Because I'm Happy (Classroom Reveal!)

♫ Clap along if you know what happiness is to you! ♫

After weeks of planning, printing, laminating, cleaning, rearranging, purging...it's ready! So without further ado, here is my happy place!

Let's start at the very beginning... (a very good place to start! 😉)

So, the first thing students see when they come to music class is my door. I've seen so many "In this classroom you are..." ideas on Pinterest. I made my own version using Target's Dollar Spot bulletin board borders and stickers. (Total Cost: $3)

I share a room with the art teacher. I teach from the left side and she teaches from the right side. This is the view of my room if you are standing on the "art side". (The lighting in my room is awful for taking pictures. So I apologize for the glare in just about every picture!) Tables are pushed against the walls with 5 stools at each table forming a U-shape. My Kinders will default to a circle on the rug in the middle. Grades 1-5 will start the class off sitting on the stools. The great thing about this setup is that students can turn to face the tables if they are writing, lego-building, etc. The stools can also be pushed under the tables to give more room for movement activities. The whiteboard I DIY'd last year. It cost me about $12 and has worked great! Ukuleles hang underneath the whiteboard using velcro ties and Command hooks.

This is my bulletin board (and my part of my whiteboard on the left). Here I have what I like to call my "anchor-ish charts". Basically, I created a poster of the different elements of music with a definition. Then I plan to put up visuals as we learn more about these elements. The watercolor solfege hand signs and instrument family labels are part of this awesome bundle by Melody Payne. The adorable penguin 4 Voice posters are a TpT FREEBIE by Music With Miss W.

This a view of the bulletin board next to my desk. My desk was a beat-up table that I beautified with the help of some fabric and contact paper. (Read more about it here.) That awesome superhero drawing was drawn by my sister Chelsea (follow her on IG @angelsomaart) after my second graders came up with my superhero alter-ego, Madame Music. I use this picture to remind students what proper singing position looks like. You can also see that I have a small washi tape obsession. 

#nosuchthingastoomuchwashitape

Here is the bulletin board next to my door. I will be using Class Dojo this year. Since I teach at such a small school, I thought it would be fun for each student to pick the monster they want to use for the year. Then when it's their turn for a certain class job, I can stick their monster to the job sign. 

My 3 jobs are Teacher's Helper, Clean Up, and Compliment. I will probably write more about this later, but I got the idea from this post by Organized Chaos Music. I also have a bathroom pass, hall pass, and calendar. 

I'm trying something new this year, after being inspired by a music teacher on Instagram. Each music class we will celebrate a musician's birthday and listen to a piece of their music. The goal is to bring diversity to the music we listen to in class. I will keep you posted on how it goes! 

Lastly, I decided to post my Music Class Expectations under the clock. This is opposite the door, so students will see it right when they walk in. It's a nice reminder that when you come to music class, it's Time To SING! 

That's it for now! I look forward to seeing all my kiddos and making music with them next week! Thanks for checking out my classroom. I hope you have a great school year!

♫ ♥ Ashley