Photos of My Classroom

(Click on any image to see a larger version of that image.)

Due to numerous requests, I am posting photos of what my classroom looked like on the second day of school, 2006. I have taught kindergarten at Lake Marion Elementary in Lakeville, MN since it opened in 1990. I taught kindergarten at 2 other Elementary schools in Lakeville beginning in 1986.

I do have a beautiful and large classroom compared to those that I have seen around the country. I do not have any storage closets outside of my classroom. The only thing I store at home are my Dramatic Play Center tubs.

This is what my classroom looks like from the doorway.


In one corner of my classroom, I have the Dramatic Play Center set up. In September it is the Housekeeping Center.


This photo was taken standing right in front of my Dramatic Play Center and looking into the opposite corner. By the window is my work area and computer. The books on the wall are my personal library and the kids do not look at them. They are organized in alphabetical order by theme. Each child has his/her own cubby and he/ she stores his/her school box and supplies in there.


This is the area right in front of my Dramatic Play Center. It is the Writing Center and Word wall. I moved my filing cabinets over there as a divider and as a magnetic center.


The corner directly opposite of the doorway is the "Pit" area. This is where a lot of my instructional time take place. It is easier for the kids to sit for a longer period of time on these steps.


This is the view from standing in the pit. The books around the circle are the books the kids can look at. The open book display shelves contain seasonal books that I change out with the holidays. The alphabet in the carpet was installed when the school was built. The empty white book shelf will store all of our class books after they make the rounds in my students' homes.


This is the view of my work area. I store my Big Books, teacher resource books and all of my other "teacher" stuff back here. I took my desk out of my classroom over 10 years ago. I never sit at it. I just bought plastic storage drawers for awards and pens etc. and I have my filing cabinets. The blue shelves right by the window are where I put the things for the days. They are labeled Monday though Friday with an extra at the bottom. Books, papers and art projects for each day are stored in these cubbies. The hanging pocket charts store all of my poems on sentence strips. Right in front of my work area is the toy shelf. We didn't connect the 2 parts so I put a board on top for more storage and I store the blocks and listening center underneath.


This is the view from my work area. The Dramatic Play area is by the other door in the corner. You may notice my wall mounted drying rack by that door. I have 2 over there and I LOVE them.