Hey bloggy friends! I have been feverishly working in my classroom getting everything ready before we're shut out for the week of stripping and waxing (I mean the hallways! Although I could use a little of that too! LOL!) Here are some photos from the week. I still have little odds and ends to do, but it's mostly done and I can breathe a sigh of relief!
Here is a peek into my first grade classroom for 2013-14!
Here's the view looking in from the doorway.
Here's the view looking to the right from the doorway.
Here's looking straight in from the doorway.
Same angle, wider shot.
Looking from the doorway again.
My **NEW** Listening "Spot"
Students will be able to go listen to a book on cd or tape and then
write a little about it on the listening station reflection sheet.
The best thing about this station?? I already had EVERYTHING you see there.
I just had to scrounge around my room.
My Work on Words Area.
Top - ABC Sound Boxes Go here to learn all about them.
Middle - Spelling and Word manipulatives (letter tiles, milk cap letters, bottle cap letters). Also, small puzzles (rhyming, vowels, ...)
Bottom - Pink drawer units hold sorts, puzzles, games, word building activities,
and word writing activities
My **NEW** File Folder Pocket Charts. I got these
from Mardel, but Wal Mart (of all places) has them in the back
to school section. They aren't pretty purple, but they'll work!
These pockets will hold writing papers/activities for Work on Writing.
I purchased an awesome bundle from Lori Rosenberg here:
It has EVERYTHING you could want and more! I am going
Each pocket will have a certain writing activity in it. I am going to put
little labels in the clear pockets to organize the papers and make a display
on the board behind and above the charts to show examples of the choices.
The view looking at the side of my desk, which I rarely, if ever, sit at.
One of my cubeicals purchases this summer. I am in the process
of cleaning out my desk drawers in an attempt to
transition to NO TEACHER DESK - GASP!
I don't use it much anyway. When I need to work on something,
I always sit at my small group table anyway.
We will be moving to our newly remodeled building
next year, so I am hanging on to my desk until
I know how things will be then.
Same pic again! Whoops! I guess I just needed
proof that it could be clean!
Another one of my awesome cubeicals.
This is in my small group area.
The top bins hold extra leveled books.
The first row of bins holds graphic organizers
and more leveled books.
The second row of bins holds beginning, middle
and end of the year ELA games.
The third row holds beginning, middle, and
end of the year math games.
The last row holds teaching resource books
organized by fall, winter and spring.
I'm working on getting rid of the visual clutter.
I have hauled a TON of stuff to my house.
Now it is full of visual clutter. Ugh!
Yet another summer project....
My small group area.
7-drawer Sterilite cart holds each group's books for the day.
The larger drawers hold materials (reading logs, dry erase
boards, and labels for books).
Next to the cart is my leveled reading cart. LOVE it!
Our 1st grade team was blessed to get these a few years
back. It's been wonderful. I have all of my
guided reading books organized by level, so during
group prep time I can just pull what I want, mark the
title on the students' sheets and put them in the drawers
for the next reading group time.
Double-sided rolling shelving units. These hold a lot!
The top has beginning of year literacy and math station
materials for my new little firsties!
The white units are my math drawers. Each holds
a math activity or game for stations time.
The bottom bins hold math manipulatives for games.
More math drawers and math manipulatives.
The top on this shelf holds (from left to right)
Creation Station (on Fridays I let each group
of kiddos spend a little time creating something
during stations time. I put odds and ends crafty
stuff in this carpenter's bag. It also has scrapbooking
scissors, twistable crayons, colored pencils, and envelopes.)
The gray hardware unit is my Word Family Station. Each
drawer has a different rime, plus foam letter tiles to create words
for each family. There is a recording sheet in the green (kitty litter) bin.
There is a link with the word families at my classroom website.
The white basket overflowing with papers is our scrap
paper stash. I let kids use this when they need to write
down a word for writing, or to make books during
literacy stations time. I've taught them to fold
several pages of the paper like a card and then put them inside
each other and staple the edge. It's a great way to re-use
old papers and the way it's folded only shows the clean
white side so kids can write and draw a story in their
own storybook! It's the ultimate Earth Day Everyday
Station!
Literacy Activity Crates
The pink crate holds magnets and cookie sheets.
The blue crate holds Can Do Games and
Shake and Search Bottles. (I am working on these
units to put on TpT. I'll let ya know when they're up!)
The green crate holds file folder games.
My newly labeled math manipulative bins! I got
tired of the boring old white labels that were 5
years old. It was time to spruce things up!
More of the math manipulative labels. I have 24 of these
bins full of all kinds of little things for math.
Here is a link to my FREEBIE labels:
My Author Study shelf. I have some new ideas
for this, but haven't landed on exactly what I
want to do and how I want it to look. For now, this is
what we have.
I have some of my favorite back to school stories ready
to go, along with the little plush characters.
On the left you can see Chester from "The Kissing Hand".
In the middle, you see Froggy.
On the right is a cool wooden perpetual calendar I found
in the $1 Spot at Target last year or the year before.
It's amazing what you find in your classroom
when you start going through every nook and cranny!
It was like Christmas, I tell ya!
Newly labeled pink storage tubs.
These hold all sorts of classroom supplies.
I have tubs for tissues, ziplocks,
ice cream bowls, paint cups and paint,
snacks, disinfecting wipes, crayons/markers,
and things for the treasure chest.
My awesome step! My husband built this for me
3 years ago. I painted it. It needs a little cleanin'!
It helps my littles reach the Promethean Board
so much easier. I also let our weekly Terrific Kid
pick 2 friends to sit on the step with them any
time we are on the rug for a story, or lessons.
My monthly teaching drawers. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them.
It keeps me so organized! You can use the above
link for the 2010-12 classroom tour to read all about
these awesome babies!
On top of the drawers are white Sterilite baskets
with nice, fresh, new labels (as of Friday!)
From left: celebrations (birthdays, lost tooth), copies
that have been made for upcoming lessons, papers
to file, and last - things to copy/laminate.
My new polka dot word wall. Right now
the headers are held on by magnets while
I wait to put sticky back magnets on them.
I think I want to cover the old, ugly chalkboard
with some pretty bright paper this year!
Under the word wall is part of my classroom library.
I am in the process of re-doing this as well.
I have been revamping a lot this year. I was
ready for a change. I will post new pics as
soon as I have the labels on. I have them printed. I
just need to cut, laminate, and cut some more.
I'll give ya a hint. They came from
A little closer view.
My math board hasn't changed since the 2010-12 tour, so
click here to see that if you'd like:
You'll need to scroll a little to get to the pics you want.
While you're there you can see all of the changes I've made!
If you have any questions, feel free to email me at:
I will post more pics soon! :)
