Sunday Rewind - Classroom Reveal 2015

Week one - only two days with kiddos - is done! Here are a few pics of my classroom. Love all things owls and blue. Enjoy!

 Writing bulletin board.  Very easy to see if any are missing!  Love the owls border and names.

 Math manipulatives and Ipad station.

 Setting up for Work Work. Daily Five begins next week.

 Tossed out my desk.  This is now my teacher corner.  So much more roomy.  I try to keep the table clear for small groups etc.  I have M - F bins for stashing all the papers,  books, and activities for a week at a time.  The binders hold units and instructional materials.

 Document camera and projector along with my supply cart.  Keeps the things I use most at my fingertips.

 Book bins labeled with kids names.  Time to get Read to Self started.  Excited for Daily Five to begin.

 Overview from the back of the room.

 Large chart paper and large pocket chart for fluency activities.

 My favorite corner of the entire room - my classroom library.  The books are sorted by genre and type:  ex:  Cats,  NF Animals, Fic Animals, Fly Guy... You get the idea.  I made the decision not to sort by AR levels however mosts of the books have AR information on them.

 Owl Word Wall - waiting for all those sight words we learn in first grade.

 Writing bulletin board

 Rocking Chair for story time and carpet activities

 Student Cubbies

 Added Clips to label student cubbies - so easy to move them if needed.  No goo or residue to clean off the wood.

 View from the front door.

Calendar - needs a couple for items to be complete.

Well we are off to a great start.  I wish for each of you a wonderful school year full of learning!!!

Clara ~ Teaching 365

Saturday Rewind - Back to School We Go!

Where did the summer go?  Yep it's gone.  
I must confess though that I love my routines. 
 I have a school year routine and a summer routine.  
The problems start when I try to mix the two!!! 

 I am blessed to be starting the school year with lower numbers of first graders this year.  Can I get an Amen! 
 I am excited to have a new group for first graders 
to play and learn with.  

I try to remind myself constantly that I don't need to have the whole year planned out - just the first couple of weeks. My awesome teaching partner and I met and  mission accomplished!  We choose some great picture books to pair with beginning of school activities to get the year started on a positive note.  Looking forward to it.
  
Like most of you, I have been getting my classroom ready for the new school year. I moved into a portable classroom last year and the storage options have been 
challenging to say the least.

 I have bulletin boards up with clean, crisp, shades of blue fabric.  I know, I know.  Many people use paper, but I just love the fabric - no ripping and it can be used more than more year.  If I find a fabric piece I love I keep it in the rotation. To add a bit of freshness, I changed out all the borders this year.

This year I am going with owls and dots theme.  While not everything will be covered in owls, I do like to include a little cuteness to start the new year.  I went with a color theme of shades of blue with a little green and yellow thrown in for good measure. I am hoping for a calm feeling in the room for my 21 firsties (and me).

One plus of the portable classroom is that it is more of a rectangle than a square.  I have 3 distinct areas in the room for great learning to occur. I love the gathering area with a colorful literacy rug where we will 
spend lots of time learning together. 
I love the smell of freshly cleaned carpet.

The second area, the middle of the classroom, is a desk area.  I have the desks in long rectangles that will mimic tables. This allows each student to have a personal space with room for their many supplies and belongings.  It is also where direct instruction takes place and I can use the document camera and presenter to model concepts and provide demonstrations for my kiddos.

The third area is a small group, intervention area with a reading table.  I took the plunge (again) and had them get rid of my teacher's desk.  It makes the whole area roomy and open. This back corner of the room also houses my bookcase filled with binders and teaching manuals as well as my filing cabinet.

I am looking forward to the new year and am blessed to return to the job I love.  Here's wishing all of you a great start to your new school year.

Pictures coming soon:)

~ Clara @ Teaching 365

Sunday Rewind - Back to School Planning

Like most of you, I have been getting my classroom ready for the new school year. I moved into a portable classroom and the storage options have been challenging to say the least.

Finally, I have bulletin boards up (thanks to my handsome hubby) with clean, crisp, new fabric.  I know, I know.  Many people use paper, but I just love the fabric - no ripping and it can be used more than more year.  If I find a fabric piece I love I keep it in the rotation.

This year I went with an owl and chevron theme.  While not everything will be covered in owls, I do like to include a little cuteness to start the new year.  I went with a color theme of shades of blue with a little green and yellow thrown in for good measure. I am hoping for a calm feeling in the room for my 24 firsties (and me).

One plus of the portable classroom is that it is more of a rectangle than a square.  I have 3 distinct areas in the room for great learning to occur. I love the gathering area with a new colorful literacy rug (yes my administrator came through and purchased a new one for me) where we will spend lots of time learning together. I love the smell of new carpet.

The second area, the middle of the classroom, is a desk area.  I have the desks in long rectangles that will mimic tables. This allows each student to have a personal space with room for their many supplies and belongings.  It is also where direct instruction takes place and I can use the document camera and presenter to model concepts and provide demonstrations for my kiddos.

The third area is a small group, intervention area with a reading table and my teacher's desk.  Last year I didn't have a desk but decided to bring it back to use for storage.  It is also a place where I can stash all my teacher goodies, laptop, purse, etc. This back corner of the room also houses my bookcase filled with binders and teaching manuals as well as my filing cabinet.

I am looking forward to the new year and am blessed to return to the job I love.  Here's wishing all of you a great start to your new school year.

Pictures coming soon:)

~ Clara @ Teaching 365
First Grade Sunflowers and Ladybugs

Sunday Rewind - Organize Now - Less Frustration in the Fall

Like most teachers, I have been reflecting and planning for the next school year.  Even though I have taken some time out to enjoy leisurely breakfasts out with the Mister, I still manage to work on at least one little "ol project each day.

This week I have been prepping a set of fall math centers from Reagan Tunstall.  She is amazing and makes creating Common Core aligned centers a snap.  This packet is called Back to School - 10 Math Centers.  If you want to check it out, click HERE.

If you aren't following her blog, just stop and do it now.  Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits.  

The thing I wanted to share is how I organize my centers to make them kid ready and easy to access when I want them.

Like most teachers, I print, laminate the pieces, and then cut them out. No mystery there.  The awesomeness comes in... Ta Da... with the great poly envelopes to organize them into.  All the pieces fit in and it is ready to go.  I can even add copies of the recording sheets if there is one.

Easy to see what is inside because they are clear.

An added bonus is that they will fit into my filing cabinet sideways.  I can store lots of prepped centers this way.

This fall I am moving into a portable classroom with limited storage, no cabinets, etc. (That is another whole blog post.) so this will give me a way to keep them handy but out of sight.

If you would like to try them, I ordered mine mostly from Amazon.com but they can also be found in most office supply stores.  The second piece of goodness is that they can be cleaned if needed with just a baby wipe or other damp towel.  (Sticky kid fingers:)

It's the little things that help make our teaching days go more smoothly, right.

Here is one math center ready to go for fall.

All put away ready to file

~Clara @First Grade Sunflowers and Ladybugs

Sunday Rewind - Moving Classrooms Again!!!

School is now over and the next adventure begins!!! Packing and moving - AGAIN!  
I have spent the last week working long hours to literally pack everything in my first grade classroom so it can be stored until August.  Yes stored.  The classroom I am moving into is an old portable with 4 blank walls and will need some major renovation before a classroom can be moved in. No cabinets, no shelving, no nothing.  I have requested a few pieces of furniture/shelving to get started. The good news is that the carpet is being replaced.  Good thing since it smelled like a moldy attic when I did a walk through.

It looks a a lot like the beginning of the school year - boxes, boxes, boxes.

So, I will get to create the space.  I read once that you should begin with an empty space or classroom and then move in pieces as you establish the need for them.  That should be fairly easy since the room is completely empty.  Student desks and chairs will be moved over from my old classroom. My teaching partner is also moving her 
classroom into the portable right next to me 
(looking for any small silver lining I can latch on to).

All of these changes came about because our school is beginning extended day kindergartens.  In the past we have had pairs of two kinder teachers teaching and sharing a classroom with half day schedules for the littles.  No more sharing classrooms with an am and pm class. That also means no partner to help teach.  

Big changes. I am trying to take the high road and not complain too much. However 3 moves in the last 4 years is a little daunting even for me who usually just rolls with it. Fortunately I have been able to stay  at my same school throughout all these changes. 

The upside is that I will have time to read and reflect focusing of two things in particular.
1.  Daily Five Rewind - How did it go after the first year  of implementing Daily Five?  What will I do differently next year?   What will I continue to do the same next year?

2.  Implementation of Common Core State Standards - I will be attending 3 days of training throughout the summer directly tied to Proficiency Scales and our new electronic report card as it relates to Common Core.  Fun times!  

What changes are you experiencing this fall?  How have you dealt with portable classrooms in your teaching?


~ Clara @ Teaching 365
First Grade Sunflowers and Ladybugs

Classroom Setup 2013

We just finished our third week of school.  Finally my firsties are beginning to settle into the routines of first grade.  How many times a day can a six year ask if it is lunchtime yet or if it is time to go home yet?  I smile and say that I will tell you when it is time.  It is a huge transition for our kids from our half day kindergarten program to a full day in first grade.

My classroom is starting to feel more like home.  I only moved across campus but it might as well be another country with the differences between fourth grade and first grade.  The good news is that I love it even more than I thought I would.  The amount of materials in first grade to be stored and organized for ready use is a little overwhelming at times.  I consider myself an organized teacher, but I have done and redone some things a few different ways before it felt right.

I have an awesome team of first grade teachers to work with.  All different - all talented - all helpful.  I am truly blessed.  I also have the privilege of working in the same grade level with one of my teacher friends for the first time and we are having a blast figuring out first grade together.

Here is my classroom.  It is a moving, breathing organism as I try different things and experience success and challenges along the way.  Enjoy the before and after tour.

 Clean floors and furniture all in the room

 Table groups arranged.

Empty bulletin boards ready to be covered with fabric and decorated.

My plan was to come into school one day a week for the summer and ease into the new year.  That was a no go as my room was used for storage while carpet was installed and other cleaning was being done in the first grade pod.  Then the wet wax... yadda, yadda, yadda.  So I couldn't begin until a few days before school began.

My boxes have been moved to my new classroom.  I have started unpacking in this pic and every surface is covered with my boxes and books.

 Endless piles to sort through.

Books, books, books.

Handsome hubby came and helped cover the bulletin boards with fabric. The colors are teal and purple.

Picture books sorted into themes.

Using the vertical space above the cabinets for the book bins.  I plan to rotate the bins into the class library.  My current plan is to have 12 bins out at a time.  12 is the magic number because they will fit nicely into the space I have for classroom library.

Calendar Bulletin Board

Teacher Area - Needs a little more work.

Cubbie labels - Binder clips with names added
This sure makes adding new kiddos easier.  Just move the clips and voila - done!

Welcome to first grade banner for the window using Eric Carle letters and animals

Caterpillar mobile to compliment the Eric Carle theme thanks to helping husband for helping me pull this one off.

Ready for the first day of school.  Whew... barely made it. View from front of classroom gathering area

View from doorway


Here's hoping for an awesome year of
Growing, Changing, and Learning in First Grade!
I welcome your comments below.


Teaching 365 with Sunflowers and Ladybugs in First Grade

~ Clara