I'm sticking with what I have next year - the jungle theme. I had it a few years ago, then switched to 2 other themes (tie-dye and Mississippi), but I went back to jungle this year and I really like it. It's easy to find items for it, and we study Africa so it fits in well.
Every year our school adopts a new theme. This year it was a race car theme. Next year we are having a sports theme. Each grade will pick a different sport--baseball, hockey, football, basketball--my grade has selected track.
It was teh first time I did a theme and I enjoyed it soooo much! I am going to change it up for next year. I figure after a few years I will have all the "stuff" for a bunch of a themes. Good Luck.
I did a NASCAR theme this year since I am really into NASCAR. The kids loved it and it really helped them get to know about me.
Hokie Fan---my theme is mostly just a uniformed way to decorate my room. My tables were "pits crews" and each had a number. All of my borders were black and white gingham...my table incentive chart had racecars to earn for points, my calendar (homemade) was black and white checkered and the dates were on NASCAR printed paper (kids loved that). It is a lot of fun.
For next year, I purchased some other things to use (sunflowers, frogs) but I love the racing so much I don't know what I am going to do!
This year I did a ocean/beach theme. I loved it! I am definitley going to add to it next year. I have my computer area- get caught up in the net. My room is shaped weird so it is hard for me to have areas, but I am planning on trying to fit them in better next year. I have my kids in groups and they picked an ocean animal as their group name. Their binders are called FISH folders (family involvement starts here).
I also did a "Racing to Success" theme in my room. So many of the ideas in my room came from the amazing teachers here at Proteacher last summer.
* Job Board = Ms. X's Pit Crew
* We did the Great Postcard Race and got postcards from classrooms all over the world.
* I have car and road sign themed bulletin boards
* Checkerd flag pennants hanging across the room.
* A welcome race fans sign outside the door
* Student of the Week = Driver of the Week
I'm sure there's other things we do that I'm just not thinking of right now. I've got summeritis pretty bad!
I do the ocean/beach theme too. I have every year. It's a very easy theme for me since we live near the beach.
-Team names are ocean animals
-Job chart is a big octopus
-Fish hanging from the ceilings
-FISH binder
-table clothes
-Flag outside my door
-Fishing net to hang the kids work in the hallway
This year I did popcorn. I have also done smiley faces. I just recently found some foam cutouts of sunglasses and am thinking of using these as my next theme.
I do a star theme. You can change the overall message but still use the same stuff i.e. Star students, reach for the stars, outer space, americana etc.
This was my first year for a theme. I loved the the colorful fish and sea creatures. My behavior chart area is called Behavior Bay. I will probably use the same theme next year. There are other teachers that have themes on my hallway. One teacher has a jungle theme and their saying is "wild about 3rd grade" and another teacher has turtles and their slogan is "turtlely great third grade," my partner has a cowboy theme and they are R_____' s ropers. There were so many other themes on my hallway that I couldn't be outdone. I had to join in on the fun!!!
I've done a NASCAR theme the last two years. When I started I wrote to LOTS of racetracks and told them who I was, where I was from, and what I was doing. They all seemed really excited and were very generous with donations. I got posters, flags, pencils, notebooks, etc. And the best part was...it was all FREE!!!
One of our themes this year is Ocean so I am launching the pirate theme. It was a no brainer lots of bulletin board sets for the ocean came with treasure chests. The devil made me do it. Will be looking for more educational tie ins but have found lots of K-1 math center games and floor puzzles with ocean and pirate themes. I already have a huge collection of trade books.
My library corner title theme will be "Discover the treasures in a books."
My math meeting wall has a black background and gold scalloped borders. We will be counting gold doubloons and straws
Could use some more ocean/pirate BB titles.
Classroom jobs: Captain's Crew
Thanks to PT I've 'discovered' lots of resources for this rich theme.
I found Captain Jack Sparrow's image on a cereal box so I even have his weary bones holding the job chart.
Payed a visit to Vistaprint and have begun to personalize the them even more with the temptations there.
Need to go and get my house shipshape now!
Have a great day.
bonnybelle... even sounds like a pirate's name eh????
We do a baseball theme in our fourth grade. We are very fortunate to have 2 major baseball teams in Chicago. I am a Sox fan and my teaching partner is a Cubs fan. It makes for some very friendly rivalries between our two classes.
05-15-2007, 07:38 PM
I had to join in on the fun!!!
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