This is me over 4th of July week 2014 relaxing by the pool at DisneyWorld's Caribbean Beach Resort. I LOVE this pic because it takes me back to a time when I didn't even look at my watch! We are planning another trip to Florida next week by the beach! I probably shouldn't watch Shark Week before we go! LOL!
Last year had a lot of challenges with new building, new technology, new routines/schedules, new committees, new procedures, NEW, NEW, NEW! This year should be a lot smoother. I am looking forward to rearranging my classroom for the new school year and streamlining a little more. I am trying to remove excess clutter at home and at school. I think it will make me feel calmer and less stressed. I have SO much stuff and really don't use or need it all. I am planning to go through everything that is stuffed in my closet and get rid of anything I don't absolutely need. No more storing things for "some time in the future". I am notorious for the old "I may need this someday" routine. LOL! No more! I am going to be ruthless.
Well....normally I post pics of my new room arrangement, but just didn't get to it last year so I figured I could do it now. Better late than never! So, here goes:
Here is the view from my doorway. These rooms are so BIG and full of charm. We have wood accents and HUGE windows. Unfortunately they don't open, but they let in a ton of light.
Here is my Listening Station with the green tablecloth. There are 2 CD players so 2 students at a time can listen to a book on CD and then fill out the corresponding Listening Station sheet that asks specific questions about the book they just read. I have bought Deedee Wills' entire 1st Grade set from last year as I ordered the books from Scholastic. I LOVE them. You can find her on TpT and look for Listening Station printables. They are FAB-U-LOUS! It takes all of the work out of setting this station up. I just put out the books, copy the recording sheets and DONE for the week. My students are then accountable for reading/listening/following along to/with the stories each week. They also get a homework punch for filling out the sheet and turning it in! Bonus!
Next to the Listening Station is my AWESOME Writing Station filled with printables from my Writing Station unit on TpT and also from here:
(Teaching With Love and Laughter)
I also purchased Mel D's writing station: The Ultimate Writing Station
Here's the gist of my Station: I used a Cubeicals unit from Target (12 cube unit) and filled it with the 8 1/2" x 11" white plastic 3-drawer Sterilite units from WalMart. Each drawer has a different station printable. Each set of drawers is color coded to a menu that shows what is in each drawer so students know exactly where to find their papers. I also copied the menu into a packet for each student so they could mark off when they had completed each writing station paper. They were to finish everything before they could repeat the papers.
This is the view from right inside my door. It isn't set up in this pic, but the white framed cart holds all of my leveled books in colored bins that is right behind my kidney-shaped small group table.
This is my Reading Cubby unit. It is AWESOME. The school purchased these for 1st Grade in 2009 and I LOVE it! Each student has a slot to put their reading folder, plus books that are too large to fit in their reading bins, and a reading bin to keep their books. Each day after students complete morning work they get their book bin and read independently around the room. On Fridays they can read with a partner. On top you see my treasure chest that students can choose from when they've filled up a homework card, our Star Jar reward jar, our class list, and the Tattle Monster.
This is right inside my door to the left. The pink baskets are (L) notes/money and (R) homework.
Classroom Library
The pink, blue, and green book bins are for students to take around the room with a partner to read from. There are assorted levels and types of books in each bin. These are books I got from Goodwill and from my daughter after she outgrew them. They have not been labeled for my themed book baskets.
Our AWESOME cubbies and cabinets! I have snacks in one cabinet, and manipulatives, tissues, Clorox wipes, game pieces, etc. stored in these. The cabinet doors have become my Word Wall. I post the new words each week on Friday after we have learned them and taken our weekly spelling test.
The pink 3-drawer unit houses my craft supplies. The purple/white chevron thing is my napkin dispenser for snack time. The file cabinets house my math curriculum materials and my themed units for the year.
Another view of the awesome storage cabinets and cubbies.
Here is a view from the side of the room where the Interactive White Board is. It shows our HUGE bulletin boards that my husband covered with plastic tablecloths from WalMart. I LOVE the neon colors. It took FOR-E-VER, but I LOVE how they turned out! The little white shelves on the sides of my Listening Station hold large 12"x12" 3-drawer white Sterilite units for math and reading games. The large laundry hamper holds my Big Books for our science/social studies/reading units.
The student desk groupings are in 6 and each group has a green plastic trashcan and a storage caddy that includes glue sticks, scissors, pencils, and tissues.
Classroom Library with bean bags. Each day of the week a different group gets to use these for independent reading and iPad time.
I'll have more pics coming soon after I set up my room for next year.
