3rd Grade Classroom Tour

Every year in early August I head to my classroom. I like having my classroom completely setup by the time in-services start. Then I can focus on planning instruction rather than all the set up I need to do.

After four years teaching second grade, I’ll be teaching third grade this year. Once I found out I was changing grades I decided to refresh the decorative theme in my classroom.

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Classroom Colors

For the past four years I’ve had a pastel hot air balloon theme. You can read all about it and how I used white IKEA accents here. To be efficient and save money I wanted to keep the same colors, storage, and furniture elements for my new theme.

I’m a big believer in the value of having a calm, uncluttered, and balanced learning space. Colors are very integral to creating a calm room. So the colors for my classroom continue to be light brown, soft yellow, blue and green.

Classroom Theme

Once I decided to change my theme I did a lot of research on various third grade classroom designs. I was blown away by Laura’s classroom and was inspired to put my twist on the mountain theme she created. I used some of the same products and am so grateful Laura shared all the details of how she designed such an inspiring learning space.

My Mountain Mural

To create the mountain mural on my wall I used heavy duty cardboard and cut it into large triangles. I attached the mountains to the wall using one very small (1/8 in) nail per mountain. Using white card-stock I cut snow to top all of the mountains. Finally, to finish the mountains I placed leaf and green scalloped border to add more color and texture.

Above the mountains I mounted cardboard clouds and yellow or blue party fans to balance the scene.

Additionally, in strategic places along the rest of the wall I hung more clouds and party fans.

Creating a light and bright classroom

One of the primary ways I have worked to create a calm classroom is through the use of white and light brown in addition to the pastels yellow and blue.

All of my bulletin boards are covered with white fabric. It has lasted years. I also have a large double door cabinet that I covered in shiplap wallpaper. Since the mountains are light brown, (made of cardboard) I incorporated jute twine draped with clothes pins on the boards to tie the brown together. I plan to hang student exemplars and art work from the jute twine.

Overall it is vitally important to me that my students feel their classroom is a learning space where they are free to create and imagine. As the icing on the cake I have added a few signs and inspirational messages throughout the classroom too.

You can shop several of the elements in my classroom here:

Blue Paper Fans 2. Paper Mache Letters 3. Green Scallops 4. Leaf Border 5. Jute Twine 6. Yellow Paper Fans 7. White Storage Baskets 8. Wreath 9. Felt Pom Garland 10. Shiplap Wallpaper

I’m so excited to welcome a new group of students to my classroom this fall and have loved refreshing my classroom with this mountain design. I loved how Laura created a beautiful self-directed classroom with her Mountain theme. I can’t wait to welcome the first third grade student into my breezy mountain theme.