Free For All Friday!

Today’s the last day for Teacher Week over at Blog Hoppin’ and today’s theme is freebies!!! Who doesn’t love a good freebie, right?! Here are a few that I featured in some of my classroom pics.

I’ve gotten a lot of emails about my “Writer’s Eye” wall. Here are the printables :) I can’t take ANY credit for this idea…I definitely “borrowed” it from Mrs. Phippen after seeing it on Pinterest!!! I just had to have my own little version to fit my classroom theme :)

Graphics courtesy of Scrappin’ Doodles

Here’s a little “Sorry We Missed You” clip chart to hang outside of your door. I realize that a lot of you may not need some of the choices. Due to copyright with the graphics I won’t be able to send you the Word version for you to edit, so if you want me to change something up for you, just holler at me & I’ll be happy to send a new one your way :)

Graphics courtesy of Scrappin’ Doodles

Here’s my Hollywood themed clip chart! The kids are LOVING this!!! They’re working SO hard to have an Oscar Worthy day!!!

Graphics courtesy of Scrappin’ Doodles

In keeping with the Hollywood theme, here’s my Hollywood themed job chart! We aren’t starting these roles until next week and the kids are on pins and needles waiting to start!

Graphics courtesy of Scrappin’ Doodles

Here’s a little breakdown of how the job chart works…

Assistant Director is my little assistant. Key grip is in charge of keeping our classroom library and book baskets organized and neat. Cleaning crew is in charge of keeping the classroom tidy. The lighting crew is in charge of saving energy! The prop director is in charge of supplies…keeping pencils sharpened, passing out markers/crayons/glue/paper/etc. The set director is in charge of keeping chairs pushed in, making sure pillows/bean bags/little carpets are in their spots, etc. The script deliverer is in charge of taking papers/notes to the office or other classrooms. The lead actor is in charge of helping the other “actors” with their “lines”…he/she helps the other kids in the classroom if there’s something they need. The stand-in is in charge of filling in for the kids who aren’t on set to do their jobs. The extras are on set to help the other kids with their duties.

Here are some book basket numbered labels. Don’t know if y’all can use these, but I label all my book baskets with these numbers and then label my books with the same numbers…that way I know where all my books belong!

Now that I’m looking at them, I’m pretty sure they could be used for a little math tub activity, too…one-to-one correspondence, ordering numbers, missing number, etc…

Speaking of math, here’s a little activity we’re doing next week in one of our tubs! One of our objectives is to read/write numbers to describe/name sets, so this one fits pretty perfectly. And I LOVE for my babies to practice their fine motor skills this time of year, too, so they’re getting a little math/fine motor practice in at the same time!

Here’s a little “To Do” list. I cut these in half , three hole punch them, and then keep ‘em in my planning binder so I can keep track of what I need to do/make/organize as I’m planning for the following week!

Graphics courtesy of Scrappin’ Doodles

Finally, here’s a sheet I use for student documentation. Right now, I’m using this for mostly behavior observations/concerns and beginning of year informal observations/assessments. I’ll modify this once we start guided reading and math/reading conferences.

I’ll be back later this weekend with a first week recap and more printables!! If you’re looking for even MORE printables, head on over to Blog Hoppin’ and check out all the freebies that are linked up! And while you’re there, link up your freebies, too!!

TGIF, sweet friends!!!!!!!!

Where It All Goes Down…A Little Classroom Tour

Hey y’all! Time for a little “Where it Goes Down Wednesday” action. We’re on day 3 here and let me tell ya…it’s getting easier every dang day! I must have been EXHAUSTED last night because I sure did PASS.OUT in my little bit’s bed as we were saying prayers. Mr. Spouse left me there and I got a really great 3 hour nap before getting up around midnight to head to my own bed :)

If you’ve been following my little ol’ blog for a while, you’ll notice that my classroom hasn’t changed much since last year. I redid a few bulletin boards, moved some furniture around, added a kidney table {last year was my first year without one!} and a few more storage containers. Welcome to room 135…

I rolled out the red carpet on the first day! I have a little Hollywood theme in my room, so the kids were ecstatic to have such a fun little welcome :) To the left of my door are my “Sorry We Missed You”, “Peanut Free”, & “What’s the Password?” signs. Do you notice the backwards ‘N’ on my door?!?!?! Inside joke ;)

I got the inspiration for the “What’s the Password?” sign from Growing Kinders. I used her download and I LOVE it!!!

My desk is hidden behind my bench & tree and my math wall is to the right. Student mailboxes are right alongside that wall, too!

Here’s my desk. A hot, hot mess. That’s why it stays hidden :) I keep all my seasonal decorations in the trunk below my computer. I love having my filing cabinet next to my desk so I can clip up any important reminders/passwords/notes/etc. in my direct line of sight!! The jolly ranchers on the desk are another MUST.

Here are my cubbies, Award Winning Words {word wall}, and BRAVO! {student work} wall.

Another look at my cubbies. Each hook is labeled with my kids’ names & numbers. The green & blue baskets above are all numbered and contain books. The books in each basket have a sticker that coordinates with the basket. Helps keep me organized! The baskets to the left & right are their book/browsing boxes & math toolkits. Right above the cubbies is my wall of fame! That’ll soon be filled with tons of stars, handprints, and autographs!

Here’s my whole group/family time area. The shelf on the left with the green & blue baskets is my classroom library where kids can shop for books when we start the Daily 5. The shelf on the right is my math supply shelf. Math tubs are in a different area.

The shelves separate our family area from the computers. We have 5 in the room and the kids each have their own set of headphones…that was part of our supply list this year!! The computers are in a little nook separated by my bookshelf {for D.E.A.R time} and a little supply makeshift shelving unit. HA!! So rigged. I found these pink hanging organizers at Target in the dollar spot {can’t you tell??!}, propped ‘em up with my houndstooth trunk {that holds all my tissue boxes}, and filled them with supplies for each table {markers, pencils, erasers}. These still need to be labeled by table!

Here’s another look at my math wall. The clothesline on top will be filled with the kids’ socks for counting by 2’s. The math tub shelf is to the right of that.

On the backside of my math shelf is my word work shelf. Found this little baby at a resale shop for $9, brought her home, & spray painted her pink :) Next to the word work shelf is my sink area. I keep all my personal supplies in the cabinets and the pencil sharpener sits in the sink area.

Here’s the little desk in the sink area. Such a RANDOM spot for it and NO…it doesn’t belong there. It needs to find a home in a different spot. My Celebrity of the Week gets to sit in this desk to do all his/her work! I found this desk for a whopping $15 then brought it home and painted it myself about 5 years ago. The kids love it!

Next to the sink is my Work on Writing area. I was totally inspired by this post on Mrs. Phippen’s blog!!! LOVED this idea!!!! Hers is much cuter, but you get the idea!

Graphics courtesy of Scrappin' Doodles.

The baskets & drawers by the wall will house paper, notebooks, dry erase boards….tons of different writing materials!!

Here’s my little Celebrity of the Week corner! I added a few new stars this year…Justin Bieber, the Sprouse twins, Taylor Swift, and Miranda Cosgrove.

Here’s my little desk next to the door. I keep my Thursday folder basket underneath the table and on top is a basket for papers/notes that need to be sent to the office! I keep personal pics and cards from kids on my little bulletin board, and my schedule cards are a great visual, too! I found those fun little clock tags over at Mrs. Lemons’ blog.

To the right of my little desk is my white board/SmartBoard.

The little space to the left of my SmartBoard will become a “Focus Wall”. Right now, it’s holding my BRAVO BOARD! This is my little table system. If a table can earn 15 points by Friday {each Friday}, they get to learn with their shoes off! My word…they LOVE it!

Right below my Bravo Board are my bucket fillers. We haven’t started this yet, so I still need to add the bucket notes to my little pockets.

On the opposite side of my SmartBoard is my little Sounding Board :) I got these darling sound posters from Mrs. Jump’s blog :) When we start our chunks/words of the week, the words/chunks will be put in the middle and changed every week!!

Here’s my teacher table…right next to the “Sounding Board”.

Instead of chairs, I’m wanting to get those darling colored ottoman/stools to sit at the table. Cozy and comfy…and much more convenient!!! Right behind my teacher table is a little cabinet where I store my guided readers and word work materials {for teacher table/guided reading activities}. The baskets on either side of the cabinet hold my tiny supplies…bandaids, scissors, compliment coupons, pens, etc. And of course, I don’t go anywhere without my Mixed Bag Designs carryall!!! LOVE that thing!! Just ignore the Hawaiian Punch and Sprite on the floor…we made Jitter Juice the other day and I haven’t taken it home!! Thanks, Abby!!

Right underneath that little computer are drawers that currently hold a bunch of junk! They’ll soon hold leveled readers and guided reading materials :)

Here’s another little reading bench I painted my 2nd year teaching. My kids love sitting here!! This is also the bench I was sitting on when Mr. Spouse proposed to me :)

OH…and here are my clip chart & job chart!! I was super inspired by my sweet friend, Abby, to start a clip chart system in my room this year. I had a little clip type system last year, but I didn’t like it very much and this one is SO much easier! My clip chart is hanging next to my desk so it’s not a focal point of the room. The class jobs are hanging on the math shelf. The kids are LOVING the clip chart and we’ll start our class jobs next week!!

Alright…I think that concludes the tour :) If you wanna see some amazing classrooms, hop on over to Blog Hoppin’ and check ‘em out…and while you’re there, link up to your classroom pics, too!!

Teacher Talk Tuesday

2nd day down and ohmiword. I need therapeutic boots, a bladder sling, and and IV of Red Bull. Dang. I know y’all are feelin’ me, right?!

It’s Tuesday and it’s time for a little “teacher talk”. I don’t want to call this “advice” because I’m pretty sure I’m not the person to ask for help, but here are a few little nuggets of experience…things that have worked for me through the years!

*You need to make deposits before you can make withdrawls. Spend lots of time praising your babies and sending home positive communication. If there should ever come a time you have to give a consequence or call home for a not-so-great reason, things will be received so much better.

*Take interest in what your kids love. I try to make it out to at least one extracurricular event {gymnastics/cheerleading/football/soccer/dance/etc.} for each of my kids every year. I know this might not work for everyone {especially if you have your own kids!}, but the kids LOVE it and the parents always appreciate the effort!

*Document EVERYTHING. Keep parent emails and any other types of communication you might give/receive throughout the year. These always seem to come in handy if a question comes up in a meeting or something like that :)

*It’s OKAY if you can’t fit it all in!!!! It’ll all get done and your babies WILL learn. Do what you can do and do it well!!!

*Don’t be afraid to stop in the middle of a lesson and redirect your route if you realize the plane is headed south.

*If someone offers to help you, take them up on it! And don’t be too shy to ask for help either. We’re all teachers…we LIVE to help :)

*Don’t get dragged down by negativity. It can rub off on your littles, too! One of my favorite verses is, “Whatever is noble, right, pure, lovely…think on these things.” ~Philippians 4:8. LOVE IT.

*If all else fails, make a run for Sonic and praise God for the summers :) HA!

If you want to share a few nuggets of wisdom…or read what everyone else has to say…head on over to Blog Hoppin’ and link up!