half way through

I can hardly believe that half of the school year is over! I think I've decided that a blogger's planner is absolutely necessary! This school year has been a bit different than other years. I have a wonderful, sweet group of children. Many of my students receive services outside of my room throughout the day. Others receive special intervention from me. I am so thankful for the boys and girls I get to see everyday, but it has been a challenging year. I am grateful for these experiences, however, because it truly does grow me as a teacher.

I am coming off of my loooong winter track out. We get about 5 weeks off! It is a wonderful break and I really enjoyed it. We celebrated the holidays, visited with family, and did a whole lot of SLEEPING. I am excited to get back to the classroom, though. I made a decision a few weeks ago to part with my clunky ol' teacher's desk. it is big, in the way, and pretty much useless. I was mostly using it for storage. I went to the school last week (it was sooo quiet) and had our awesome custodian take it out of my room. I spent the next FIVE hours rearranging things. I said I wouldn't change much, but once I got started I just couldn't stop. I really love being in my classroom.

One of the things I knew had to change was the location of the classroom library. I originally had it in the corner of the room. That was ok, however it was semi blocked by the large track-out cart. The students got into so much trouble during Daily 5 time because I couldn't always see them in the library...and they knew it. I moved the library to the center of that wall, and moved the track-out cart to a new location. Now, there are no blind-spots in my room!

 

I decided to move the writing station to that back corner where the library used to be. I made sure to pull the writing table out from behind the track-out cart. This is a cute little nook that should work really well for Daily 5

Since I won't have my own desk anymore, I decided to make myself and "office area". The guided reading table will double as my desk. I organized all of the teacher stuff that was in my desk into labeled baggies and placed them in labeled drawers. I got a few other storage units as Christmas gifts (my family knows me well) that worked perfectly for all of those other necessities. I have everything I need for guided reading, math stations, and all things teacher related right here in one location!

Everything has been going really smoothly with my math centers, so I didn't want to change too much with that. Moving my desk provided me with a little more space, so I moved everything math related to one corner. My parents bought me an AWESOME cart (on wheels) with 6 pull out containers with snap on lids. PERFECT for math centers. Now, that students will be able to take 1 container with them to their seat to complete their activity. It will be so much easier to keep clean and organized. I'm really excited about that!!

Well, tomorrow is my first mandatory workday, so I'd better get some sleep.

Week 1...Done!

Now I understand why bloggers have to have a planner and be super intentional about when they're going to blog. It is really hard to keep up with during the work week. It is actually hard to believe that the first week has already come and gone! It was a good week, though. I introduce all of the new routines and procedures that I blogged about last week.

This year I assigned every student a number. I did this when I worked in the upper grades, but I wasn't sure how it was work with the little bits. Turns out, they really like it. Most of my students already know their number. We use it for just about everything. It is found on their name time and in their cubby, so if they ever forget it they can use these places for references. Their number is then written on their book basket, the homework magnet, the "Question of the Day" data board, and starting next week they will write it on all of their papers. Sometimes the number is used for discretion. When a number is used, instead of a name, other students do not know who it is. Sticking a number on items that will be reused each year (like book baskets and cubbies) means that I don't have to put a new label on everything each year. Numbers also make things easier for grading and sorting purposes. When grading a stack of papers, I can easily put them in alphabetical order using the number. Then, I can input the grades into the system or grade book rather quickly. Lastly, when it is time to sort the papers into student files or mailboxes, they are already in the correct order. It is just a really practical method.

As of right now, I have 20 students. I am pretty excited about this number, because I am used to a bigger roster. I am sure a few more students may be registered in the coming weeks. I have a sweet class. My students were really good listeners this week, even though they had to sit and listen to a lot of first week mumbo jumbo. I am excited to get into some good curriculum this week.

Now that my classroom is totally set up, I can post a classroom tour! I'll be sure to get some nice pictures tomorrow, as we start a new week. I hope all of you traditional teachers are enjoying your last few weeks of summer, and you track 4 ladies enjoyed your first week back!

Borrowed Ideas

What a busy week! The Work Days that occur before a new year begins are always my favorite. I get so excited about setting up my classroom, adding new routines and procedures, and preparing for my new little ones. We were fortunate enough to have 6 Work Days this year. And the best part was that our principal allowed us to use almost ALL of that time in our own classrooms. From my previous experience at other schools, that is almost unheard of!

After our full-day staff meeting on Monday, we were able to spend all of Tuesday working in our classrooms. I was very productive on this day. My goal was to get as much done on Tuesday as I possibly could, to make the rest of the week a little easier. Of course I had a handy to-do list ready to go. Before going into work, I spent time going through all of my school-related Pinterest boards to figure out which new decorations, activities, and procedures I wanted to implement this year. This gave me an idea of what I would need to spend my time doing that day. So, here are some cute ideas that I found from others:

First - this idea is coming from First Grade Blue Skies. Obviously, data is really important! Sometimes it can be hard to manage the ability level of 20+ different children. This Question of the Day is a great way to keep up with which skills each student has (or has not) mastered. If you click on the link above, you can read about the way Mrs. White uses this in her room. I really love the Yes/No boards she created to record the data, but I just didn't have the room for that in my classroom. I also knew that I would need to create some of my own questions, since hers are designed for kindergarten. So, I adapted this idea to meet the needs of my classroom. I have posted the Questions outside of my room. This is the first thing the students will do when they arrive in the morning. Then, they will place their number (each child is given a number in my classroom - we use them in lots of different ways) into the correct category on my desk.

I knew that I was also going to be changing up the way I do math this year. Last year I established a great way of teaching a new lesson, allowing students to do independent work, and then sending them to centers. This worked well, except I didn't have a good grasp on the 'centers' part. I did a lot of research on this, and pinned a lot of ideas. One of the best ones I found was at Simply Skilled in Second. I used this blog, along with some other ideas, to create my own system. This is what I came up with! I will select which station the students go to - - based on their needs. Each week, there will be a list of what their options are, under the station I have selected. 

This next idea, from Mrs. Jones's Class, is so cute! My students really struggled with writing last year. Some had a difficult time with writing neatly, while others smashed words together all year long. This Writing Goals anchor chart will be really helpful!

Lessons with Laughter is one of my favs. She has so many great ideas on organization, which I LOVE! I did spend a lot of time organizing and labeling this year, but the idea I got from this blog is display in her heading. That cute little Pizza Pan labeled "Homework" gave me a great idea. Some of my students neglected homework quite often last year. At this age, it is hard to place too much responsibility on them, but I do want to teach them that it is important to practice skills outside of the classroom. I created my own Pizza Pan homework board this year. The students will place their number on the pan if they did their homework. These students will then get to move their clip up on our color chart. 

It was fun to add some new things to my classroom, and I am grateful that other teachers are so kind to share their ideas! I felt pretty accomplished when I walked out on Tuesday. Oh, and did I mention that my sweet husband met me for lunch! He knows that I get so excited about my classroom that sometimes I forget to stop for food breaks, hehe.

After a productive day on Tuesday, we returned on Wednesday for some RTI training. This was actually super informative. I have a good idea of what I need to do with my BOY data to make sure I service my class appropriately. The second half of the day was spent cleaning up my classroom and meeting with my team. For the first time, our school has decided to do universal screening (BOY testing) BEOFRE the school year actually starts. We invited all of our parents in (by appointment) to fill out paperwork, while the teachers assessed the students. This was scheduled for Thursday, so we had some last minute details to plan and organize. I stayed a little late on Wednesday to finalize my Week 1 lesson plans and organize all of the worksheets and handouts into files. When Thursday finally arrived, we were all ready to meet the new 1st graders. Unfortunately, I only had about 8 students from my class who were able to come in. I was hoping for more, but every little bit helps. With all teachers on deck, we were able to assess a LOT of students that day. This will make it a lot easier for all of us to get our BOY assessments out of the way quickly during week one. It will also allow us to start off the year knowing a little bit more about our students' needs.

Friday was an optional day, which means the building was calm and quiet. Because my room was pretty much set up and ready to go, and I was already prepared for my first week of teaching, I used the day to put on all of the final touches. I stuffed my Monday folders, put up a few more posters, placed name tags on desks, added the students' numbers to just about everything, and watch some videos that the county requires. It was a nice, relaxing day. My love even surprised me during lunch time with a big ol' sweet tea. I walked out of my school on Friday feeling prepared for a new school year. I am really excited for the challenges and new experiences. But, for now, I will continue my Saturday on the couch!

A Diverse Classroom

Many of us teach to a diverse group of students. Well, actually, we all do. Whether we work with students of varying ability levels, ethnicity, economic standing, or age groups...our students are diverse. This is what makes our job interesting, right? We get to love on children who will not receive it elsewhere. We get to experience a culture we have never known before. We get to challenge the gifted and support those who struggle. Our job is unique in that we work with 20+ different {little} people from different walks of life each and every year. I really love this about my job.

I discovered that, although I do love this aspect, I do not embrace the opportunity to expose my children to the difference among them. I have always struggled to make my classroom a "diverse environment". This was one of my personal goals this year, and will likely be part of my PDP. I have started this process by adding some new "decor" to my classroom walls. I did not previously have a map in my classroom, so I was super pumped when I scored this one for free. It even has the country names and flags around the edges! Our social studies curriculum will allow us to spend some time talking about where we are from. We also spend time during the holiday season exploring "Christmas Around the World". This wall will be put to good use during those units! But I plan to refer to these all throughout the year. I am excited to talk with the students about customs in other countries - - and really just to explain that there ARE other countries. I know my class consists of several students from South America, so I am eager to have them share, as well.

Another way to incorporate diversity in the classroom is by exploring the different kinds of families in our classroom. I will be asking students to bring one picture of their family. Some may bring a picture with 2 parents, some with only 1. While some students will have many people in the photograph, others may only have a few. We may see pets, grandparents, real aunts, or maybe the kind of aunt that is truly just a family friend. We will see parents that look like their children, and some that do not. We will see different races, different clothing styles, and different images surrounding the families. Most importantly, everyone will be represented, and we will all have a home-to-school connection!

Monday was our first mandatory workday. We had a staff meeting scheduled from 8:30-4:00. Our principal was very generous in many different ways. We played a few fun games to boost morale, and discussed some important back-to-school information. Then, our principal handed out a children's book to each staff member. He picked a different book for each grade level that he felt was most appropriate. They were all books that he has read and really enjoys. I thought that was really kind of him! And wouldn't you know it, he further supported my efforts by providing 1st grade with a book called It's Back to School We Go!

This book, by Ellen Jackson, describes what school looks like for children all over the world. Each page focuses on Back to School time for a different country. I can't wait to read this with my students!

All in all, I am feeling pretty good about the steps I've taken to be more culturally aware. I will continue to look for more ways to promote a deeper understanding of culture in my classroom!

How do you embrace diversity in your rooms?

Making Changes

After writing my first post in months, I felt inspired to try again with the attempt to spruce up my blog. I feel pretty good about it! My template is from Loving Life Designs. I love that it updated everything, leaving very little for me to adjust. I feel even more excited about blogging now :-)

I mentioned that my first workday was Friday, and that I made some changes in my classroom. I am excited to get some good pictures for you this week! I've also been spending lots of time on Pinterest, going through old pins and finding some new ideas. Math was one of the things I looked into quite a bit. I knew that I wanted a better structure for math stations, and I also wanted to incorporate math journals in a new way. My students really struggled with word problems last year, and since Common Core demands that 1st graders know how to solve several different types of word problems, I knew we'd better practice much more this coming year. I found an old post from the blog Living, Laughing, and Loving that gave me a great idea. She bought these adorable composition books and had them cut in half.

                                                               

This saves money for the teacher and also provides just enough space for the students to solve problems. Giving a 6 year old an entire page to solve 1 problem is a dangerous idea. It is very difficult, even for the student,  to find the answer on the page when they get finished. So, assuming I'd never find the same composition books, I ventured out to find any kind of math-themed notebook at a decent price. I headed straight for the school section but to my dismay I only found colored composition books. I settled for a shade of grey. But just then, from a different aisle, I heard the sweet voice of my husband calling, "Are these the ones you were talking about?!" He had actually found the exact ones from that 2012 blog posting. AND for only 50 cents! Can't beat that deal!

I am so excited to get these cut and put these bad boys to good use! I plan on printing math word problems on address labels to slap onto each page. We will do a warm-up problem at the beginning of math each day (or as often as possible). This should really help improve the students' understanding of solving a variety of story problems. I can't wait to show you some of the other ideas I've come up with!

A New Beginning

     I started this blog several months ago. At that time I knew very little about blogging. I did not follow any blogs, and the only time I even read them was if a Pinterest link led me to one. The blogs I stumbled upon were fabulous. The design, pictures, and cute fonts were so fun! I decided that, with all my free track-out time, I should get into this blog thing, too. And so I did.
     Unfortunately, after much research, I found that those well-designed blogs cost a lot of money and time. Once school started back up for me, I knew I would not have the time to invest in making my blog as cute as those others I'd seen. I also found that I don't really have the skills or ability to make a design alluring enough to gain followers. Thus, I slowly gave up on blogging.
     Since then, I have started following blogs. During the school day certain activities seem blog-appropriate to me. I think of ideas that may be helpful to others. I have begun feeling much more interested in sharing my daily adventures with my sweet little ones. And what better time than at the beginning of a new school year! So, regardless of my lackluster design, I will make a 2nd attempt at becoming a blogger!

Where should I begin...
     I have been tracked out for 3 weeks now. My husband and I spent a week in Florida with his family.  We spent some time in Universal with the mad crowd of Harry Potter fans. Boy, was that an interested experience!

Then, my favorite part of the trip, we headed to some beautiful beaches. We actually got the chance to visit the Siesta Key beach, which has been called one of the most beautiful  beaches in American. Pretty cool stuff! The sand was as soft as powdered sugar.

Aside from our glorious vacation, I've spent some time sewing, writing, cleaning, creating TPT products, lesson planning, creating to-do lists for my classroom, and making lots of cute decor to update my room. I have to admit, I get pretty giddy about setting up a classroom :-)

     Yesterday was my first workday of the school year. I was super productive and got a bunch done! I'll give you a sneak peak now, and a full class tour once it is all finished.

April Freebies Linky Party

Today I am linking up with Teacher's Take-Out for an April Freebies Linky Party. Here is your chance to get my Common Core Spring Literacy Bundle FOR FREE. This item is currently selling on TPT for $2.00, but you can get your copy here for free. Don't forget to tell your friends =D
Get your free copy here!