Happy Monday!

I hope y'all are having a happy Monday! It was actually a very nice Monday today. My kids were great, we got a lot done, and I had a burrito tonight. I wanted to show you how our snow globes turned out in my class, I think they are beautiful!

I also wanted to let you know I have a new TPT product called Some Bunny Loves You that focuses on dropping the /y/ to add /ies/ to the end. The first 3 people to comment and leave their e-mail can receive this for free!

Show Us Your Clutter {The Ugly Before Pictures}

As I have previously mentioned I'm participating in the Clutter-Free Classroom Project. I'm showing you my before pictures of my clutter that I really need to organize!

This little corner drives me kinda crazy you'll see why in the next picture. By the way my anchor chart happen to fall as I was taking the picture and since my camera was going to die I didn't bother taking another. 

So I bought this cart to actually organize my math games and now it is one big ole' mess! I have failed to put away the math games in their labeled drawer and I also have too many math games now to all fit. Eeek! This may be the worst of it but there is still some ugly left to show. 

My listening center needs to be reorganized. Right now my headphones just hand and get tangled. My books/tape/CD's are mostly organized and put in ziploc bags.

This area looks cluttered. The cubbies which is mostly my crap looks bad and my desk is hidden behind this mess. 

This is my desk area very crowded.  I wish I could move my desk but I'm not allowed to because all the extension cords for the phone, computer, printer are there and they don't want to have to move them. I asked at the beginning of the year. :( So I could either have it like I do or push it up against the wall which would cover part of the bullitin board and white board. Seriously who designs classroom?! Certainly not teachers...

These bins Monday-Friday bins were intending to keep me more organized with paper work and materials needed for class and they did last year. I don't know why I'm not really keeping up with it this year but this needs to be organized. The bottom shelves are filled with word work centers for each week, theme, and season. They are organized but stuff gets crammed beside it which makes this area messy. If you are wondering about the beak and snood it was for a Thanksgiving play I was in and I have yet to put it away...it's about time.

There is usually my students work hanging in this area but since I took these pictures the first day back there is not anything up. The cubbies are my main issue. My students have not kept them very clean. But this was an easy fix and we cleaned them up today!

This is my word work cart which can get slightly messy on top. I would like to keep it a little more organized. 

This is where I place my word work that my students must do for the day. They always have a must do and if they finish then they may pick another activity. They are labeled Monday-Friday so the kids know where to find their games. Sometimes when I'm busy I just stick things in the other folders on the top that I don't use as much. I would like to de clutter the folders on the top to keep this organized. 

My large closet is a giant mess. This is kinda embarrassing. When I open it things might fall out...not a good sign. I have so many text books I don't know what to do with them all. They won't all fit my students cubbies or desks. Then I have holiday stuff, games, and random other items. Okay this might be worse than my math centers. Yikes! I look like a hoarder! 

Most of the cabinets are clean and have labeled bins in them. I worked hard to organize this summer but some of it has not kept as organized as I intended it to. I also don't like putting things on top of the cabinets but I don't feel like I have enough room. My guided reading table always has the latest project on it and as you can see I was busy tearing out Envision math pages. 

This is under my guided reading table and is everything I need for guided reading and conferences. I was kinda cringing during my classroom photo shoot and wanted to show you I can stay organized! 

This is another shot to prove I'm not a complete mess. My library is organized and stays that way because I have a class librarian that puts books away. I also am getting a whole library of new non-fiction books in a few weeks from my Donors Choose. I think I'll fit them to the left of these bookshelves but I don't even have shelves so I really don't know where they will go. I will need help when they come in to figure out where they can go.

Thank you so much for looking at my giant mess. Now that I have uploaded the pictures I realize this de-cluttering process really needs to begin. I'm going to try to keep up with each challenge every week. Hopefully these pictures will hold me accountable! 

Party Time! Excellent!

Is anyone thinking of Wayne's World now?? Okay maybe that just me...

I'm totally having a party by myself with my computer right now though! I'm super excited that I now have reached 300 + followers last night! Excellent! I feel like I've reached quite a milestone in my blogging!

Yes, I will have a giveaway but I'm going to wait for probably another week since there are just so many giveaways right now and I know that can get crazy in blog land. Sometimes I have a hard time keeping up and then I'm frantically trying to look at every single blog to make sure I haven't someone won something and I'm not replying. Keep on the look out..it will be a good one!

The best news about today though was that I looked up what lesson I'll be doing for my observation and it is one of my absolute favorites!! Our story that week will be "If You Give A Pig A Pancake" by Laura Numeroff. The comprehension strategy is for the students to understand the difference between realism and fantasy. Now I know I'm going to find a exciting, engaging, super-fun way that makes me look like an awesome, amazing, creative, and thoughtful teacher! So I sigh a little relief tonight knowing that the actually formal observation will be something I'm comfortable and excited about teaching. 

What I'm Loving Wednesday

1. I'm loving the new book I'm reading: The Outlander that was recommended by this fabulous new blog that is just full of book reviews.

2. I'm loving the hot chocolate that I'm about to have while reading my book. FYI-If you read my post last night the gym won first but I still had victory with hot chocolate afterwards. My nagging bf said we could not possibly miss the gym because it was cold outside because it isn't cold inside the gym. So we went and I grudgingly did my thing because I knew I'd have hot chocolate waiting for me.

3. Being back at school and getting back into the routine of everything! My students have been so wonderful and we've been getting so much done. They have loved doing snowy themed centers and are going crazy for patterns in math right now. Everything feels back in place at school which is great! 

4. That this cold weather is not going to last!! It was 30 this morning and that is just too darn cold. I live in Florida for a reason-I do not like the cold!  Sunny and 60 by tomorrow though! That's more like it!

5. That I'm only 1 follower away from having 300 followers! Amazing! I can't believe that many people want to read my ramblings about teaching. Thanks followers! 

What I'm worried about.....

Oops I don't think this is supposed to be in here but oh well! 

1. Destination College!!? I can not figure this professional development out! I have taken many online courses and for some reason I'm never able to upload or write discussions that save. Anyone use this at their school? I would be very grateful if you could give some advice. I've had no training at all in how to use this.

2. My observation in March. Yes, March....I know why dwell on things months away. I had to sign up today and by sign up really I had to see when my principal was avaiable. So my observation is on a Friday. We have a pre observation where we meet and I have to go over my lesson in detail as well as bring this 2 page pre observation form. Then I have my actually formal observation on Friday and I'm doing a 30 minute whole group lesson in reading. (Any spectacular ideas?! I actually have to follow my lesson plans/curriculum so it can't deviate that much from what the learning goal and reading strategy of the week is. I'll look up what it is and get a pool of ideas going.) After the observation I have a post observation the follow Monday...I'll have all weekend to stew over every little detail. At the post observation I have to bring my entire lesson plan book, data notebook, professional development plan, and 2 page post observation form. Whew I get tried just thinking about it! I'll have to be super organized and prepared for this! Is anyone else out there using this same iobservation format with Marzano? If so I'd love to hear your feedback! 

Ready, Set, Go!!

Last night I got super prepared for everything in the morning, laid out all my clothes, and even went to bed early. But my body didn't want to sleep until 6 and was wide awake at 4:30 a.m. Yes, you are reading that correctly! After two weeks of sleeping in until at least 8 I was up before the crack of dawn. We had serious wind almost like hurricane wind and it woke me up. So since I couldn't sleep I began my first day back at school! It was the coldest day we've had in a long time 48 was the high. This is not normal for Florida so naturally everyone was bundled from head to toe!

When I got to school I was surprised at how much I had actually done before winter break! I had winter books out, my common board and essential questions done, all Christmas/holiday decorations put away, and homework already passed out! Whew what a relief! I got center ready for the week, sharpened new pencils, read neglected e-mails, and was completely ready to see my little ones!

Our password for the day was Happy New Year and let me tell you my kids were so happy to be back! They all had smiles on their faces and couldn't wait to tell me all about their holiday. But my kids were so great when it was time to settle down. They read, did their seat work, worked in centers nicely, and really impressed me!!

I had to start FAIR (Florida state test) testing my students today which is lengthy because I have to do each child individually on the computer. I tested my above grade level students first because I knew it would go by fast. Then I saw one of my students reading independently and trying so hard. I knew he had improved a lot since the beginning of the year and was interested in seeing how much. I was blown away! Such a great feeling! At the beginning of the year this student did not know all of his letters and sounds. He had to do the listening comprehension part of the test because he couldn't read. Now this student knows all his letters and sounds and read on grade level!! WHOA! We made his new goal together for fluency and I could tell he was so proud of himself because we had the same goal of accuracy for the whole last semester. :) I just had to brag on him because I'm so proud! He never gave up, kept trying, and reached his goal!

In other news in my class I found out one of my students passed the gifted test. I was pretty sure was gifted already and making accommodations but it was nice to have the results for her parents. Now she'll go to gifted class every Wednesday.

We're working on patterns which my kids are loving right now and I'll be working on some games for them to play during math centers. I don't seem to have too many. Speaking of my math centers they are a mess so I'm participating in Clutter-Free Classroom Project. I took pictures of my room today...you'll see the organized mess on Friday. Click here if you don't know what project I'm talking about:

Clutter-Free Classroom




Anyways I hope y'all had a great first day back and are staying warm. I'm debating between hot chocolate and the gym right now...I'll let you know which one wins out tomorrow.

Most Supportive Blogs

Throughout my blogging journey I have had many bloggers that have inspired and encouraged me. These two bloggers have helped me realize my potential as a blogger and have left the sweetest comments on my blog that literally have made my day! 

Thank you so much:  

Reagan Tunstall

Tara

Sometimes little comments and suggestions make hugh impacts and I will be remembering this to apply in my own classroom and life.

Link up over at : 

Winter Break Top 10

I was inspired by Reagan over at Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits to make a Top 10 of my Winter Break. I am sure going to miss not getting out of my Pj's until the afternoon and doing whatever I want all day. To commemorate my lovely break here is my Top 10:

10. Going out to lunch with my friends. This is such a rare thing that happens because we have only 20 minutes for lunch and never go out. So this was a great treat and mostly paid for by gift certificates I got for Christmas.

9. Checking out blogs all day long and getting new teaching ideas. My January is going to fabulous!

8. Getting really good sleep and learning how to sleep in passed 8:00. Uh oh Tuesday morning is going to be rough!

7. Taking down all my Christmas decorations. :( It makes me so sad like unpacking from a long trip.

6. Working out every single of day of break except for Christmas Day! It's going to be A LOT harder to work out once school starts up again. Those little ones take so much energy out of me!

5. Catching up on my DVR and movies on Netflix. I just watched The Adjustment Bureau today and I love those lazy movie days.

4. Not having a wonderful social calendar filled with parties and things to do! All the parties are done with. No Christmas parties, family get togethers, New Years, seeing friends because people have vacation time. :/ Valentines Day is the next thing to look forward to and even though I have a love I can never get too excited about this holiday.

3. Not having to drive everyday. I hate to drive and I have around a 18 minute drive to work everyday. This means a lot of gas, tolls, and even though it wakes me up in the morning it seems soo long in the afternoon. On breaks I usually ride my bike places, get rides from friends (they understand my love/hate relationship with driving and know I'm awful so it makes it easier and safer for everyone), or my bf.

2. Waking up and doing whatever I want!

1. Spending so much time with my family, the boy, and friends.


I am looking forward to seeing my little ones again and filling their probably empty sugar filled heads with lots of new information! It will be nice to get back into a routine which will probably take a week. I've got a lot of great new centers for my students and even more that I will be creating soon too!