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!