[Maestra]

Help! I am running out of room for all my books!!
I am sitting in the basement going through the mountains of books I have here at home. I am wondering how others organize and manage their books when they have a small classroom.

On the bookshelves, I have most all of my student books....the A.R. books and others that students help themselves to.

But what to do with the books I use for different subject areas, holidays, books grouped by authors, and those that I use to go with each of the 6 units in our reading series? I don't want these books necessarily mixed in with the general population, but I am running out of room in the class and at home.

In years past I have lugged groups of books back and forth as needed. Not too difficult for the holiday and unit books, but doesn't allow for much spontaneity with my other books.

Any suggestions? Anyone else have this problem? I get so jealous sometimes when I look at people's pictures of their classrooms with sofas and loveseats and reading corners. I work in a building that is 80+ years old and my classroom is a small old-fashioned rectangle. I must fit 25+ kids at large tables for 2, 3 computers, file cabinets etc. I don't have much closet space at all. I do have 5 small bookcases, 1 of which is used for my textbooks and supplemental materials.

[MaddieC]

Maestra,

You and I must have cloned classroom. Facing the same problem with the same shade of green (envy).

I've got a half-way weather-proof shed at home. I store my overstock there. I just cycle books in and out during the year. Store them in small tubs to make them easier to move.

BTW check your private messages. At least now I know where you've been the last couple of hours.

Maddie

[hescollin]

Have you seen the rain cutter book shelves that they put under the chalk and white boards.

[ecsmom]

I'm back in K after 5 yrs in upper elem. All my K books have been in my attic. I'm going to put the ones I use with units into folders with the other materials for the unit and put them in a file cabinet in chronilogical order. I just hope I have enough drawer space in the cabinets.

[linda2671]

My son worked for a company that put up rain gutters. He brought a scrap piece home for me to put in my classroom. They come in several different colors, and you can put them in rows if you want. A piece about the length of your chalkboard would probably run around 10 or 12 dollars. Some places might be persuaded to give you scrap pieces if you ask them nicely. I just have the one piece under my chalkboard. I don't have enough wall space to put up more.

[dolmansaxlil]

My friend who teaches grade 1 does the exact same thing as ecsmom talked about. It works for her - she's been using that system for years!