Extreme Makeover Classroom Edition

Teacher Leaders preparing for the Classroom Makeover Reveal

MOVE THAT BUS!  This familiar phrase from the TV home makeover show took on a new meaning at Wilkins Elementary last week.  While teachers had a work day to complete report forms and curriculum work, a task force of teacher leaders whisked into a kindergarten classroom to tackle interior design and maximize classroom space.

This makeover was the brain child of Carol Kesl, elementary mentor coach.  After working with first and second year teachers the first quarter of the year she decided to host a drawing and surprise one first year teacher with a classroom makeover.  Her budget was small.  In fact it was $0. So Carol relied on the generosity of her fellow teachers to donate items and money toward the project.  Carol, hosted the drawing at a monthly book club meeting she hosts for first year teachers and then met with the lucky recipient to discuss ideas, themes, and what the teacher wanted help with.  The lucky recipient was Molly Wickham, kindergarten teacher at Wilkins Elementary.  Molly was fortunate to be a last minute hire, the first week that Linn-Mar opened for classes this fall.  This was exciting, but Molly didn't have the time before school started to set up her classroom completely the way she envisioned.  Winning this drawing was a fun way to perk up her classroom and give her time to complete other tasks on her work day, such as report forms, and lesson planning.

Kindergarten Classroom Before and During

Many hands do make light work.  Put eight teacher leaders in a room for seven and a half hours and what you get is a freshly cleaned, organized, and spectacular room.  These eight veteran teachers were able to help this first year teacher clearly define learning and working spaces, find creative uses for nooks and crannies in her classroom, layout teacher materials in key areas, and put away non-essential items for later use.  It has been said that sometimes we don't know what we don't know, and having an extra set of hands and eyes, to help us figure it out is sometimes all we need.

Kindergarten Classroom After

Teacher Leader Makeover Team

Below you will find a link to a video of the day's events created by two of our Technology Integration Coaches.  We hope to make this classroom makeover idea a permanent piece of the mentor program each year.  Our mentor coaches are looking into securing some funding sources to help keep this in place as well as to grow the plan.  Wouldn't it be nice to complete a classroom makeover for each level:  elementary, middle, and high school?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_MCovY-GFc&feature=youtu.be