To Teach is to Inspire: New Pictures!

Most of these were taken in the middle of last week, so some progress has been made since then.

Classroom #1- This is the classroom that started out as a huge pile on the floor. I've done a lot of work in this room!

You can click to enlarge them to see them in detail. Picture #1: Orff instruments, tempo cats (Which I LOVE!) I have named my tempo cat Senor Don Gato. When I was little we sang a song from our books called Senor Don Gato. It was our class favorite in 4th or 5th grade. I also enjoy have him as my classroom pet because I miss my real cat back home.

Picture #2: Here you can see along that wall. Right now my high bookshelves are crammed full with instruments, books, and other odds and ends.

Picture #3 Boomwhackers and balls! We're going to be having a lot of fun with these in music class.

This is my Instrument Families bulletin board. It's not quite finished.

More storage and classroom instruments!

Collection of children's books. Many are set to music so I can sing them to the class.

This is a portion of the front of my room. I have a Kodaly Hand Sign poster, the big Spotlight flip book, and an ancient overhead... but there is a possibility that I may be getting a smart board!

Other part of the front of the room. My "K, 1, 2" on the board I made out of static cling at the teacher resource center. I can write a short version of my lesson plan beside each grade. I also have a clavinova, a chart that I may put my "word wall" in, or use for reading rhythms. Behind that chart, I have a dry erase easel. My room is just so narrow that there is hardly enough room for all these things at the front, so I angled the keyboard and slid the chart and easel next to it. I have my sterio behind all that, which is not a good location, but I also have a small cd player that I could also use. Things may get moved around a little still.

Front of my classroom. I haven't really decided what to do with that awkward tiny strip of bulletin board. Any suggestions?

Bell sets. I probably have more bell sets than I need and right now they are all stacked in one cabinet which makes me cringe because it messes up the screws.

The back of my room: I have a desk and some little drawers back there. The filing cabinet was still in the center of my room because it was too heavy to move on my own. It took two janitors to move it. I really just wanted them to get rid of it, but it is full of music/musical things....I guess it stays for now.

School #2: I have not been to yet. I share that room with the main music teacher at that building, so she will arrange it however it works best for her.

School #3: Quite the opposite from my first school where I got moved to a new room and they piled everything in the center of the floor. This will be the first year that they have had two music teachers at this school. Therefore, my room had literally nothing.

I wasn't kidding. Nothing but walls, floor and ceiling. Not to mention the air conditioner didn't work. It was 105 degrees the first time I was in this classroom. The good new is that it has been fixed! : )