Classroom Library

So for the past six years, I have struggled with setting up my classroom library. Books everywhere in tubs, racks, and a complete disorganized mess.

Nothing was more frustrating than a week into the school year seeing all the precious books you had spent days organizing being put in the wrong tubs. I would try to get on to kids and rationalize with them: if it's an animal book, put it back in the animal tub. However, that seemed to fall on deaf ears. By about October, I gave up each year. "I'll deal with it next year." I told myself.

Well, six years later I decided to tackle this problem as school let out this year. I was DETERMINED.

So when I was packing up my room this year, I took an inventory of all my books and tubs. I counted every tub and the number of books in each tub, once they were all back in their proper homes. I ended up with 65 book tubs and too many books to total.

I created book tub labels for each book tub. Some people sort by lexile levels, genres, authors, etc. Mine are by topic and authors. This one happens to be "Girl Fiction".

Notice the brown dot on the side? That is the lexile level. A couple summers ago I went through and lexiled every book in my library. Longest. Task. Ever. And then we created a color coding system at my school so it would be consistent from room to room. When our kids MAP test, it gives them a lexile so when they do independent reading, they read books on their level. By leveling all the books, the kids can chose whatever they want, as long as it's their "dot" color. I stick with telling them their dot colors and not focusing on numbers, that way the kids can't really tell too much about each others levels.

I then took this to the next level. I printed matching labels for each book in each tub. Obsessive. Crazy. OCD. Yes, yes and yes. But I am *hoping* that this will make it super easy for the kids to just look at the number and put it right back in the correct tub.

This took HOURS. But I am so glad I did it! Hopefully this will keep my classroom library under wraps this year and many more too come! All 65 books tubs are complete and I am feeling good about it!

How do you organize your classroom library? I'd love to hear your ideas!

Brit :)

Group Tub Re-vamp!

Hey everybody!

Another *snow day* here! I have already called off school again for tomorrow so it looks like we're going to have only one they've school this week! I'm not really that mad about it- I mean, we got like 3 inches of snow and the temperatures are brutally cold! I'd rather have kids be home than standing at the bus stop!

However, the days off have been giving me a lot of time to work on stuff for my classroom! I had decided to move my kids out of their four desk groups and give pairs a try. My kids are heading into the "we all know each other too well and all we want to do is talk" phase of the year!

So, I bought some mini tubs at Dollar Tree- 2 for $1!

And I made these cute labels! I printed them on card stock and then laminated them! Seriously, on a side note, I got a small laminator a couple of months ago to use for part of this math grant I've been a part of. I have had to laminate a lot of stuff. BEST INVESTMENT EVER. I love it and I got mine at Walmart for like $25 dollars. It's worth it people.

So then I cut them out and attached them with Velcro to the little tubs. LOVE THEM! I can't wait to try them out with my kids hopefully on Friday but who knows! Here's the finished product:

Hopefully you will enjoy these too! If you want to pick up a set for your room, check out my TPT store Here!

Check back later- I'm putting together a "I have, Who has" game my friend created AND working on some ACE posters for my classroom!

Britt