I wanted a stand with shelves to house some everyday lesson materials and a place to rest a textbook. I was on a hunt for the perfect classroom teacher stand! It was not an easy task. I just couldn't find exactly what I was looking for. There were wooden shelving units that would fit the bill, but they were quite pricey.
Finally, I found something that would work...with some slight adjustments.
It is a wire, wine rack from Christmas Tree Shop. The top is a thin sheet of metal. The price was right at $29.
I knew I couldn't leave it like this...so on with the accessories.
First, I had to cover the metal top with something a little decorative. The whole unit is quite industrial looking. I found a short table runner at a local craft store. It had colors that complimented my current room decor.
Next, I thought I should have some place to keep pencils, tape, paperclips, etc. A Dollar Store basket would do the trick. Keeping it bare was not an option. A ribbon weaved through the holes would do just fine.
Now, there was the issue of the shelves. Although I liked the idea of wire shelving (less dust), it was going to be tough to balance papers and classroom supplies. The Dollar Store came through again with some large, sturdy baskets for glue bottles, colored pencils, and markers.
It was time to figure out the books and papers situation. A text book would be heavy and large enough to lay on the wires. But, there was a need to keep clerical papers on the stand. When students are packing up for the day and writing in their agendas, there is often a letter going home from the office. Housing those papers right up front would work out well. I happened to have 2 white trays from home that were no longer in use. They fit perfectly in the space. The second wire shelf included a text book and "office papers" in the white, metal trays.
Lastly, I needed to keep my daily papers front and center for instructional purposes. After a broad search on Amazon, I found some stacking letter trays that didn't break the bank at $14.99.
The trays came with good ratings from previous buyers on Amazon, but they were quite ugly...black plastic. UGH!
So, back to the craft store to explore some ideas to spruce them up. I was thinking of spray painting them, but then they are just red plastic, or white plastic. Basically, no a big change.
I found some striped burlap and a burlap bow for which I had to find a purpose.
The glue gun came out and away went the ugly plastic trays!
This is the front view of the teacher stand. The burlap matched great and the flower gives it a decorative touch. Only I can see the back of the plastic stacking trays. The trays are labeled to keep papers in their correct home...always easy to find.
Staying organized is the key to...well, everything! But, especially teaching. I can't stand taking time to look for things. Everything should be at my fingertips...
It's always a work in progress.
Cheers!
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