Classroom Tour...Better Late than Never!

Hi friends!  My enthusiasm for blogging and creating came to a screeching halt on August 27th.  Wowzaaaa this is going to be a year to remember....full of crazy common core days, awesome adventures, and college, college, college. But guess what!  After this year I (fingers crossed) have tenure!  (insert choir of angels singing....HALLELUJAH HALLELUJAH HALLELUJAH) So I may be sparse this year, but know I'm still kicking it in a windowless classroom!


Enjoy the tour!

WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME

Our schedule is cray cray this year, so I made magnetic circles that are super easy to change daily...my kiddos will say on the regular, "how many circles do we have left?" 

My math/everyday board. This includes lunch choices, date, addition strategy posters, and our problem solving apple tree. I put my math manipulatives here for easy accessibility this year...the blue, pink and green bins are where I put the three math rotation activities each day. Also, I love my new fabric for my stools!

My social studies board was pretty blank when I started school, but it is up and running now!  I hot glued ribbon to each of my letters on my alphabet so I can clothes pin my weekly words as they are taught.

The card system worked really well for me last year, so I stuck with it this year...so far so good!

This is my fav!  My reading nook has my reading board, read to self and read to someone bins, and my custom built bookcase!  I hang the theme, pictures of the story covers, CC standards and high frequency words each week.

Writing corner time....I try to utatlize every nook and cranny in this tiny box of a classroom.

This dry erase board has become my BFF. For real. It is fabulous.  I use it for every lesson.  The kids love writing on it and it is so easy to quickly model something...plus when the Smart Board gets mad at me and we need a break from each other, I won't have to waste hundreds of sheets of chart paper!

"In my own little corner, in my own little chair, I can be whoever I want to be..."  I was Cinderella in our school musical...don't judge. I do love me some teacher desk cubby hole time.  The placement of the filing cabinet really makes me feel like I have my own space, and my kids know that is my space. 

Can you say holy desk skirt??? My mom is AMAZING.  She made this little ditty and velcroed that baby up. Ugly desk turned cute.  Magic. 

Curtains for fake windows?  Why, yes I think I will. 

With our crazy schedule and the rigor of common core, we barley have time for a routine calendar time during the day.  I try very hard to do this daily, but there is only so much I can do :( My weekly calendar helper will change things, even if we don't have time to do this as a whole group. 

Itty bitty lap top desk!  Squeezed between a wall and a sink...so what?  Its space and I used it!

Probably 76% of my day is spent sitting at this small group table, so pillow to match my desk skirt was a must. A mini dry erase board is a necessity too for SPED, ESOL or anyone working with a small group. 

Math games organized by unit and lesson...plus extra math manipulatives. 

Another amazing mom creation!  I needed a space where I could store not so cute, not so organized or not so tidy things....so pretend its oz and don't step behind the curtain. 

Cubbies, a little touch of home decor, and my favorite bees!

Table caddies filled with scissors, glue, pencils, crayons, 100's charts and number lines. I put washi tape on all of the caddy materials so I know what is mine.  Each table will get a table tally if all materials are in place at the end of the day. 

We have been in school for almost a month and I am O-FISH-ALLY exhausted....but I'm gonna keep on swimming :)