Video Game Themed Classroom

Video Game Themed Classroom

As a teacher, you will spend an inordinate amount of time working in your classroom. Your classroom is  literally a second home that you have to share with your 100+ students.
Why not make the environment fun and aesthetically pleasing to you and your students?
You do not need to spend a fortune on making your class look great. I used construction paper, butcher paper, posters, decals, and a little bit of cloth to make this happen.
Ask your artsy friends for help! I'm sure they would love to help you decorate your blank classroom.

I love my colorful classroom and the Video Game theme and here are some pictures of my class this year.

I chose the video game theme because playing games is definitely like completing math problems. Every problem in a game has a solution, and it is up to you to persevere to find it. You have to practice daily and never give up. After all efforts, success will be extremely rewarding.

Welcome to Ms. Taffy Tom's Math 7 Class!

My Year 2 "Math 7" Classroom. This was originally a huge empty wall. I was unsure what to do with so much space!
I'm happy with how it turned out.

My video game classroom would not be possible without these two.
Super Big Thanks to Malik Jones and Tammy Chow.

Deliberate Practice: The best educators reflect on every detail. Are you one of them?

My goal since Kindergarten has always been the same:
I want to be a teacher.

During my Intern Year of Teaching, I told myself that I wanted to start a teaching blog that would illustrate my progression as a new teacher. I wish I could have written in more detail about my experiences working at Gompers Preparatory Academy, but it is better late than never to start this blog. Writing in this weekly will hopefully help me with my efforts in becoming a seasoned educator.

The title of this blog post was actually the catalyst for me starting to write today. I read my daily education article from Smart Brief and read "The best educators reflect on every detail. Are you one of them? I said to myself, "Oh opps, I should get on that and reflect more." Rather than writing in a private teaching blog, I thought I would make it public.  This way, people can read about my career or learn from my mistakes/triumphs as a teacher.
 Anyway, this blog will be my the capsule for my teaching journey. I hope to post enlightening reflections, pictures, videos, and quotes about my years teaching. 

My goals for teaching has always been the same: I strive to the best I can possibly be. Teaching is not just a job for me, it is part of my life. I love teaching! Planning and designing curriculum that fits my style of teaching is a joy to do. It is often time-consuming, but I do enjoy the craft. I would rather spend endless hours doing something I love, than work 8 hours a day on something I find little to no gratification doing. Yes, I do have to deal with unruly children, but those students are the ones that I learn most from. Some days those particular students irk the living day light out of me and I become frustrated. I ask myself why me?!? In addition, my stress sometimes affects my physical well-being. My lower back was in serious pain this week because I had to deal with all the failing students during tutoring. However, when a student misbehaves, I have to reflect on why they were they chose to disrespect my classroom environment. I look into solutions to handle the situation for the next time. As a grown adult, I believe it is unfair to solely blame a child for the way they conduct themselves. The child must not feel the consequence is meaningful or they might not be engaged with the lesson in such a situation.  

Teaching Quote of the Week: