Ready, Set, Go!

If "procrastinator" has an opposite ... I'm that. At least on the things I enjoy. And turns out I enjoy "playing" in my classroom!

I realized quickly last year some things I could have done to have the room set up "better", "more functional", etc. So, this years goal is to be more functional, more organized, and more efficient -- but still tons of fun! ;)

Soooo, since our building opened on Tuesday, it has been a productive couple days as far as classroom setting up goes!

With doing the inclusion room we found out last year that it would have been SUPER nice to have two "pull tables". This will be my table - it's right next to my desk. *hopefully* It will eventually have exercise balls sitting around it to experiment with!

This is the filing system (found on pinterest) I'm trying ... folders for each thing: "to copy", "take home", "grade", etc. HOPEFULLY this will keep the countless papers from each day organized instead of in a giant pile on my desk! We'll see....

Here is my whole desk :) hopefully it will stay this clear....

On top is our team tubs the kiddos will pick up each morning with supplies for the day (sitting in them now are white boards I made by cutting apart the cheap cardboard folders from wal-mart and laminating them!) AND one of our new adventures this year, the student data binders, will sit on the shelves below! Right now they are in pieces - binders on the left, inserts on the right ... hole punching, here I come!

I loved the Kagan workshop I was able to attend right after school got out in May ... but I definitely need to review Kagan before school starts! To help me out, I put up cheat sheets of some of my favorite structures.

We always have kids absent and in and out of the room. Here is our new "While You Were Out" board - we'll put the papers we do that day in that days folder so kids will always know where to find them. And that's the second pull table - Angie's table! =)

Reading corner =)

Writing Center

This is the AR wall - kids will move their little surfer dude along the wave and to the beach as they work towards their goal.

Surfers for the AR wall - we'll put pictures of the kids faces so they won't be headless surfers ... and the kids can decorate!

I think we are off to a good start ... except I have nothing ready to actually teach! So, here's to getting familiar with our new writing program, reviewing our reading units, and getting my grading system up and going! =) Happy end of summer!