Sheila Sims Iding
Teachers all around are getting their classrooms ready for a new group of students. Teachers everywhere have spent money, spent time and spent evenings away from their families just to make their classroom the best it can be…before students even walk through the door. Teachers in every school have put forth a lot of effort on things that don’t have to do with paper/pencil, textbooks or academics. They’ve done all that too. They’ve worked hard to put all the educational pieces in place. But all this extra time, money and effort comes from a driven desire to make their classroom a special place for their students to grow, develop and learn and feel at home.
As a first grade teacher I am aware that a student will spend over 6 hours a day in my classroom. For each school day it will be their home away from home. For the little ones it is more important to make a classroom, warm, cozy and “homey”. But I think whatever grade I might teach I would want my “homeroom” to be a HOME room. I know for sure I do in first grade. So here is my checklist for making my classroom “home” to 24 little first graders (and their parents):
Welcome mat at the door with each name on the border – check
Nameplate for each child under my nameplate by the door
(it’s OUR classroom…not just mine.) - check
Child of God display hanging from ceiling by door – check.
Children of God display holding balloons with each name – check.
Pooh job chart so they can help out at “home” – check
Student center with supplies just for them and a string of party lights
just for fun - check
Memo board in student center so I can leave them a love note each
morning – check
Thoughtful Spot – So, like Pooh bear, they can have a quiet place to
go and “think, think, think” – check
Science Cube so they can sit in there and read about dinosaurs or space or
weather or wild animals or snakes or…. – check.
Animals in science cube so they have someone to read to – check.
Prayer Corner and Saintland full of Saint statues and saint books just
waiting for their Christian hearts – check.
Storyland with books, book, books and more books and….their favorite…
magazines and catalogs – check.
Mirror that says “God Loves ME” for loose-teeth checking – check.
Bouquet of pencils on Young Authors table – check
Bouquets of markers and crayons for young illustrators - check
Superstars with each name on the board – check
“Welcome to First grade” sign taped by each name tag on each desk (thank
you Adam for doing all the desks for me)– check
Little curtains in each window, warm homey scent and my grandmother’s
rocking chair – check
Rugs, rugs, rugs – check, check, check
Lamps, lamps, lamps – check, check, check
And…my favorite…mass crosses hanging for each little “saint” to wear
to church – check
Lastly, ten BIG letters evident when you walk in Room 3 to remind you that this is not “Room 3”…this is not a ROOM…this is not even a classroom…this is a place. It is a place that will be home to 24 of my closest little friends (well…we will be close in a week or two). Those 10 BIG letters are C –A – R – E C – O – R – N – E – R. And they spell out the special place where 24 first graders tomorrow will walk through the doorway tomorrow and I will be so excited to say “Welcome Home”. Check – double check.