Another year has come and gone and my hopes of being a dedicated blogger were, yet again, unfulfilled. I don't know how you all do it!!

 I only went to school ONE TIME before pure planning began. I am going to work this year on being the best teacher I can be while still maintaining a balance between personal and school life. I hate when I make myself feel guilty for not doing enough then realize I've stayed late at school every day that week. I need to be able to step back and say... I've done all I can do for today and it is time to go home! 

No major changes in my room besides the school purchasing tables for us and tossing out the old mismatched desks!! While I was thrilled about the extra space and finally being able to group (the desks could not be grouped before. Ugh!) it's a new ball game to have tables full of chattering students and wandering eyes. It's an adjustment for all of us. 

It is also my first year having a large special ed population in my room. We have a group of 20 this year split between my partners and my home room. It's been great so far and I really love the sped teacher/para support but it has also made me step back and reevaluate the way I do a lot of things-- from behavior management to actual instruction. I also teach near a college with a wonderful teaching education program (I'm not biased!) and our team will have 3 methods 2/student teachers this year! It is a pilot program for the college. They will graduate In May and be dual certified in regular and special ed. I am thrilled to be a part of it and already thinking about how awesome it will be to have extra adults in my room to help run groups! This year will be a challenge for me but I am so excited to step up to the plate and learn something new!

Here we go year THREE! 

My fellow teacher friends and I are at the GAETC Technology conference in Atlanta this week! I'm currently at a session with The Nerdy Teacher called Blogging: A Blank Canvas for Educators so I figured what better time to fire the blog back up! :) here's to hoping my next post won't take another year!

If you couldn't tell by the dates on my previous posts - I AM TERRIBLE AT BLOGGING. I always sit down determined to stick with it and then forget until months later. I want to try to make blogging a part of my normal routine this year.

I am beggining my second year of teaching 4th grade. I am HOPEFUL that my experience last year will make this year easier, so I might have some free time to blog instead of stress about school.

I haven't been up at school much this summer. I went a few times last week and preplanning starts Wednesday. No big projects this year - I conquered most of those last year. I will post a few things I create in the next few days like my ticket out the door chart, pencil borrowing system, and goal setting charts!

I did get the chance to revamp a VERY unloved bookshelf I found in the "free" pile at school. I wish I had taken a picture of it before! I covered the beat up edges in washi tape and covered the back in some cute mustache paper that I found in the locker section at Hobby Lobby. I am pretty pleased with how it turned out for relatively cheap ($3 washi tape that I used for other projects and $2 mustache paper!).

 

 

A FEW STARTER GOALS FOR THE YEAR:

BLOG! Stay on top of paperwork mountain... I have a tendency to let papers pile up! Become a DATA master. Take pictures of the kids and PRINT THEM to hang up in the room. Remember that they are just kids and have fun during the daily grind :) Get and stay organized!

 

 

Preplanning starts Wednesday. Kids come next Wednesday!

HERE WE GO!

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Countdown Begins - 11 days until PLANNING

Things have been really coming along in my classroom! I am getting so excited :) I have been really playing around with how I want to arrange the desks. I tried it about 10 ways on Tuesday before settling on this because I got tired. I did fix the rows on the right after the picture... I do like the idea. I just feel like it will be impossible to maintain unless I put tape strips on the floor or something to line up desks correctly. We'll see!

I'm sure I will change it again tomorrow.

I finally found the perfect chevron rug at Walmart today!!!


So of course, I put a picture on Instagram. I recently discovered how helpful the # links are on instagram (especially teachers that tag theirs with cute ideas!). I clicked on the #chevron and discovered tons of cute chevron projects people had posted.

I found these FABULOUS writing posters on iTeach 5th's awesome blog! :) They match my new rug perfectly so of course I downloaded them and then got lost in her blog for about an hour. You should check it out!

I also found this :
(literally the last one in the store - trust me I looked)

While at school on Monday I created my attendance lunch count area. Students clips will start off on the chevron "Absent" ribbon every day. They will come in and move their clip to their lunch choice. If the clip is still there they are absent (or not following directions!) and I can also have a student do the lunch count :) I added the weekly planner at the top so I could write the choices out so students did not have to ask every morning what we were having for lunch that day. Love this project.

I have been reading up on the Daily 5 and think I am going to give it a shot. I am very nervous but happy that I have a partner to try it out with. We are both new to 4th grade and we are the only reading teachers so we can pretty much start from scratch if we want! :)

We are meeting with the old 4th grade reading teacher tomorrow to get her ideas and inspiration for the upcoming year. She got moved to 5th so shes offering us her wisdom before she becomes overwhelmed herself!

 

I have also been working on writing a mini grant to get technology in my classroom. I keep trying to downplay it so I won't be disappointed if they don't pick me but I am just too excited. We have to write a grant proposal for up to $1000 in classroom technology explaining how we would use it, citing specific lesson ideas and standards. It is a tedious process but I'd do anything to get some new technology in my classroom!! I am writing mine for three Kindle Fire tablets and an Ipad. AH! I would be able to use them for Daily 5 centers like Word Work and Work on Writing. Students could read them independently at Read to Self or with a partner at Read to Someone! I could also use them in my small guided reading groups and we could all read a book on the Kindles. The possibilities are endless. I really hope I get chosen!! We went to the grant writing class and there were so few of us there that the technology specialists almost guaranteed ours would be put at the top of the list. HOORAY. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Classroom Catastrophe!

I am going to try my hardest to actually remember to blog! I figured starting in the summer would get me used to the idea. I originally planned to spend my whole summer getting ready for my first year of teaching - instead it seems like the days and just slipping away faster and faster! I feel like I have hardly gotten anything done. I have been garage sale hopping for books and any other supplies I might need! I have found some great deals and generous people!

 

Garage Sale Score! SO many people are generous on book prices at garage sales when they know you are buying for a classroom :) One man let me take all the books he had for free! I also got these awesome drawers for $10! I cant decide what to use them for there are so many options. I think I will use one set to keep weekly plans and supplies in and the other for centers.

I finally decided on a color scheme and bought the majority of my supplies. Its all coming together, but I have so much work to do! The majority of my problems will be organization (and making decisions based on organization - do I want to do centers with drawers? or bins? or buckets? will the supplies be out? or in the closet? or in drawers? where will students put unfinished work? AH! Then I get so anxious that I decide that I'll think about it later). Hello procrastination! I also went ahead and laminated everything I bought. Since I am a new teacher, everything is new. It was a long process to cut everything out. Thankfully I had a friend to help!!

I found some cute calendar templates on TPT and decided to edit them a little bit. I created a quiet please sign to hang on the door while the class is testing. I cannot give credit to where I saw this idea because it was a while ago - if this was your idea...I love it! Let me know and I'll happily give you credit. I am new to blog world so I never knew to remember where I saw the ideas in case I used them later. I also got the idea for a student note binder. This is where I will store all of the sweet notes and drawings from the kids that I feel too guilty to throw away but no longer have any desk space to hang. This will sit out so that the kids can look through it if they want to.

As far as design goes, I went with the dots on turquoise pattern. I cant even begin to describe how very "me" this is. I also found some great chevron border and I am making chevron curtains. 

My sister and I have also been working on some tissue paper pom poms and a flagged banner to hang from the ceiling in both of our classrooms. I know I need to spend less time on the cutsey stuff and more time on the important things but I just cant help it! I am too excited to decorate :) 

I am putting this in writing so I hold myself accountable to get it done. I WILL GO TO SCHOOL AT LEAST 4 DAYS NEXT WEEK and REALLY WORK on getting my classroom in order! 15 days until PRE-PLANNING! Countdown is on!

Dreams Come True

Even though I thought it would never, ever happen.... 

I GOT A TEACHING JOB!!

I spent a year working hard and it paid off. I have never felt so grateful in my life.

I will be teaching FOURTH GRADE - 

Reading/Writing/Language Arts/Social Studies!

YIKES! :) I am going to have a full plate but I am so, so, so, so excited.

I have been working as a 5th grade special ed para for the last year, so I have already been working on the 4/5th grade hall. This is fabulous because the teachers already know who I am which makes them even friendlier and more willing to help than they already would be. I feel so blessed to have such a strong support system around me.

I have spent the last three hours at the library pouring over teacher websites and blogs searching for the newest and best ideas/techniques/decorations/etc!! I cant stop looking - which also leads me to be indecisive. I did, however, finally choose fabrics for my curtains and bulletin boards which is a start on my classroom design. There is a lot for me to accomplish in the next few months so I am trying to take it one step at a time.

I cannot wait to see what the next year has in store for me. I know it will be extremely difficult and trying but I am sure it will be so rewarding.

I changed the title of this blog because it was TEACHER OR BUST, and guess what? I AM A TEACHER NOW. It is still such a surreal feeling.

So much to do, so little time!

Let the planning begin!