It’s Been Too Long!

I definitely need to work on being a better blogger! There has been sooooo much going on in the classroom since the last posts. We had a flood and then had to put the classroom(s) together again. Then we moved from the lower level (basement) to the upper level. And condense our room(s) from two to one. I’ve been busy!

Here’s one of the latest projects which you can find on the link below:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Turkey-Hat-1574305

First Week

This has been a busy week! I have 22 wonderful students in my classroom. I'm excited for the year ahead with them.

The first week is always challenging. It's important that rules and routines are discussed and understood. And this challenges me to be creative with my teaching because I'm not just going to sit and keep talking about them. This is too boring for me and for my students. I have to explain them and model them in a way that gets the point across. I role play different scenarios with my fabulous teacher assistant and get a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" if it's a good choice or a poor choice. I use puppets and I read books that help me get the message across. I'll keep discussing the rules every day, but the first week sets the tone.
Now I'm busy creating learning centers for the week. And of course, the "to - do" list continues to grow, but I'm hoping I will have more of a balance throughout the next few weeks. I'll be posting my latest creation soon!

Tips for First Day

I am so excited for the first day of school to begin! We start off with a 1/2 day of school tomorrow. I'm doing my best to remember how everything needs to be explained to the K kids in the beginning of the year. And it's important to give these gentle lessons in between some movement. We can only sit and listen for so long! So we'll tour the school, practice getting in line, shake our sillies out, go to the bathroom as a class (we don't have one in the room), etc. And I always plan too much because it's better to be over-prepared than under! Then before I know it, the half day is over!
I want to make sure that the rules and consequences are laid out and that the students know that their classroom is a happy, safe place where learning is fun.

They will receive the certificate below to color:

It's available on my TPT site.

Extreme Classroom Makeover

I have been really busy preparing the classroom.  I'm still waiting for a few supplies to come in, but we're all set for Kindergarten Orientation tomorrow. I hope you can see the difference from the before pictures to the after pictures. And just so you know, we have two rooms. One room is used more for morning meeting, table work, SmartBoard, etc. and the other room is used more for centers/active play/etc.

Shh....do you hear that? The tick-tock of the summer days going by too fast! 

My teacher mode is almost in full speed. My room is about 80% done and I will have pictures up to share tomorrow. At the end of the school year, I had to pack away every book and put away every item that was on a shelf or on a wall. It was really time consuming to put everything back in its place. I changed up a few things and I think it's better than ever. And with my last minute touches, the students will definitely feel welcomed, safe and happy.  

My to do list:

• Make Kindergarten Welcome Bags - available to purchase on my tpt site. These are obviously from the previous year. 

• Hang up my names for the big Chicka Chicka Display

• Put students names in cubbies

• Make sure that my center areas are distinct.

• Put names on behavior chart. 

• Practice with the SmartBoard

• Figure out what I am going to do with the pictures I took of the students at K screening.

• Hang up birthday chart and final posters 

• Get supplies ready for the first week of school.

Yep, these are just a few of the things that I have to do. Enough blogging for now! 

It's August and the ideas are flowing! While I make the most of these days with my family, I can't help getting antsy about school. I'll feel better getting my classrooms (I have two!) in order again. I will definitely share pictures. I'm told I can get into my classroom by next Thursday.

 

In the meantime, I am still working on my list of ideas, reading my teacher books, and working on becoming more proficient with the SmartBoard. This year I'm trying to balance home/work life a bit better. One day at a time!

Just the Beginning....

I am enjoying my summer with my family. But it's really hard to shut off my teacher brain. I always have ideas swirling around. So I use to-do lists and a colorful notebook to just write down a few things. After I take a break, which I think is necessary to be refreshed and recharged, I look through my lists and notebooks to see what I think is worthy to spend my energy on and tackle.

Please join me as I share what "jewels" I have learned as I continue on with my teaching career. I consider teaching a huge responsibility and privilege. I love what I do and I am excited to use this site to share my enthusiasm and ideas with all of you!