Classroom Library REDO!

My "summer" project was going to be my classroom library. Last year when I got my job in second grade there was just enough time to get my room ready and then get plans ready. No time to try to go the extra mile. My classroom library was full-to-the-max thanks to a wonderful retired teacher who left a mountain of books plus all my own books I added to the shelves. They were already sorted by AR levels so I just left it that way and went about my business! 

I quickly realized that "shopping" for books as a student in a super crammed shelf was really not the best way to find a book that was interesting. I could never find a book I needed because I never had any idea where in the world it was. So my "summer" project was decided--sort library into bins! That "summer" project became two weeks before school project. Whoooooops! OH well! It worked out because, drum roll please, it doubled as a Masters homework assignment! Booya! 

Here's the library before:

And here's the after. Ooooo Ahhhh....amiright?

Here's the bins close up. The labels all have pictures to make it even easier to figure out what's in the bins! 

The next project is to take the pictures from the labels and to shrink them, print on labels, and stick on the corner of each book (basically make a sticker out of each picture). That way kiddos have no reason not to know which bin a book goes in. Until then there is a Lost Books bin they can put their books in if they don't know where to return it to! Hopefully that will minimize books being put in wrong bins! 

Ok, three days until Teacher Institutes, and I still have some things to do in my room. But I am so excited to get back to it! It's been so good seeing coworkers already :) And I'm excited for my new group of kids and a new year!

Mrs. Strunga :)