The Moffatt Girls Classroom!
I am SO excited to finally be able to share some photos of our classroom with you!
This classroom has been a labor of LOVE and something we have been working on for quite some time. Although the space is small and the ideas are simple, this is the classroom of my dreams.
Nearly everything in this room was built and made by The Moffatt Man!
I feel very thankful to have a husband who can make such beautiful things!
This built in bookcase stores all of our daily teaching resources.
The top part of the bookcase allows me to quickly access our resources throughout the day. Instead of searching and wasting time looking for something that I need, everything is right there and ready to use.
All of those bright and beautiful containers can be found at The Container Store!
I could probably live in an all white house, but our classroom needs a POP of color.
I used orange, yellow, blue and green containers to help organize our resources.
The orange containers are math resources and supplies.
Each box has designated items so that I know where to find everything.
I have containers for math games, base ten manipulatives, math facts, shelves for our NO PREP math worksheets, and containers with different manipulatives.
This color coded organization allows me to know exactly where to find each subject.
Although the subjects for each color stays the same, I am constantly changing the resources and supplies in the containers. For example, if you take a look at the picture above with the treasure chest, you will see a box labeled “Math Games”. I have a TON of fun math games that we use and I change these out every week or two.
This allows me to make sure that I am using all of the fun resources that we have.
If I can’t see it, I won’t use it.
The yellow boxes below are for our “Reading Resources.”
We have a lot fun things in there that I need quick and easy access to. I have times like a magnifying glass, reading games, dice, paperclips for spinners, a mini boggle word game and more.
Since I use play-doh a lot, I keep a box ready to go.
This is part of our Ready2Read supplies and you can read more about that {HERE}.
That post will also show what is inside that box.
I also use stickers quite a bit, so I have a designated box just for stickers!
The girls know exactly where to find their math, reading, history, science, art supplies, handwriting, writing, and craft supplies because it is all color coordinated.
They girls also know that they are EXPECTED to put things back.
I have labeled all of our boxes so that they know exactly where to put each item.
It is EASY to keep the space organized when everything has a specific space.
My moto: “Everything has a place and everything goes in its place”.
On the bottom part of the bookcase, The Moffatt Man built cupboards so I can store all of the extra resources that we use. We have math games, reading games, puzzles, science supplies and more underneath. This keeps me organized and I am able to easily grab what I need.
I pull resources from these cabinets to stock the game section above.
On the right side of the cabinet are blue and green containers.
These containers store things that we use on a weekly basis. We have kinetic sand, paints, craft supplies, history supplies, science resources and spanish resources.
Our Polka Dot Labels are available here:
This is probably my FAVORITE piece in our school room.
The Moffatt Man picked this old school street sign up at a flea market a couple of years ago.
LOVE this!
One of my favorite features about our classroom is the dutch door.
We live in Southern California and we get a lot of sunshine. I open then door, which leads to our backyard, on a daily basis. It give us fresh air and lots of natural light.
When it “recess time”, I just open the door!
Here is a picture of our history space.
It is pretty simple, but something we refer to constantly. We have The World Map, a map of the United States and cards for each of the presidents (which we are currently working on).
Next to the whiteboard, I have our Fluency Strips. You can read more about our Fluency Strips {HERE}.
I placed them on hooks low enough for easy access since we also use these on a daily basis.
When we are done working on a set, we just put them right back!
It’s organized, it’s ready to go, and they the girls know exactly where they go.
This is our whiteboard.
I LOVE this whiteboard and use it all the time!
Since my 2nd Grader is working on parts of speech, I placed these posters right above the whiteboard. I certainly don’t plan to keep them up all year long, but will replace them with another important learning piece once we have mastered these parts of speech.
I picked up this magnetic whiteboard for about $100 at Staples .
The shelf on the bottom of the whiteboard was custom made by The Moffatt Man to hold our erasers, pointing sticks and dry erase markers.
I LOVE this little caddy!
I picked up this magnetic container from The Container Store…of course!
This keeps all of our dry erase markers in one space! I know where they are and where to find them!
I also LOVE to label things, so I stick our labels on everything!
Labels bring a cohesive feel to a room and tell everyone exactly what belongs in that space!
On the right side of our whiteboard is my pocket chart.
I primarily use the pocket chart for our Ready2Read word family cards, but I also use it for other things.
This is our table!
I LOVE this table!
Custom built by The Moffatt Man, this table is large enough for all three of us to work together.
I didn’t want individual desks with separate spaces. I wanted one large desk that would allow us to work together in one space. Since I sit at the end of the desk, I can reach over and help both girls as they are working.
At first I thought I wanted a white table, but our white tables get marked up and dirty looking pretty quickly. The Moffatt Man suggested quarter sawn oak, since that is what they used in old schoolrooms. I am so glad we didn’t go with white! I LOVE how the wood brings a warm feeling to our white room.
The chairs are from Crate and Barrel.
This little caddy from The Land of Nod helps keep us organized!
We use these supplies DAILY! This caddy make them easy to access and to put back!
This simple caddy keeps our space clean and tidy.
In our caddy we have:
*Markers
*Shapes
*Glue Sticks/scissors/hole punch
*Colored pencils
On the left of the bookcase I have our trash can, which I also picked up from The Container Store.
Underneath the trash can is a box that saved my sanity!
In this box, I store all of our paperwork.
Everything that the girls do on a monthly basis gets stored in this box at the end of each month.
In this box, I store all of our paperwork.
Everything that the girls do on a monthly basis gets stored in this box at the end of each month.
You can read more about this {HERE}.
When you walk into our classroom, this bookcase is directly on the left.
I use this space to organize most of our Ready2Read resources and supplies.
Be sure to read more about how we organize Ready2Read {HERE}.
This bookcase is from Pottery Barn Kids.
These containers (from non other than The Container Store),
hold all of our Ready2Read resources and more.
They are super easy to access and ready to use.
If I am unorganized and wasting time trying to find something, then our day is less effective!
We get less learning done and everyone feels frustrated…especially me!
If we need dot markers, I just grab them.
If we need construction paper or lined paper, it’s right there!
I try to keep our classroom looking as clutter free as possible, but I also want our resources to be accessible. I placed our Sight Word Tablets on the hooks of the end cap of our Ready2Read bookcase.
Just grab and go! If I didn’t have a specific place for them, they would end up in a pile somewhere and we wouldn’t use them.
Once we master all of our sight words, I can easily place something else on these hooks.
In order to keep our room effective, I need to always rethink things.
If it doesn’t work, I’m not afraid to change it.
If it is no longer effective, we redo it.
This is our Ready2Read Word Wall!
We have a designated space for Ready2Read because it is our core reading curriculum!
The littlest Moffatt Girl refers to her Sight Word Caterpillar and Word Family Garden words all of the time! We read and review on a daily basis! We need access to this space, which is why we have a designated spot for Ready2Read.
That about wraps up the tour of our classroom!
Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by!
Annie
It's absolutely beautiful Annie. I could never keep a room that white with three little boys, but you have such a wonderful space for those little Moffatt girls to learn. Thanks for sharing this part of your home.
Marsha
A Differentiated Kindergarten
Beautiful!
Jennifer
This is beautiful! Organization is so key with not wasting time. I'm totally an out-of-sight-out-of-mind person. I love the colored organizers in the white space. – Lisa
WOW! Fresh, clean, and beautiful!! Who wouldn't want to learn in that environment??? 🙂
So cute!!!! Love it all!
Ahhhhhh! Such a vision of loveliness. It's just perfect! Thanks for allowing us inside your beautiful classroom.
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!!
I just love you! What a perfect learning place!
I love the door!!! Your classroom is gorgeous. Your girls are lucky to learn in such a beautiful space with such a genius mom!
Lauren
I love this space! It is a visual dream:). Just beautiful!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your little classroom Annie…keeping things organized and in their place is a slight (OCD) passion of mine! LOL You've done a fantastic job!!!Love & Hugs, Victoria♥
I love this!:)
Annie, I LOVE it- makes me want to homeschool.
I would love to see a picture of your office!
So, so beautiful!! Thank you for sharing. I am homeschooling my two older kids this year (first year!), and your resources have been so helpful. My kids love them! Thank you so much!! I am so thankful I found your products!!
I LOVE this space!!!! The door is fantastic & everything is so nice!!!
Very nice! Helpful hint: turn your dry erase markers inside down (cap down) and they will last longer and write better. 🙂
Upside down. … silly phone changed that
It's absolutely perfect, Annie! I love all the pops of color! Your girls are lucky to have such a talented mommy and crafty daddy!
Ashley
One Sharp Bunch
Everything is so clean and bright, with just the right degree of color! Thank you for sharing your beautiful classroom with us!
Annie, the classroom you have created is absolutely stunning! What a warm atmosphere for your daughters to learn in every day (and super organized to boot!) I also LOVE the door to the outside. Thank you so much for sharing!
-Jillian
The Starr Spangled Planner
Your school room is just stunning. I love the old school and modern mix. Everything looks so organized and ready to go. I just love it ALL.
Emma 🙂
Thank you for sharing the pictures!!! I love it!! I wish I lived close to a Container Store!
What a beautiful space to learn! Your girls are very lucky indeed. Thanks for taking us on a tour!
I am in awe and I want to come see it in real life!! WOWZA!
Beautiful!
looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove!
Beautiful, thank you for sharing!
Wow! I am looking for the pastel colored storage containers from container store but can't find them. Can you help me? Thanks, Michele
glassyglen@morrisbb.net
That looks amazing!! You make me want to homeschool. haha! I could live in that classroom. So clean and inviting! I love it!
Your school room is adorable. I love the container store too! I could live in that store!
This is so beautiful! I hope that I get to homeschool one day!!!
Danielle Ann
DanielleAnn
I think k it was Piet Mondrian who had turned to having all white home by the end of his artistic career !!! I love white too –since you have two girls I think it's neat you used other colors besides pink and purple — I'm kind of guilty of using those too much bc I like them 😉 beautiful environment you've created for your girls and inspiring !!!
I love it!! So pretty and my organized lovin-heart is just in heaven. I love all the colors you used. AND I love the dutch door. ***perfection*** xoxo, April
Nice.really2 inspired me to make a better one for my kids
Nice.really2 inspired me to make a better one for my kids
This is a lovely place to learn! I love the dutch door and everything else, can I please be in your classroom? 🙂
Can you please let me know what's the size of your whiteboard? Also, where did you buy it from? I'm looking for a nice sized whiteboard that won't break the bank.
Thanks,
Lynn
Such a lovely classroom!
Q- where can i find the word family garden?
Thank you!
anne
this room is so perfect. can you share aprox what is the size? we have an option of adding on an 11*11 sized room and i'm wondering if it's big enough. thnaks.
thanks
Just wanted you to know that I love your classroom! I am doing a blog post at http://girlfriendsguide2.com on homeschool organization for my "Back to School-Get Ready" series and I included your room linking it to you. I hope that's ok:) Have a blessed day! Sincerely, Tera Bare
Just wanted you to know that I love your classroom! I am doing a blog post at http://girlfriendsguide2.com on homeschool organization for my "Back to School-Get Ready" series and I included your room linking it to you. I hope that's ok:) Have a blessed day! Sincerely, Tera Bare
I am so jealous of your schoolroom Great Job
Hello, I just have to say that my daughter has been using your ready2read program and is just loving it and excelling. Shes 4 and is picking it up so fast. I keep checking back to see all the new thing that your posting and selling. I love your classroom and need some organizing and this gives me an idea as how to start. I noticed you have a talking globe do you like it was it worth the money? anyways.. Thank you Thank you for all the info you post I am new to all this and it really makes learning in our home fun and colorful. 🙂
What a beautiful space! It is light and airy but feels full of energy too!
Does the Container Store still carry those color coded bins? I could not find them online, do they have a name or keyword I could use to search for them?
I absolutely love your classroom, you are very organized and I love the color coded idea. Just wondering, where did you get the parts of speech posters?
Thanks!
This is really beautiful. I cannot imagine a better classroom than this. I wish I could have a homeschool classroom like this for my kids. Thanks for sharing and inspiring us to make a beautiful classroom.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Ashley! It is a very small space, but we love it!
Annie
This is really beautiful.
What a beautiful space! It is light and airy but feels full of energy too!
This is amazing! We have a small space as well dedicated to homeschool our 2 daughters. We are currently trying to design it for the upcoming school year as we’ve just finished building the house { instagram.com/rollingbrookfarms }. We are looking for a small table/desk for it. Did you guys custom build yours? Maybe I missed that in your description, but I just love it and would love to find something like that! Thank you again for sharing! This has given me a lot of inspiration!
Hi Candice!
Sorry for the late response! Yes, the Moffatt man made my school-room table for me. He’s one of a kind!
-Annie
HI: I know these photos are several years old but I just discovered them. Your school room is beautiful in so many ways, very jealous. I really like your posters and information you have for the presidents . Do you remember where you got them?
This will be my first year homeschooling… so nervous that I wont be organized and creative enough to keep my almost 3 yr old and almost 5 yr old excited about learning.
P.S. I love the container store too.. After seeing your post I went and bought all there colorful container. They no longer carry the paper trays or magazine holders in Texas. Still searching for something that will work ..
Hi Tracy!
Thank you for your sweet words! It’s been quite a while since I purchased those posters, but I think that I got them from Lakeshore Learning. Good luck with everything! Try not to be too overwhelmed. Just take one day at a time. You’re going to love homeschooling!
Kindly,
Annie
Awesome job creating such a calm environment for your girls. Kudos!,,
Hi Vicki,
Thank you so much for your sweet comment! I hope you find this post helpful!
Kindly,
Annie
I am so glad I got to catch a glimpse of this gorgeous room! Wow!! (I did notice you used the word waisting instead of wasting in the beginning of your article. I know how picky people can be of homeschoolers. I like it when people point out my mistakes. I hope you don’t mind. 😬)
You are super talented. I am going to copy some of these ideas!! Thank you.
Could you please tell me where you got your white board? Thank you.
Love your school sign! Where did you get that?
Your homeschool classroom is beautiful! I am a big fan of white furniture as well in the house :). I have a similar background to you (teacher background) and am considering homeschooling in the future. Your homeschool set-up is certainly inspiring and motivating for me. Thanks for sharing :).