The best way to keep students engaged and on-task is by offering a relaxing environment that is visually appealing to kids. Our classroom is bright and cheerful looking, but everything has its place with a specific purpose for my students. Organization also offers a sense of stability for students, and when clutter is around, learners take on that anxiety which in turn can produce unfocused behavior. I use the pronoun "our" because this is "our" classroom. It's not just mine; yes, I may pay for the resources and get everything in place, but the students also take ownership in this environment. When a learner feels invested in a classroom, respect and responsibility will follow. Enjoy this tour of our classroom for this upcoming school year!

In the last post, I shared a recipe for a new bulletin board I created this year, but as all teachers, I run into the problem of deciding where to store all my items I take off my bulletin board. I am sure all of us have seen the cardboard storage boxes that looks like this: