My fourth grade classroom houses some of my favorite things in the world. Obviously the students are my most favorite. But behind them are sparkles of magic that make my room feel oh-so-special.

You know when a professional development training is held in another teacher’s classroom? And it’s hard to pay attention because you’re so entranced with their decorations and systems? Perhaps you take pictures on the sly when the presenter isn’t looking because you want to try some of those goodies in your own room.

That’s what today’s post is. But there’s no teacher training. You just get to look and steal ideas to your heart’s content.

Glass Bubble Magnets

Aren’t these magnets gorgeous? They brighten up everything I hang up. Plus see-through colorful glass is so dazzling. It reminds me of sea-glass or those old-fashioned little bottles you can put on a windowsill in the sunlight.

Just as important, the magnets themselves are quite strong. Wimpy magnets have no place in a serious fourth grade classroom! 🙂

Fourth grade reflection

I found this quote online in the Huffington post and had to create a poster out of it. Isn’t it wonderful? You can download it for free in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. In the download, there’s a link to the original article that is really worth a read for parents and teachers alike! (Recognize the magnet?)

Print this out and use them as discussion starters in school or at home mealtimes.

(My students are so versed in the importance of failure now, that when any of us — including me! — fails, we all applaud.)

Multiplication grids

Aren’t these stunning?? I downloaded these for free from Miss Jude Math. They are available in two sizes. I printed color versions for all the kids and used the glue gun to attach them to the inside cover of their math notebook. We have extra ones like this one below on hand to use with multiplication games or in getting ready for our weekly Multiplication Challenges.

Watercolors!

If you don’t mind a little mess, watercolors can bring magic to any fourth grade classroom. Great for arts integration, quiet times, or special projects!

Pretty mugs for storage

Do you have a cabinet in your fourth grade classroom dedicated to mugs you’ve received over the years? You can use these babies to store oddly shaped items, like these paintbrushes. And they really brighten up the room!

Crayon, marker, pencil organizer

This system changed my life. I dedicated a whole post to it because I never have to worry about crayons, markers, and pencils any more and I want every teacher to have that same luxury!

It was admittedly a little pricey when I first bought the items, but so worth it. I literally never touch this thing now. This picture was taken at the end of the school day and it always looks like this. The kids, without exception, put everything back where it belongs and neaten it up at the end of each day.

Plus it comes apart. So on days when everyone needs crayons, colored pencils, or markers, the kids can simply separate the levels and spread them out on the rug so everyone has equal access. Then, when we’re done, the kids stack them up again.

At the end of each year, I have the kids test out the markers and sharpen the colored pencils with this brand of sharpener.   (Colored pencils KILL electric sharpeners.)

They sharpen the crayons using crayon sharpeners, not the electric sharpener. They clean out the holders, then stack it all up and it’s ready for next year.

And my favorite electric sharpener? This baby. It’s the only one that lasts. And I’ve tried them all in fourteen years of teaching!)

The only thing I replace every now and then is markers, if we’re getting low. (We send our dried out markers here for recycling.) So this system actually prevents a lot of waste.

Where are We Sign

I put one child in charge of changing the Where are We sign, and boy does she do a good job. We just had an impromptu lesson outside and the adults that were looking for some of our kids were able to find us because of this. It’s been a lifesaver! This comes in several color schemes, so I can switch it up when the mood strikes!

Classroom Calendar

I love a gorgeous editable classroom calendar. Having so many students from different backgrounds, it lets me include all their holidays and has special birthday tags I can use as well! Plus I never have to hear, “What’s the date today?” I put students in charge of changing the date and the months. Easy!  I grabbed the lovely magnetic dividers here. 

Pails

The end of summer is a great time to get unusual holders. I picked up these pails for a song at an end-of-summer sale. They’re bright and unique enough to add some fun to station work. We just plonk in whatever materials are needed for a station — be it math, reading, social studies, etc — and suddenly the kids are viewing it as fun, just because it’s in a pail.

Plus you get a nifty handle. So it’s almost like a beach-purse.

Lamps

Our school mascot is the owl AND I read the first Harry Potter book aloud in the fall, so it was a necessary purchase. 🙂

I’m always on the lookout for more lamps, though, as they make a classroom feel much homier and safer.

I might buy this one next.

Spinner!

For years I’ve used my favorite spinner app to call on kids. It keeps them alert, knowing they could be called on shortly. And they just LOVE seeing their name on a spinner!

Later, I saw this actual physical spinner below on Amazon and put it on my teacher Amazon wishlist. (I put a link to my Amazon and Scholastic Book Club wishlists in the automatic signature of my work emails.) One morning, I came into our room to find a a large box leaned against my desk from one of my students’ parents. Inside was the spinner! (Wasn’t that so kind of them?)

That same day the kids put it together under my watchful eye, and we immediately put it to use!

How We Use It

When we transition from one activity to another, I time them with the Children’s Countdown app timer. I enable the ticking sound and leave the picture hidden until the end. If the kids can ALL transition by the allotted time, then a child gets to spin the spinner.

Next, whatever number the spinner lands on is the number of “jewels” they get to put into their Harry Potter House Cup. (ie. a cheap vase I wrote on with permanent marker.)

When we hit certain lines on the cup, the kids get a class-voted prize. (Movie, extra read-aloud time, extra recess, etc.)

This wheel has revolutionized their efficacy in transitioning to the next activity!

Beautiful Watercolor Signs

Below are watercolor rainbow locker tags and nametags that I use year after year. They look as good today as they did on the first day of school! 

These editable schedule cards  make me ridiculously happy every day. Sometimes the simplest things make us smile.

And these Daily Objectives cards make writing my daily goals a breeze. 

Math Mnemonics

Little tricks can be helpful in learning any content. These posters come in two sizes and are included in my fourth grade Multiplication Tests for Growth Mindset. (Learn about writing slam-dunk daily objectives at my post Learning Objectives and Goals that Aren’t Dull as Dishwater.)

I also use a fourth grade Math Word Wall that is, believe it or not, also a game. It comes with a set of colored cards for each child and serves as a simple math warm up. (Everything you need to get the game started in your room is included.)

Celebrating with Banners!

To mark the end of the year or a unit in our fourth grade classroom, it’s fun to decorate the room. Of course, as we teachers need to be efficient with our time, it’s best to have the students do the decorating! We’re at the tail end of our United States unit and soon we’ll get creating our United States pennants to hang up for the end-of-the-year celebration with the families.

Now It’s Your Turn!

Tell us in the comments below:

• What are the special ways you’ve made your fourth grade (or other grade) classroom feel like a home-away-from home?
• What ideas from here might you take to your own classroom?

Know a teacher who works too late? Want to send them time-saving tips? Then share this article with them on social media using the links up top.

Want more good stuff?

Click here and get “8 Ways to Create Lifelong Readers.”   Want your kids to love reading? In 8 easy steps, you’ll have a well-loved book haven in your classroom.

Visit my Teachers Pay Teachers Store and click on the green “Follow” star under the store name. You’ll get monthly messages and first dibs on ways to save time in your classroom.

Follow me on social media for daily ideas to get you out the door on time.

 

teacherspayteachers.com/…/Suburban-Snow-White

My fourth grade classroom houses some of my favorite things in the world. Obviously the students are my most favorite. But behind them are sparkles of magic that make my room feel oh-so-special.

You know when a professional development training is held in another teacher’s classroom? And it’s hard to pay attention because you’re so entranced with their decorations and systems? Perhaps you take pictures on the sly when the presenter isn’t looking because you want to try some of those goodies in your own room.

That’s what today’s post is. But there’s no teacher training. You just get to look and steal ideas to your heart’s content.

Glass Bubble Magnets

Aren’t these magnets gorgeous? They brighten up everything I hang up. Plus see-through colorful glass is so dazzling. It reminds me of sea-glass or those old-fashioned little bottles you can put on a windowsill in the sunlight.

Just as important, the magnets themselves are quite strong. Wimpy magnets have no place in a serious fourth grade classroom! 🙂

Fourth grade reflection

I found this quote online in the Huffington post and had to create a poster out of it. Isn’t it wonderful? You can download it for free in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. In the download, there’s a link to the original article that is really worth a read for parents and teachers alike! (Recognize the magnet?)

Print this out and use them as discussion starters in school or at home mealtimes.

(My students are so versed in the importance of failure now, that when any of us — including me! — fails, we all applaud.)

Multiplication grids

Aren’t these stunning?? I downloaded these for free from Miss Jude Math. They are available in two sizes. I printed color versions for all the kids and used the glue gun to attach them to the inside cover of their math notebook. We have extra ones like this one below on hand to use with multiplication games or in getting ready for our weekly Multiplication Challenges.

Watercolors!

If you don’t mind a little mess, watercolors can bring magic to any fourth grade classroom. This year, we had each child bring in her own set of watercolors. These were fun around Valentines Day, when we watercolored whole pieces of paper and then cut them up into hearts. (I bought a few backup sets during the August sales for any children who hadn’t the means to get their own watercolors.)

Pretty mugs for storage

Do you have a cabinet in your fourth grade classroom dedicated to mugs you’ve received over the years? You can use these babies to store oddly shaped items, like these paintbrushes. And they really brighten up the room!

Crayon, marker, pencil organizer

This system changed my life. I dedicated a whole post to it because I never have to worry about crayons, markers, and pencils any more and I want every teacher to have that same luxury! It was admittedly a little pricey when I first bought the items, but so worth it. I literally never touch this thing now. This picture was taken at the end of the school day and it always looks like this. The kids, without exception, put everything back where it belongs and neaten it up at the end of each day.

Plus it comes apart. So on days when everyone needs crayons, colored pencils, or markers, the kids can simply separate the levels and spread them out on the rug so everyone has equal access. Then, when we’re done, the kids stack them up again. At the end of each year, I have the kids test out the markers and sharpen the colored pencils with this brand of sharpener.   (Colored pencils KILL electric sharpeners.) They sharpen the crayons using crayon sharpeners, not the electric sharpener. They clean out the holders, then stack it all up and it’s ready for next year. (By the way, my favorite electric sharpener? This baby. It’s the only one that lasts. And I’ve tried them all in fourteen years of teaching!)

The only thing I replace every now and then is markers, if we’re getting low. (We send our dried out markers here for recycling.) So this system actually prevents a lot of waste.

My system for organizing markers, crayons, and colored pencils was an investment but well worth it. It’s one of the best classroom management strategies I’ve implemented.[/caption]

Where are We Sign

I put one child in charge of changing the Where are We sign, and boy does she do a good job. We just had an impromptu lesson outside and the adults that were looking for some of our kids were able to find us because of this. It’s been a lifesaver! This comes in several color schemes, so I can switch it up when the mood strikes!

Pails

The end of summer is a great time to get unusual holders. I picked up these pails for a song at Michaels at their end-of-summer sale. They’re bright and unique enough to add some fun to station work. We just plonk in whatever materials are needed for a station — be it math, reading, social studies, etc — and suddenly the kids are viewing it as fun, just because it’s in a pail.

Plus you get a nifty handle. So it’s almost like a beach-purse.

Lamps

Our school mascot is the owl AND I always read the first Harry Potter book aloud in the fall, so it was a necessary purchase. 🙂

I’m always on the lookout for more lamps, though, as they make a classroom feel much homier and safer. (I might buy this one next.)

Spinner!

For years I’ve used my favorite spinner app to call on kids. It keeps them alert, knowing they could be called on shortly. And they just LOVE seeing their name on a spinner!

Later, I saw this actual physical spinner below on Amazon and put it on my teacher Amazon wishlist. (I put a link to my Amazon and Scholastic Book Club wishlists in the automatic signature of my work emails.) One morning, I came into our room to find a a large box leaned against my desk from one of my students’ parents. Inside was the spinner! (Wasn’t that so kind of them?)

That same day the kids put it together under my watchful eye, and we immediately put it to use!

How We Use It

When we transition from one activity to another, I time them with the Children’s Countdown app timer. I enable the ticking sound and leave the picture hidden until the end. If the kids can ALL transition by the allotted time, then a child gets to spin the spinner.

 

 Next, whatever number the spinner lands on is the number of “jewels” they get to put into their Harry Potter House Cup. (ie. a cheap vase I wrote on with permanent marker.)

When we hit certain lines on the cup, the kids get a class-voted prize. (Movie, extra read-aloud time, extra recess, etc.)This wheel has revolutionized their efficacy in transitioning to the next activity!

Beautiful Watercolor Signs

Below are watercolor rainbow locker tags and nametags that I use year after year. They look as good today as they did on the first day of school! These editable schedule cards  make me ridiculously happy every day. Sometimes the simplest things make us smile. And these Daily Objectives cards make writing my daily goals a breeze. 

 

Math Mnemonics

Little tricks can be helpful in learning any content. These posters come in two sizes and are included in my fourth grade Multiplication Tests for Growth Mindset. (Learn about writing slam-dunk daily objectives at my post Learning Objectives and Goals that Aren’t Dull as Dishwater.)

I also use a fourth grade Math Word Wall that is, believe it or not, also a game. It comes with a set of colored cards for each child and serves as a simple math warm up. (Everything you need to get the game started in your room is included.)

Celebrating with Banners!

To mark the end of the year or a unit in our fourth grade classroom, it’s fun to decorate the room. Of course, as we teachers need to be efficient with our time, it’s best to have the students do the decorating! We’re at the tail end of our United States unit and soon we’ll get creating our United States pennants to hang up for the end-of-the-year celebration with the families.

 

Now It’s Your Turn!

Tell us in the comments below:

• What are the special ways you’ve made your fourth grade (or other grade) classroom feel like a home-away-from home?
• What ideas from here might you take to your own classroom?

Know a teacher who works too late? Want to send them time-saving tips? Then share this article with them on social media using the links up top.

Want more good stuff?

Click here and get “8 Ways to Create Lifelong Readers.”   Want your kids to love reading? In 8 easy steps, you’ll have a well-loved book haven in your classroom.

Visit my Teachers Pay Teachers Store and click on the green “Follow” star under the store name. You’ll get monthly messages and first dibs on ways to save time in your classroom. Follow me on social media for daily ideas to get you out the door on time.