Teacher Week: Classroom Tour

I'm linking up with blog hoppin for teacher week!

 

Today is the 'ol classroom tour. I love looking at other teacher's amazing classrooms so this is going to be my favorite day.

 

Before I begin with mine, keep in mind that our students don't come for another two weeks...so my room still has some polishing until she shines just right, but here is what I have so far.

 

Photos are taken on my phone...so quality is not so much. sorry!

 

 

Here is where I house all my word work activities.

 

This  is my door going out into the hall. I have my helper for the day chart, behavior clip chart, how we get home chart, and baskets for BEE books.

Here's a look at ALL my cabinets...aren't they amazing? And every single one of them is jam packed FULL!  

Here is where I organize papers. This is where students turn in completed papers and where they come to get new clean paper in different forms.  

Just a quick shot of the back of my classroom. My teacher assistant desk is on the far left then I have two tables for small groups.

This is a peek at the front of my room. My desk is on the far right, along with my Letterland alphabet chart with each character, my birthday board, calendar, and book case to hold student book boxes.

Here's where I teach calendar. Letterland users...if you look at the far right you will see  how I organize my Letterland character cards for live reading and spelling. It makes teaching this so much more efficient. I highly recommend making one. All it's missing is the Letterland header.  

I gave myself a lot of room to write those I can statements this year!

Here's my math wall and how I am organizing my math tubs this year. Did you notice how all of my tubs are mismatched? I worried about it for a split sec before Nickers (my husband) put a stop to my spending. Oh well, maybe next year. I did print off new labels though.  

I also changed my alphabet this year. Instead of having a separate word wall that my students NEVER used...I combined my alphabet chart {which they use a ton} along with my word wall. Now everything is at the front of the room. I'm so excited about this change! 

And I love those hand signal cues! 

Here's the reading area. Needs a rug or something. And maybe oooonnnneeee more book shelf.

 

The rest is a work in progress. I don't think I'll ever be done tweaking and perfecting this room. I'm sure you all feel the same way.

 

Thanks so much for visiting! I can't wait to see your sweet home away from home too!!!

Colorful Classroom

Want to know how to safely hang stuff from your ceiling? Read on and your classroom can look like this:

 

There is no safe way to hang child work and fun decorations from the ceiling of your classroom...according to your local fire marshall. Each year we try, each year we are busted. So sadly year to year I have restrained from this fun and happy classroom look. That is until this weekend. I recently bought Reagan's Rainbow Namebow and was determined to hang these adorable acrostic poems. So I headed to Walmart and bought fishing wire and command hooks, and called in the hubs for help.

 

 

I have 21 students so I decided to make three lines going the length of my classroom. I put each command hook as close to the ceiling as possible and I tied a loop in one end and hooked it, stretched the wire across the room and pulled the wire to my desired tension. Be careful not to make it too loose because the wire will droop when you add student work...I only used a slight droop in mine. Then I made another loop and put it on the other hook and voila, it was ready. Super easy and super affordable! Now I can add student work all throughout the year to make my classroom cute, bright, and cheerful...without worrying about breaking the rules for fire safety codes.



Have a great week! One more until it's spring break for me!

Back to School Classroom Pictures

Still surviving my first week of school. Whoever thought that beginning the first day of school on a Monday was a good idea, surely has never taught elementary! Whew!!! And these babies are EXHAUSTED! I swear by 10:00 most of them are D.O.N.E.!! But thats because we are big first graders and we are working so hard. I have lots to share about our first week coming soon. But first I want to share some pictures that I have been too busy to post!

 

First is my back to school bulletin board.

 

I wish I could have gotten a straight shot of it but our halls are too narrow! Here it is from the other angle.

 

My classroom is not sports themed, I just thought that this was a cute idea. I think my husband inspired me, he's been counting down football season ever since the summer. Me? I could care less! :)

 

I made the cute little football players and cheerleaders by purchasing a few sets from Scrappin Doodles. Then I projected the images and traced them out. You probably can't see it from the pictures but the little footballs have the students names on them. We are working on a writing piece about how we can be a team player this year to go up with their footballs. I love it. Back to school bulletin boards are probably my most favorite part of coming back to school. I love to walk the halls and see what everyone else comes up with and I gotta tell ya, my school has some pretty cute stuff!

 

Next are pictures of my classroom. Keep in mind that it is pretty bare bones. Lots of student work and decorations will be coming soon. But stalking seeing other classrooms is one of my favorite things to look at in blog land.

 

 

 

I love my writing area. On the back of the shelves, facing the cubbies are the students book boxes. I have my letterland cards on the writing table. Usually these are on the floor or sitting on the board but it was meet the teacher night so I was trying to get it out of the way.

 

Look at all of this storage!!! The two tables in the back are my assistant and my small group tables. We have small groups during daily five, math, and phonics.  

 

 

This is our reading area.The picture turned out kind of dark. I'm working on some better/bigger pillows.

 

It's a work in progress but it's my second home!

 

I'll have more on my first week of school soon!