Views of My Classroom: Before I settled in

Here are some images of my classroom before I settled in. There was a unique circumstance where the previous art teacher didn't get the chance to pack up her classroom. Here is what it looked like when I first walked in the door last August.

In the last couple of pics you can see where I started taking everything out of the boxes and seeing what I had to work with. When you are walking into a new classroom, make sure you go through every cupboard, every drawer. You need to get all the brushes in once place, and discover that you have 2000 rulers. I found things that looked like it hadn't been touched since the 70's. As an art teacher you want to hold on to everything in case you need it...but you really don't need everything. I threw away old file folder stencils shaped liked snowflakes. I threw away other crafty things that I just couldn't see myself using. I donated a few nicer things a well. Tip #1 to first year teachers. PURGE!