WElcome to my classroom
The inspiration for this room came from my fifth grade teacher. Mrs. Pinto is currently teaching a 2nd/3rd grade split. She has always had a passion for diners. Her love came from her grandmother. In Mrs. Pinto's classroom, she has a few booths, restaurant tables and chairs, and a diner counter. Although I didn't get the pleasure to make memories in her room with the booths, she has impacted me in many other ways.
In 2013, I decided that I couldn't handle the old trapezoid desks and old orange chairs in my room. The desks were clunky, hard, and not easy to work with. I needed a change. The budget for furniture didn't allow for me to get new desks, so I began seeking other options on my own. I had the crazy idea of taking all trapezoids and chairs out and replace them with booths and tables. First problem, I had to convince Mr. Hufford.
When I first approached Mr. Hufford, he looked at me like I was just joking around with him. Deep down, he knew I was crazy enough to really execute my idea. I gave him a layout of what the room would look like and the pros and cons of the booths being in my room. After a little thinking, I was given the go-ahead from him. Let the fun begin!
Second problem, where do you find booths for sale without breaking the bank. I did a lot of research. I look at every possible option that was local. Everything was too expensive. I finally had convinced my husband to drive to Detroit, Michigan with a UHaul to pick a floral set of booths. There were in terrible shape but, I didn't care. I was going to make it work. The day we were going to leave, I got an email from a gentleman in Lafayette, Indiana. He had a set of booths in his warehouse from an old restaurant in my home town. The booths were from a diner I used to eat at when I was a child. The colors were playful and they booths were in great shape. It as perfect timing. We canceled the booths in Michigan and packed up the car to head to Lafayette.
Now that the booths are in my room, I am constantly adding pieces to help transform my learning atmosphere into a cafe for learning. We are serving up success!