What I'm in LOVE with!

First Grade Blue Skies is hosting a What are you in love with? Linky Party to show off bulletin boards and classroom decor.

My classroom theme this year is pirates arggh! What I'm loving right now is:

 * my color scheme of black, red, and some blue
 
* my bulletin board "Our Treasured Work" which will feature student's work under their treasured chest from Oriental Trading with their pictures inside (I will post once I make it)

 

* Denna Jump's pirate ship! I am going to try to recreate a version of this as a welcome sign.

 

* my word wall from Frogs in First...she has created a bunch of themed word walls that are cute :)



* I went into my class yesterday and here is the small progress that I have made...no decoration just yet but hey it's coming along! Can't wait for the new school year!

I worked on organizing the cabinets and the junk you see at the doorway is being removed by the custodians. 

I have decided on my whole group meeting area and desk placement. 

I clean out all the cubbies you see and put the books in order. 

Back of my room-future home of my fabulous library! 

Organized closet full of curriculum! 

I love school! Join up with First Grade Blue Skies to share your classroom decor and bulletin boards! 

Target Finds

I have already confessed I'm a teacher shopaholic. So naturally when I was feeling a little down about the disaster that is currently my classroom, I decided to take a trip to target and see what the dollar spot had to offer! I was in luck of course! I think they make that section to draw in teachers!

1 basket for storing my reading buddies (stuffed animals), blankets, towels for comfortable reading

1 plastic pirate bag for my pirate theme

1 bucket of sidewalk chalk for recess

1 pack of push pins and paper clips

2 packets of stickers (birthday and ABCs) 

3 mini pointers for reading

3 buckets for my lunch count

3 bags sandwich baggies that have pirates (just too cute to pass up) 

7 books:  non-ficition and fiction level readers

It all adds up to a successful shopping trip and a happy teacher! I am going into my classroom this morning with an "I can" attitude and Debbie Diller's Spaces and Places book. Hopefully I will have something to show for it by the end of the day! 

The Good, the Bad, and the UGLY!

The GOOD:

My classroom is finally clean and ready for me to start setting up! I moved some more boxes in today and should only have one more trip back to school with my school stuff! I unpacked a lot of boxes and organized things in my cabinets. I am really excited to get started but now here comes the bad and the ugly part....

The BAD:

I'm still not sure where everything should go! I've made a plan several times, I've changed the layout around, I've measured, I've taken pictures but there is no sudden stroke of genius coming to me. There are a lot of things in my room that are fixed to the wall or cannot be moved. So it makes setting up a little be more challenging. While I was sitting in my room I kept wishing Jodi from Clutter-Free Classroom just sweep in like my fairy godmother and help me out! It didn't happen sooo I ended up still having

The UGLY:

This is my classroom right now! Disaster -I know!

I started organizing some of this cabinet today and some of the sink area. Sorry for the desks in the way. I'm hoping I can get rid of all of them and get tables but if I can't I'm at least getting rid of four of them. The class came with 20 desks and in Florida because of the class size reduction law we usually only have 16 students. (The maximum is 18.) 

This is the front wall of the classroom. I am loving that I have a rug for a meeting area this year. I am envisioning mini lessons, morning messages, calendar, and learning going on here so it has to be perfect. I'm not sold on this spot but I feel like it needs to be where the whiteboard/projector is. To my knowledge I do not have a teaching easel so I'm not sure where to hang pocket charts. Notice my desk....it has to stay there because the technology person hooked up all the phone, computer, printer stuff there. I do not like the location but I'm going to have to make it work. I think I'll use that bulletin board for my Student of the Week since it will be hard for kids to reach over my desk but will still be easy to see. 

This is the back wall of my room. Notice the large cabinet...not sure where to move this or really what to put in it. I was thinking perhaps math materials but I'm not sure if that would be easily accessible to kids. Then I have a file cabinet which is leaving my room asap. I have two bookshelves, two trapezoid tables,  a "u" shaped which I'm thrilled about! All the stuff on this back wall can be moved. The door leads to the bathroom. 

Everything you see on this wall is permanent. The cubbies and tables the computers are on are all built into the classroom. Now I love the cubbies but I'm not loving all the curriculum that is all over the place. I need to organize all the curriculum so the students can utilize the cubbies for their books, lunch, and underneath they hand their backpacks. 

The classroom is pretty straightforward design--4 walls-maybe I'm over thinking this! I need to spend some more time and get creative in there. I know my classroom design will come together but right now I feel overwhelmed. I will be moving/organizing/agonizing over my classroom for the next three days at least. Any advice?

How I Spent My Summer

I am getting my party on again....linky party that is! Clutter-Free Classroom one of my favorite blogs is having a week long party a day linky party with prompts for writing each day. Today's writing assignment is " How I Spent My Summer Vacation." 

June:

I love the month of June! Let me count the ways:
1. I said goodbye to my first graders and hello to summer!
2. My brother got married to his beautiful wife and I was in their wedding.
3. I caught up with some college friends.
4. I went to see my parents in Myrtle Beach.
5. True Blood came back on TV.
6. I celebrated my birthday!

July: 

1. 4th of July parties :) Friday-Monday

2. Vacation to Costa Rica for 10 days (rainforest hikes, zip lining through the jungle, white water rafting,  relaxing on the beach or in the hot springs, seeing waterfalls and a volcano) 

3. Harry Potter 7 the ending of a era

4. Moving and starting to organize my new classroom

This has been one of the best summer vacations ever! I love to travel to new countries and now have a wealth of new information about the rainforest for my first graders. I also love seeing family and friends which is hard to do during the hustle and bustle of the school year. I know August will bring new adventures with teaching at a new school but during those tough times I'll look back on my glorious summer. 

Giveaway

One of my favorite bloggers Ladybug Teacher Files has reached 1000 bloggers and is having a huge giveaway! If you don't already follow this is a must! She has amazing resources to keep an organized fun creative classroom and great technology tips!

Yearn to Learn and find some great blogs!

Yearn to Learn  is hosting a fuunuuunnnn Mixer Linky Party. It's like a scavenger hunt on the web!

To link up,you have to find a:
*New Kid On the Block Blogger (newbie bloggers)
* Find a blogger in your grade level
*Find one in a different grade level
* And find a cute button and post it.
FUN!
Here I go!

1. My NKOTB blog is The Silver Lining! Go check her blog out now! 

2. My grade level. First. I'll pick First Grade Awesomeness! She comes up with great unique ideas! 

3. Different grade level- 2nd grade blog Primary Graffiti! 

4. Buttons...there are so many to choose from but I love Castles and Crayons button! 

Going on Vacation

Hello all my bloggers! Thanks for all your support! Sorry I have been a little MIA on my blog but summer can be so fun! :) This past weekend I went to the beach, lake, and hung out at the pool with friends. Tomorrow I'm going to Costa Rica for 10 days and won't be blogging until July 15th or 16th. Look for some exciting things to come at the end of July for the beginning of the school year and my classroom makeover. I am still checking my e-mail so feel free to contact me!