Teaching with Intention: Chapter 3

I'm joining in again this week with the book study Greg at The Kindergarten Smorgasboard started.
Surfin' Through Second, The Learning Chambers, and Sassy, Savvy, Simple Teaching are hosting this chapter.
I LOVE this book...

This week I'm keeping it short and simple with a few of my favorite quotes!

1. Could it be that cleaning the physical clutter of my room also cleared the mental clutter in my mind?

How'd she read my mind?  Whenever I'm stressed or feeling a little crazy, I organize and clean. It feels good to purge! My family is a bit - well...a bit pack-ratty. Not me. I love to clean and organize. It just makes me smile.

2. Ask the kids "What is it you like, love, and cherish; what is it that makes you, you."

Let go?!?! Involve the kids in the room set-up.  ERR. Uh. Okay.  I'm moving rooms this summer and this quote/section took WEIGHT off my shoulders. You mean - I don't have to do it all before they walk in on the first day.  It's a little unnerving and liberating at the same time! (Now, I'm not going to leave my room a mess.) I am setting up the "bones" but I'm willing to try and let the room grow with us.

3. Classroom environments are organic-they grow as we do. The best of them reflect the hearts and souls of those who inhabit them. They're never really finished. They're never really "done."

This quote gave me permission to set things up but not stress and fret over every little aspect of the room.  Yes, I'm going to put the fundamentals in place. How to turn in papers? How to turn in lunch money? How to take attendance? How to pack-up? You know all the little things that can soak up tons of time if you don't get procedures in place.  I'm going to plan...  Along with those things, I'm going to let my kids help sort and sticker new library books. I'm going to let them help me decide transition songs. I'm going to observe the first few days and get to know my kids - tailor some procedures for this bunch of kiddos.

PS I will add "finished" classroom photos soon...hopefully. :)  Below is the work in progress. I use active seating in my classroom. Click here to see my post about active seating.