Classroom Reveal: Monthly Storage

I posted a photo in my classroom back in September and I got a lot of questions about my monthly storage in the back of my classroom. This is what the monthly storage section looks like:

 

This is the photo I shared that sparked all the interest:

 

I use two different sets of tubs. I have talked a lot about the Sterilite 6 qt. containers. Those are perfect to store the monthly task boxes from Especially Education when not in use. The labels come from her shop. The larger tubs are also Sterilite and absolutely perfect. They can hold a lot of file folders and adapted books and have a lockable lid that ensures it does not spill open. I use the free labels from Teaching Special Thinkers to label each tote.

 

Please note, this is an in-progress blog post as of December 23, 2017. I have not finished my January SPED prep so I cannot show you everything prepped. I promise to come back and post better photos with looks inside when the products are done!

This section is my mini-dedication to Kayla from My Special Learners. I absolutely love her Shapes for the Year products. I have both the file folder set and the book set. It is such a great value and keeps it fun with seasonal clipart. The Patterns Through the Year set is new to my collection, but based off the quality of her other products, I know this will be a perfect fit for my classroom. We also love her Count it Out Books. I am using the winter set this month, but I also have the Valentines, Zoo Animals, Ocean Animals, April Showers, and Spring Bugs set. She offers a free version for March if you want to try it out!

 

 

Teaching Special Thinkers also has some awesome seasonal selections as well. I am using her Winter Math Skills file folders in my classroom, and the Winter flip books. Both are new, but I have HUNDREDS of file folders from her already so I know her products are good. I’m excited to try the flip books; I don’t have anything like it in my rotation right now.

 

 

I’ve talked about my love of Irish Rose Place before. The math and language arts bundles are jam-packed with a variety of materials. I love getting more generic sets like “winter” because I can leave them out for a longer period of time. The tracing book is from the language arts bundle and the colors book is from the math bundle.

 

These winter file folders are from a new-to-me author. Elementary Educator made this set, focusing on #1-20. I oped to make them into a book. My students will be using these in the general education setting, and I felt the book looked more like what the other students use in that setting than the file folder set up would.

I first found Supports for Special Students through her counting pack last year and she has quickly become a favorite seller and a good friend. Whenever I pull her counting packs out, it makes me smile and appreciate all the TPT community has to offer. You can grab this winter set here, or get the monthly bundle here.

 

I love — I repeat LOVE — the Count to Add books from Tools for Busy Hands. We have been using those books since August and absolutely love them. I just discovered and snagged her Counting books. I have not used them yet, but I already know they are perfect. I cannot wait to put them to use.

 

 

I was using this winter math center set from Little Miss Kim’s class back in December, but the theme was perfect to carry through January. I actually left most of the pieces in my classroom in the December bin, but here is a look at one of the activities included.

 

Of course I grabbed Mrs. D’s Corner Winter Adapted Binder. I already talked about how much I love that! I also will be using her January Adapted Book pieces set, but I don’t have the books yet! I will come back next week and post a photo. I already mentioned that I use the task boxes from Especially Education. If you don’t want the monthly bundle, you can grab the January set here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As mentioned yesterday, I use the Independent Work Binder System from Autism Adventures. While I dream of having binder storage like hers, I just have one set of binders and re-use them. When I’m done with the January binders, I will pull out the pages and store them in a pocket in here. I will post an example next week!

 

 

This is my last monthly organization tip. If you have paper-based resources (reading passages, writing prompts), print the cover page or the screen shot from TPT. Put the papers in a folder and stick them in the monthly bin. When you go to unpack your bin at the beginning of the month, the folder will remind you of all the goodies you have saved on your computer! This will help prevent you from totally forgetting about a resource.

Some of the resources in the picture are new to me and some are past favorites. I LOVE the ELA packs from My Special Learners. Grab the January set here. I also love the Winter Tracing books from 3 Dinosaurs and the Winter reading comprehension from School Bells N Whistles. The January Fine Motor Skills pack from Autism Educators is perfect for my pre-writing students.

The January Level Reading Passages from Natasha Boysal and the Puzzle Writing from the Creative Classroom offer the best challenge for my higher level students. The Winter Skills Worksheet Pack from AUsome Adolescents and the Differentiated Reading Passages from Meet Miss Parker are new to my collection and I am exited to use them. Last but not least, the Winter Cut-and-Paste from Especially Education. These are so perfect that I also have her Fall set, and I’m crossing my fingers that another set might come out.

 

Organizing monthly resources is so important. I just started this method in August and although it’s a work in progress, so far it has been awesome. I completely forgot to use the Fall Sight Word Poems from Crystal McGinns back in October because I forgot I even had it. I came up with the folder solution after that. I prepped the Christmas Basic Concepts file folders from Adapting for Autism and I couldn’t find them this year — a total lost. That won’t happen again. How do you like to organize monthly resources?

Check back tomorrow for the last reveal: the classroom overview!