Interest Tables

There seems to be a school of thought that when students reach a certain grade (for some, as low as grade 3 or 4), that they should be seated at their desk (usually in rows) all day. The classrooms of teachers who think along these lines tend to be barren - no classroom library, little work of the children on display. To these teachers I must ask: whose room is it anyway?

I'm a firm believer in reading stories to the class. I've been reading novels, picture books, and graphic novels to the class this past year. All the kids pile on the carpet. I don't mind if they are sprawled out, or braiding each other's hair. As long as they're listening. 

Next year, I will have a straight grade 5 class and for once, I will have less than 30 kids. I want the room to be better organized and even more student-friendly. An instructional leader recommended the book Spaces and Places to me this week. It's a book about different ways to arrange your class. I've set up a few interest tables this year. Children like them and sometimes students will bring in objects to add to our collection. We've been studying rocks and minerals. Below, find some pictures of our interest table that includes rocks and minerals given to me by my father, and some pieces I scooped up at a garage sale in St. Catharines. Yes, you can find just about anything at a yard sale. You do have to spend money to have an interesting, literature-rich classroom. You just don't need to spend a lot.