With our growing lower school, my middle school program had to move from one large classroom into two smaller spaces at the opposite end of the school.  A larger pre-school program means more children for our upper school.  But, as any teacher will tell you, moving your entire classroom and its contents is no easy task.

On top of that, I had to put two years of curriculum for every subject I teach (language arts; history – world, American, South Carolina; math – Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1 and 2, Geometry; Chinese; science – physical and biological, and practical life) somewhere in that space.  All while leaving room for eight teenagers to move around.  Phew!

My motto became when life hands you some nice lemons, make lemonade!  I re-imagined the space, and with some help from friends, the local thrift shops, and creativity, succeeded in creating a welcoming environment.

The video below is a slide-show of my classroom and its contents.  As a Montessori Middle School teacher, I am a generalist.  I have a cultural area for history and science.  My language arts and math books are in another room where we have created a library and work space.  This year, we are focusing on biological science and using the Estuary 101 curriculum I received from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (see my week-long post from the Salt Marsh STEAM experiences).

I maximized floor space with three small tables, and kept the wood as light as possible to make the space seem larger.  I used natural wood and table decorations to infuse the classroom with vitality and nature.  I kept familiar items (student mementos) so that they would have a continuum from the old space.  I added some inspirational messages for the front door so the teens would feel hopeful as they walked into the room.

Overall, I am pleased with the outcome.  The students and parents who visited last week enjoyed it too.  I look forward to the exciting things we will be doing as we study our beautiful island ecosystem and study global peace through our Model United Nations projects.

Peace, Sarah