More Classroom Pictures

Here are some more classroom pictures.  I still need to take some pictures and update a few things, but you'll get the idea.  Many of my bulletin boards are empty because I like to fill them with the kids.

This is the front of my desk.  The students make their lunch choice here.  I have all of the lunch choices for the year typed on cards that are in a magnetic pencil holder on the lower right corder of my desk.  The choices are clipped along the top and students use the number circles to move under their choice.

I hung my hanging organizer over the back of my filing cabinet.  Then, I covered the side of the filing cabinet with paper and border.  In the corner behind my desk is where I have my binders with all of my master copies.

On the pink board I now have "Writer's Toolbox".  This is where I will put things about punctuation, capital/lowercase letters, and finger spaces.  I will put it up as I teach it to the kids.  I'm not sure what will go on the left side... probably anchor charts.

This is my Promethean board.  It fits two wide drawer units very nicely underneath.  There are math and literacy station supplies stored in the drawers.

The green baskets will house my literacy stations.  (I'm using the awesome center stuff from Made for 1st Grade for my labels and rotation schedule.)  Again, I don't know what will go on this board, but I'll put up stuff as I create it with the kids.  On the right are two drawer units stacked up.  The drawers are labeled, but I want to put scrapbook paper in the front of the drawers to block all my "stuff".

I got the bar and containers from IKEA this summer.  The pink cup is for sharpened pencils, white is for extra erasers, and the black cup is for dull pencils.

Ta-da!  Here's my tree!!  I L.O.V.E. it!  (Thanks, Mrs. Jump, for your directions!)  The directions said to use a golf umbrella, but I just didn't have the space for something that big so mine is a regular size umbrella.

This is the back of my room.  The white tub is where they'll turn in their homework folders.  The green board is still empty.  On the front of the silver cabinet I now have month cards where I will put their pictures for their birthdays... I'll post a picture when it's done.

This is my back bulletin board.  I borrowed someone's idea for my schema board, but can't remember whose right now (let me know if it was you!).

These are my student mailboxes.  On top is a 3 tray unit to hold blank copy paper, masters that have already been copied, and items that need to be sent home in upcoming weeks.

This filing cabinet is directly inside of my door.  The hooks are for the students' lunch tags.

These are my classroom expectations.  (Thanks Mrs. Herring for making the cute bow!)

My Word Wall (underneath are my math tub baskets).

For some reason, I took pictures of my entire classroom, but not my calendar that I'm so excited about!  The kids come on Thursday!  I'll probably post more pictures this weekend.  :)

Classroom Set-Up... Day 2

I am very impressed with my progress!  I think I get quicker every year!!  I managed to clean-up ALL of my randomness in the back of my room.  You don't know how happy this makes me!!!!  I also worked on hanging things on the walls and adding details.  I'm still waiting for green bulletin board paper to come in... I don't know if I can wait so I might have to buy my own.

Here's my progress after Day 2:

I don't think this looks very different from yesterday's picture.  I added zebra border on that little black board up there and unveiled my Promethean Board.  My rocking chair is in the middle of an overhaul.  It's been sanded, but still needs to be primed and painted.

I cleaned up the shelf under the word wall and labeled the baskets.  Those will be my math tubs.  I'm debating hanging fabric in front of the white shelf to cover the randomness of boxes on it.  In the very front of the room is my desk area.  I hung my hanging file organizer on the back side of my ugly filing cabinet.  The kids will make their lunch choices on the front of my desk.

Math Tubs-- I need to put pretty contact paper on the shelves!

My group meeting area.  (Half the board will be calendar, the other half will be white board.)  Under the board are my touch math numbers.

Look at that CLEAN back area!!  Woohoo!  I am so excited to have gotten everything put away!  I'm making a palm tree like Deanna Jump's... I think I'll put it at the end of the counter (by that rounded end).

Tonight I'm working on letters for my boards, making more labels, and laminating... so, my goals for Day 3 are to work on some more boards and finish labeling things.

*My camera battery died as I was trying to capture today's successes.  I will take close-ups of areas on another day.

--Mrs. Pollard

Classroom Set-Up... Day 1

Well, the much anticipated day has arrived... I was allowed into my classroom to start setting up!  My amazing husband was my muscle and computer tech for the day.  I'm so lucky to have him!

Here's what I started with:

Here is what it looked like at the end of Day 1:

That black/pink board is my word wall.  On the white board to the right of that will be my calendar on half the board and regular white board on the other half.  (I'm really excited about my calendar this year... I'm totally changing it up!)

That is my desk area on the left.  I will cover the white board to make a display board.  Under the sheet is my Promethean Board.  I'm really excited about the space between my student tables this year... last year I had to squeeze and maneuver through the tables to get to students.

Awww, my wall of windows.  Our building is a pretty weird set-up.  Many of the classrooms don't have windows to the outside so I am fortunate.

What a mess!  This is looking at the back of my room.  My door to the hallway is on the right.  My door to outside is on the left.  One of the things I don't like about setting up my room is how I always have a pile of randomness on my back table-- but it's only Day 1.

I'm pretty satisfied with the progress.  We got all of the furniture set-up and the computers.  It's a different set-up than last year... I really like it!  I started some of the bulletin boards, but ran out of pink paper and the green from the school hasn't come in yet.  My goal for Day 2 is to clean up all the 'stuff' in the back and finish some more decor/labeling.

--Mrs. Pollard

Math Tub Labels-- FREEBIE!

The other day I came across a really great post on math tubs.  Check it out at The First Grade Parade.  I've always wanted to implement math stations, but I've never been able to work it into my schedule.  This year, I think it's going to work perfectly and I'm so excited!  I'm sharing my math tub labels with you as a freebie!  There is a sign, 8 circular number signs, and a teacher planning sheet.  (I'll just tape the number signs onto baskets.)  I will have 22-24 students so I'm planning to have 8 different tubs to keep my groups small.  The students will do 1 station per day 4 times per week... so the 8 stations will last for two weeks!

Click {Here} to Download this Freebie!

Organizational Teacher Binder

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to Ladybug's Teacher Files and Kindergarten Works for sharing this amazing idea!!  I just saw this idea last night and decided it was the perfect solution for me.  I am so excited to put it to use this school year.  Be sure to check out their posts about an "all-in-one" teacher binder.

Here's how mine turned out....

This section was an after-thought.  It doesn't have a tab on it because it's in the front.  I will put our daily schedule, specials schedule, word list, and any other random important information.

 In this section I will put my lesson plans for the week (and probably 2 weeks in advance).  I'm anticipating this section filling up very quickly so I will likely transfer used lesson plans over to another binder for storage.  I will also put my literacy station and math tub planning sheets in this section so I know what I need to get ready for those stations.

I am very excited about this section.  Just yesterday I bought a planner for $10.  I was not happy about spending the money so I was very excited to find this idea on the blogs when I got home last night... I'll be returning that planner tomorrow!

I just copied the objectives from the state's website and made them pretty.  I'm thinking I'll also put our grade's curriculum map here.

I was originally planning on using a whole binder for my student data, but I love keeping it all together.  This is where I'll track reading levels and other assessment scores.

I've always had random notes in multiple notebooks.  I love that all of my notes will be in one place.  I like the idea of a half sheet for notes, but also made a full sheet just for those extra special meetings (I'm thinking of our back-to-school meeting).

Right now I have all of this in a 1 inch binder because that's what I had here at home.  I anticipate having to graduate into a bigger binder, but I'll cross that bridge when it comes.  Be sure to check out the Ladybug's Teacher Files and Kindergarten Works to see their binders!

UPDATE 6/1/12- I am not currently sharing these templates.  Please check out my TPT store to purchase your very own Teacher Keeper!  I've got 4 different themes and will be adding more in the next few weeks!

--Mrs. Pollard

I'm still here...

I feel like it's been forever since I've posted anything!  I've been keeping very busy preparing for the day I can get into my classroom.  I've been creating, printing, laminating, and cutting like a mad woman!  As soon as I get into my classroom I'll start posting pictures of my progress.  I've loved looking at everyone else's pictures on their blogs!  :)

--Mrs. Pollard