Personally, I think having as little to no dead space in a classroom would be ideal. My classroom was built in 1950 and was not set up to house as many items or children as it does today. With this, I knew that something had to give in order to provide my students with the learning opportunities that I had in mind for them. To maximize space, I build my classroom around the focus of our learning centers. I teach kindergarten and center time is crucial during the day. My students get the majority of their hands on practice during reading and math rotations, so I want them to be comfortable and enjoy this time. I've utilized the four corners of my room for centers and use furniture to create dividers as much as possible. My center locations do not move - they're labeled areas and my center buckets correspond with the location. Within these areas, I've implemented flexible seating because ... Read More about Center Space

It's said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but I find it the most difficult to actually consume. In the mornings, there never seems to be enough time - no matter what time I wake up. I tend to grab a breakfast bar and eat it in the car. An hour later, I find myself still super hungry and counting down the hours until lunch time -- which is at 12:40!! This year, I've set a goal to eat a "real" breakfast at least 3 days per week. By "real", I just mean substantial. Often, I allow the amount of time breakfast takes to stand in my way because I have to be at work by 7:30am, but I've thought of some quick and easy breakfast options for singles or families on the go. Items like: fruit, yogurt, and smoothies are fast on the fly. But, pancakes, hard-boiled eggs, and a quiche can be pre-made and stored in the fridge for up to three days! Sunday brunch is totally my jam. ... Read More about Back to School Breakfast