Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Class Reveal & Disability Awareness Promotion

Well guys....I'm finally ready to reveal! Even with today being the first day of school and putting in almost 40 hours last week, I was still putting on the finishing touches just minutes before the kids arrived! And I'm still battling with some areas I don't quite like that I can see myself changing! This is a new room for me this year. My last room I was in for 3 years and must have changed it 6-7 times before finally getting it JUST RIGHT!! 

So this is possibly still a work in progress! But let me tell you....it is so worth it because my new room is HUGE! I feel so fortunate to get it! It is actually TWO classrooms that they never divided apparently to low enrollment! Yes, I have two classroooms and am loving the space!! So I know there's so much more I can do with this room, but just not used to the space yet and need to accumulate more stuff! Shhh! Don't let my husband hear that!

Keep in mind too that my district requires district approved furniture and doesn't allow personal furniture or things hanging from the ceiling. 

So here goes! Oh and let me mention my first time with cinder block walls......that was a challenge!



View from back exit

My desk area

This is still a work in progress and will get more added as we go! On the two cabinets to the  right are my students' name labels and is where their word walls will be. My students are all on different levels, so they each have their own separate word wall. I did this last year on these same cabinets and it worked so well and allowed for easy retrieval and review each day. Also makes a great center activity.

Play area to the left, reading area to the right!

Word Work Station


Look at my adorable awning!!!! I love it! My son made it for me. This board displays my job chart, b-day chart, and reading and math rotations! I still need something in the middle, but my bulletin boards always start the year that way! I don't like to add just busy stuff or fillers, but like to have room to add throughout the year as I determine my kids needs!

Close up of reading center

Student supply center and student bins (since I have tables & not desks).

Rules, fish tank, and treasure tree! I started the treasure tree rather than "box" two years ago and LOVE it so much! No more digging through the box for endless minutes and timing students, or having them damage treasures through the process. They look, tell you what they want, and you pull it down for them! I also love this display because my kids will spot what they want at the beginning of the week and it becomes a visual reminder and incentive for them to work hard to hopefully get the item at the end of the week!

Math Station

So happy to have backpacks off the floor!!!!! And a place to hang their behavior beads each day from "Miss Nelson." Apparently they don't even allow this any more in my district due to head lice, but since it has been in this room for years and this has always been a KG class, they let it stay! I really wish I would have taken a before pic though, because this baby required alot of TLC!!! The wood had never received a paint makeover and was a god awful funky color and the hooks were tarnished.....some silver, some gold, and some white. Major improvement here!

Large group table. This is where we start in the morning and do whole group activities at. And look, I got lucky and got new tables this year that have cubbies underneath!!! Pretty cool!

Yes, this room came with a full size copy machine!!!! Yea!

Another front view








There ya have it! If you're still here, it may be your lucky day!!! My friend Kelsea over at "Teacher Gems" has started a new blog series to support general Ed teachers working with special needs students and I'm her guest blogger tomorrow! My topic is disability awareness in schools and I'm giving away my "Complete Disability Awareness Day Kit" ($7 value) to EVERY SINGLE READER!!!!!!
I hope you'll stop by "Teacher Gems" to get your free copy and help promote disability awareness in your schools. 

Here's to a great year,

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Sunday, August 18, 2013

Science Finds & Open House Sign In

Hopefully you all had a chance to do some back to school shopping today on TpT! I only had a couple of things left to get and I'm very excited to finally get these fabulous Science units from Kristen Smith! 



Previously, I did not teach very much Science in my class and have been looking for ways to integrate it into my curriculum this year. These are packed full of hands-on science activities that will be easy for me to implement and are simple enough for my special needs students. They are so detailed and organized. All of the projects are laid out into simple picture steps that will make it so easy for my students to follow. I also love that she's included a grocery list for each activity. If you're looking for something like this, these are fabulous! 

I also made up my Open House Sign In Sheet today too! We are required to have a sign in sheet at our school. If you still need one, feel free to use this one. Just click on the picture. 




Classroom Freebies Manic Monday

Don't forget the TpT sale is still going on all day Sunday and all of my products are 20% off! 

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Saturday, August 17, 2013

Stock Up! It's A BTS Sale!!

Hi Everyone,

I finally got into my classroom on Thursday and have been working away ever since! Still so much left to do! My first official day back is Wednesday with Open House on Friday, so I hope I can get it all done! I've kinda hit a stump now though, because I'm ready to start decorating my walls and am down to doing all of my color printing, laminating, cutting, and hanging....but our computer tech has not hooked up my color printer or computer yet. 

Yikes! 

I tried doing it myself yesterday but because my printer is networked, and I couldn't get on Internet, I couldn't access my printer. Come Tuesday or Wednesday, I'm gonna start to go into panic mode! I'm actually wondering if I could bring my color printer home and hook it to my laptop?? Then I'm thinking I must be CRAZY! It's a HUGE Laser Jet printer (I can barely lift it) so I don't know if it would even hook to my laptop and I have no software!!! 

In the meantime, I'm teaming up with TpT to bring you an awesome Back to School Sale!!!



For the next two days, everything in my TpT store will be 20% off and if you enter the code "BTS13," TpT will give you another 8% off of that!!!! Yep, that's right another 8%, so you can get anything in my store for 28% off!!! If you're still in need of class decor, be sure to stop by on the 18th or 19th. I've uploaded lots of new class decor from birthday charts, job charts, binder covers, labels, welcome banners, alphabet charts, number charts, to behavior charts and take home reports!!! 

These were my best-selling BTS items this week!!


Just click {here} to start shopping!!!

Have Fun!


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Monday, August 12, 2013

Monday Made Its & Coupon Codes

Well I still haven't entered the classroom yet this year! Our first official day back for teachers isn't until August 21st. My principal has welcomed us to work in our rooms during office hours (7-12), but the rooms have no A/C until the 14th! And living in the desert with temps over 100, there's just no way....even as anxious as I am! I definitely plan on being there on the 14th though. 

I'm moving rooms this year, so I have sooooooo much to do that I ordinarily wouldn't have to do! I also have EVERYTHING I've made and bought from TpT this summer to print, laminate, and cut once I get there. I feel overwhelmed just typing that. Ink is so expensive and I can print in color at school for free, so I save it all and print it there. I can do the laminating and cutting at home so that will help!


So this is why I can't show you my first couple of Made Its COMPLETED! 

MADE IT #1
These adorable frames are a freebie from Krista at "Creative Clips." Her button is on my sidebar if you want to check out her clipart or snag these frames. I will print these at school next week and put them in "real" frames. I have the frames and can't decide if I want to leave them black or paint them the color of the frame on each page. What do you think? I'd love your opinions!

MADE IT #2
This was an inspiration from Miss Nelson and her idea! These will go up at Open House and hopefully disappear quickly! Again, sorry I can't show these prepared since I'm waiting to print them at school. They're also a FREEBIE in my store if you like them!
 
MADE IT #3

My book stand BEFORE...........



And AFTER!!!!


MADE IT #4
I made this for my Blogger Exchange buddy, Kristy over at "The Phonics Phenomenon." This was so much fun and was hosted by "Covered in Glitter and Glue" and "Ms. Smith." Read all about it here. This pic is compliments of Kristy as I forgot to take a pic before I sent it to her. 

MADE IT #5

And last & the simplest....I added some ribbon to my table caddies. These will go on my math center table, reading center table, and small group table, so I will not be labeling these with table numbers. I only have 9 students (thus far), and these 3 stations will be labeled on the wall. 

Before I go, if you're still school shopping.....you might want in on this! I realized lastnight I still had not purchased my bulletin board borders, so I did some online shopping and here are some coupons codes I found and used! 

At "Teacher Created Resources" I used CODE  "GS8835" and got free shipping.

At "Creative Teaching Press" I used CODE "GA472QX" and got 20% off. 

Tip: I always check "Retail Me Not" before I make any online purchase for a coupon code.....and I'd say 9 out of 10 times, they have one available. 

And if you've been looking for chevron border, you know it is on backorder EVERYWHERE!! Well you can still get it at "Becker's School Supplies" and at "Mardel." 

Have a great Monday!! Now that MMI will only be the second Monday of each month, I'm sure I'll be back next month with lots of stuff to show you! 


Classroom Freebies Manic Monday




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Saturday, August 10, 2013

B2S Blogger Exchange


I was so excited to be able to join Ms. Smith and Covered in Glitter and Glue for their B2S Blogger Exchange!! I just love stuff like this! But I was even more excited when I received my package in the mail from Kristy at "Phonics Phenomenon." 

I was so excited, I started ripping everything open, then remembering....Pictures!!! Here is the adorable chevron bin I pulled out of the box that was full of colorful tissue wrapped goodies.....after already opening a few before I remembered to take pics!! ha!



The adorable little mini bins are filled with brightly colored paper clips and clasps (I love brights). The pencil box is full of bright colored markers, highlighters, and a grape Scento Marker! Chevron washi tape, inspirational stickers, pocket chart in my favorite color, cones, a book, these awesome mini erasers (just what I needed for my "Rise n Shine" binders), and it's hard to see but, cutesy mustache stickies on the left!!!

Don't you just love this??!!! Go figure the container was my fave! Those that know me, know that I'm obsessed with containers and bins. I literally buy them for no reason!!! It's an addiction! My son rags me for it...."Oh mom, not more containers." funny!
These are my other fave! Even though Kristy left me a note telling me what they were for, I already knew right away and immediately thought how perfect they would be for my morning binders I just made and used sponges. She said they were Pinterest Inspired, so I soon went to her Pinterest boards to find these little suckers and to see where to get them! I looked at Target, Walmart, and Dollar Tree today, to no avail!! Where did you get these Kristy??? I have to stock up! So brilliant!

And then, I guess my kids have rubbed off on me.....haha......I remembered, "Hey, I never opened the card." We just rip into the gifts and forget about the card.

Mistake! This was the BEST PART!


$10 off at Erin Condren!!!! Yea!!!

Thanks Kristy! I love everything! It was so much fun and I hope you enjoy your package from me just as much as I enjoyed yours!


Thanks Ms. Smith and Covered in Glitter and Glue for hosting this event! 


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Thursday, August 8, 2013

First Day & Schedule Linkys

Well it's getting close you guys!!! Next week is the last week for me! Getting all of the last minute details done including my schedule and my first day plans! I love that Deana at Primary Punch is hosting a "My First Day of School" linky to help me out!





If you haven't been following my blog, I teach grades 1 - 5 so unlike most GET's that get a brand new group each year, my students remain with me for up to 5 years. So, I'm only explaining procedures to new students I may have, and for my returning students, explaining procedures I may have changed up over the summer. 

This year we have alot of changes coming....including a new....and much LARGER classroom after being in the same room for the last three years. 

One new thing I'll be implementing this year is Miss Nelson's behavior beads! Students will earn these tags to wear on a chain around their necks. They will earn them by helping others, caught being good, completing homework all month, on their birthday, and for other marvelous accomplishments that may occur during the year. 

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Another new procedure I'll be introducing is "The Wise Owl's" Pencil Management System. 


Pencils can be such a nightmare for teachers. You know what I'm talking about! Seldom can you find a pencil in my room with an eraser, and the pencils...they eat them! They're full of bite and chew marks. I have one student that even chews the metal below the eraser!! So I'm planning to use  this pencil management system to hopefully put a stop to this problem. Only I'll use these pencil boxes from Really Good Stuff rather than the pouches that The Wise Owl uses.  




The students get to decorate their own pencil boxes. How cute is that and a great first day activity? I searched four stores for plastic pencil boxes to match my color theme with no luck! So while looking online I stumbled upon these and loved the idea. They arrived yesterday. They are very thick and sturdy boxes, so hopefully they will survive the year. I know my students will love decorating and personalizing them!! You can click "The Wise Owl's" picture above to read more and it's a FREE download! The pencil boxes can be found {here}.

The "Me Bags" are an idea from "Fancy Free in Fourth." I'll include instructions for the Me Bags in my summer postcard and have students bring them the first day of school. 

The pennants we will be making are a freebie from Lola at "Preschool Wonders." 

You can also see my weekly schedule and routine that will begin on the second day of school and link up yours at my "Show Us Your Day" linky party! Just click on the pictures to link up!



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