one big picture.

 

 

I do dream of one day having a super large bright and cheerful with thick cozy carpet room.  A Sensory Play zone tucked in the corner for Trevy.  Swing and everything.  And a farmer’s table with white legs right in the middle of the room.

 

 

Speaking of Trevy.

 

As you walk in you’re greeted by my lovely IKEA Trofast system.  The only regret I have is not buying TWO of these!  A window would look so lovely framed by two of them!

 

I rotate Trevy learning/play toys in the drawers.  We’re (and we’re I mean ALL of the kids are) learning how to take just one drawer out at a time.

 

 

 

The stair steps are a great way to display trays which will hopefully inspire independent learning play!

 

Sometimes I’ll use those stand up picture holder thingies…and have books displayed.

 

 

Our globe has lived on the top for a while now.

 

I change things around all.the.time.  So this is worth noting. 

 

 

Cork and white boards live in the corner.

 

 

I just put Trevy’s First-Then and I Want _____ sentence strips in the pocket charts (Target dollar section).  With a handful of choices.

 

The mini table below is where Trevy does his ABA therapy and we meet for our together time.

 

 

As new postcards come in we add them to our map and postcard collage on the wall.

 

 

Our All About Reading corner.  I was inspired the last time we worked on the letter E for the gazillionth time to start circling the letter we’re learning.

 

 

Inside the armoire lives a TV, dvd player and gobs of board games.

 

Confession.  I can’t stand that armoire.  It’s SO big and eats up half the room.  But it took 4 guys several hours to get it into the room – the only way it’s coming out is in pieces.  And I’m not ready to chop it up yet either.

 

 

Pretend play.

 

 

Mystery of History timeline.  After much hem-hawing, I finally decided to use sentence strips (because my motto for this year is – USE WHAT YOU HAVE) and just do a wall timeline.

 

 

That door leads to the closet.  Where most of my school supplies live.

 

I need to pretty up the little shelves up there.  But it is what it is.  The pink file tote is Bristel’s workbox.  The blue Toby’s.  One of the baskets on the bottom is just for library books.  ALL library books must be returned to that basket.  It’s a RULE.  Because it drives me bonkers when I can’t find a book and get a fine!  The other white basket is my To Be Graded basket.  Right now it’s filled with things I need to file away.

 

 

And then we’re back around the the computer desk which is piled high with stuff to organize and weed through.  Our volcano which is too purty to explode.  And a dinosaur computer which has a hard time connecting to the internet but is great for computer games and typing projects.

 

 

And that’s a peek at our School Space.

 

 

I’m sure by the end of the year it’ll look totally different.  Surely I’m not the only mom who is ever switching things up, though?

 

 

…danielle