Seeing a Home in My Classroom

I'm thinking more and more about setting up a classroom to be more like a home. Look more like a living room. Or a family room. Or even an office. Just a warmer, more homey feel.I LOVE to be at home. So do my kids. Probably because we are NEVER there. (I also think that's why it's so messy.) But even with the laundry basket on the floor, and the carpet that needs vacuuming, the half-empty Wendy's cups on the counter, and the 5 pairs of shoes next to the couch, we all want to be here. Maybe because it's comfortable. Or because that's where WE all are, even though we don't love each other every second of the day. But I also hear my students say from time to time "I wish I were at home." You can't blame 'em, can you?

I know it's empty. But my point is;can you see school books in baskets on here? A comfortable and pretty chair next to it instead of a hard plastic one?

That's what I want to capture at my school. That feeling of home. Next year I'm changing schools. Again. I'm thinking a lot about it, too. How do I want my new home to feel? Just like that- like a home. So I'm trying to look differently at pictures I see and articles I read about home decor. I'm thinking about how I can apply those things to my school. And I'm thinking more in terms of "my school" than "my classroom". When we think of our home, we think of it as the collection of rooms, not just one. Our family is a unit, not one person. Our school is more than just our classroom, it's the entire place, from the office to the janitor's closet. 

Is there anyone who hasn't jumped on the rustic farmhouse bandwagon yet? Come on it, the water's warm! I'm looking at that folder bin on the wall, thinking "I could use 3M hooks to hang that bad boy. It would be great for turning in papers!" That's MUCH more homey than my plastic tray sitting on the counter looking messy!

But to begin, I will start in my classroom. And I'm using  a new eye. One that is full of a love for all things HOME.

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