Blog Lovin'

Required post to link up to Blog Lovin!

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/9947399/?claim=jkura7r4zft">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

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!