Classroom Work Day #1

I FINALLY got to work in my classroom today since (of course) they weren't finished cleaning it until Friday.  I was there for about 4 hours, and here's what I accomplished:

BEFORE:

Sigh.

View from the door.

Looking to the left as you enter room.

Reader's Beach (Classroom Library)

Computers/my desk area

Front of room/Smartboard

HUGE. MESS.

This was how my bulletin board looked.  Well, it actually had stuff on it during the year, haha.
But anyway, I took it ALL down and will start from scratch with new black fabric tomorrow.  YAY!

Anyone else have 8 billion staples all over your carpet/floor?
I use these hardcore magnet hooks to pick them up quickly.  :)

See?  Works like a charm.

OK, now for the AFTER pics.  Please keep in mind, I am not close to being done AT ALL.  :)

Moved ALL the furniture.  Ugh.

The cubbies with open doors are the ones I still need to "unpack."
And of course the back counter is still full of crap useful teaching tools.

My sad, empty bulletin board.  That's my black fabric draped across the desks.
I hoped maybe some of the wrinkles would fall out by tomorrow.  :)

Changed my desk area.  Got rid of an extra table and turned my desk so it wasn't right
smack dab in the middle of the room.  Not sure if it'll work.  Time will tell.

Now I have no idea where to put my book display.

My new classroom library!  Sort of.  Not quite finished, but I do like my black baskets.
The shelf on the left holds our book boxes for Daily 5.

I'll post another update after tomorrow! My cousin is coming to help me, whoo hoo!  It's an annual tradition for her to come up, and she's the decorating/cutesy brains of the operation, so I'm excited.  I think she'll like all the things I've been making to go with my new color scheme.

Does it drive you nuts when you have a hodge podge of all kinds of different shelves that don't match?  It's driving me nuts.  But what to do?  I thought about spray painting them, but that would require a lot of extra effort, and let's face it, we've all got enough to do w/o recreating the wheel (anymore than I already have).  ???

OK, peace out.