Here's to a New Year

I had every intention of writing about my classroom set up this year. 

However, this is one of the only photos I took of my classroom so far. 

Last week was busy. Busier than any year so far. 

Including the year I was hired in September and had two days to set up my room. 

Between moving rooms, being team leader, and having a team of all new to K teachers, I was stressed. 

Not to mention those extra 4 kids I got Friday afternoon. 

We have a whole extra class between us right now, and they can't hire a new teacher for at least a month. 

Then the copier at work died, and won't be fixed until Monday.

All that to say, taking pictures of my room was the absolute last thing on my mind. 

Maybe I'll remember this week, or maybe those 22 5 years olds will make me forget. 

Either way, I leave you with my favorite student quotes from last year. 

Hopefully this new bunch will keep me laughing just as much!

Student 1- (points to picture on my desk) "What are you doing there?"

Student 2- "They're taking a picture! Duh!"

Student- "How did you grow up?"

Me- "What do you mean?"

Student- "Well I know you were a baby once, but how did you get to be an adult so fast?"

Working on a sample math problem. 

Me- "How do you know 8 is greater?"

Student- " Because they circled it for you!"

Student- " My mom is 99 years old. On her birthday she'll be 100!"

Student- "If you keep putting sand in your shirt your momma gonna say take a bath!"

Science Prompt: Draw a picture of something that moves slowly.

Answers: A Baby. My Grandpa. 

Student- "I'm allergic to kissing"

Student 1- "Why did we get new markers?"

Me- "Well a lot of them disappeared when I was out."

Student 2- "I think a marker monster must have ate them!"

After talking non-stop for 20 minutes. 

Student- "My aunt says one day I'll learn to keep my mouth shut"

Me- "How will you learn that?"

Student- "Someone will probably punch me in the mouth for talking too much."

It's That Time of Year

It's time. 

Today starts my official first day back,and by official I mean paid and have to show up. 

We all know I've been in there almost every day for the last two weeks!
This year is bringing about a ton of changes for me, but I'm really excited.
First I became the K inclusion classroom teacher,
Then I moved rooms,
Next I became team leader.
If that wasn't enough my entire team from the past two years was broken up,
So it's me, 3 new to K teachers, and a para.
Plus those 8 ESE students and 10 "typically developing" students.
Whew, that's a lot.
Of course, leave it to me to decide to change up lots of stuff this year!
It's going to be a major learning and growing experience, but I'm excited for the challenge. 

To start the year off right I made some cute beginning of year gifts.

Everyone on my team is getting one of these today as first day pick me up.

Everyone got a cute patterned composition book, post-its, sharpie, and highlighter.
Not shown, Dove dark chocolate.
What teacher gift is complete without chocolate?


I love how the gift tag came out. I saw the wording somewhere on pinterest.

I just started working on my student's gifts for Open House.

I printed it on bright paper to match my theme.
I'll punch holes on top and bottom and slip a pencil in.
Click the picture to download this freebie!

 

Classroom DIY Crate Seats and Chart Stand

So excited to finally be linking up and showing the things I've been busy making for my room!

I finally made crate seats for my classroom!

I've been wanting to make them for awhile and just haven't gotten around to it.

I made 4 of them for my classroom library and love how they turned out. 

I bought the crates at Walmart for under $4.

Take the crate with you to Home Depot! 

The man I worked with was great and kept trimming it till it fit with enough room for my fabric. 

 I stapled on three sides pulling the fabric pretty tight. 

I flipped it over, stuffed it with poly fill, and stapled the last side down. 

I then attached another piece of fabric in a loop for a pull. 

TADA! I can't wait to use them!

I saw the coolest way to make your own chart stand using PVC pipes somewhere online.
I can't for the life of me find it now!

I've been wanting a way to hang my chart paper near my carpet area, but didn't want to spend a ton.
I was able to make this one for under $10.
It fits my largest chart paper.
I purchased two pieces of PVC pipe, two elbow connectors, and 4 T-connectors.
I used two 30" and two 40" pieces for the frame, plus the elbow and two T.

The Frame

I added two 2" pieces from the bottom of the T connectors and four 6" pieces for the stand.
I need to get ends for the legs because it slightly rocks without it.
I used old shower curtain rings to hold the paper.
I'm so excited to use this in my room!

I've been bury working on so many products for teachers pay teachers.

Focus Board Header!
I can't wait to put this up in my room this week!

ABC Apple Matching, Chalk Board Class Jobs, Number Clip Cards

Apple Number Clip Cards

Don't forget to check out TPT for their back 2 school sale!
You can find all these products and more in my TPT store for up to 28% off!

Classroom Crafting

Recently I've started making things for my classroom. 

I used to only use things that I found online instead of taking the effort to make my own. 

However, I can be picky, and want things to look a certain way. 

After trying to unsuccessfully find something I wanted for my room, I decided to go ahead and make my own. 

Now I'm spending a ton of time this summer making things for my room and I'm absolutely loving it!

I get to make things that work perfectly for my room and my students. 

Since I've started making my own things I have opened up a store on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Many of the things on there are freebies. 

My favorite thing so far are these Classroom Job Labels. 

A teacher at my school had a poster with all her kids pictures in a circle on her door. 

I really liked the look of it and decided to make one for my job chart next year!

I'm forever forgetting who has what job and having to walk to my board to find out. 

This way, I can quickly see their picture and the job will be glued on a clothes pin clipped to their picture.

 Much easier to see from far away!

Click on the picture to download the freebie! 

These are the jobs I use in my classroom only. If you'd like me to customize the job titles you can purchase that option in my store (HERE).

I'm really excited to be working on more great things for my classroom!

The End is Near

The end of the school year always sneaks up and then rushes by!

I have been so busy with everything happening recently. 

Not only have I been busy with the usual end of the year stuff, 

but we had a lot of school activities as well.

Not to mention, many changes for me next school year. 

I will not only be Kindergarten team leader, but I will have the inclusion class. 

This means any of the ESE students will come to my room and I will have a full time aid. 

I'm excited for all the changes, but it also means packing and moving classrooms!

With only this week to go I worry it's not going to get done!

1// We had swim for two weeks. 
Hot and sweaty called for a daily top knot.

 2// Class Butterflies! 
We spent the month raising them from caterpillars. 

3// Pony Races! 
One of my favorite things we do at the end of the school year. 

 4// Career Day!
Although the beginning of our crazy end of the year schedule, the kids always love it. 

5// Field Day!
Why oh why do we do these things in May? 
90 degree weather, I am not a fan!

 6// We Like To Move It Move It!
I started using GoNoodle in my classroom and the kids love it!
If you're a teacher check it out!
It a website full of 1-5 minute brain break activities. 
I use it for indoor recess, getting out wiggles, calming down, and class rewards.

High Five for Friday

 1. I finally have my new computer up and running! 

Going from a Mac back to a PC is NOT fun!

 2. My birthday was a few weeks ago and I go some wonderfully sweet cards from my students!

3. On the night of my birthday, Kyle took me out to dinner. 

When we got home the power was out in the house. 

Thankfully I had gotten a new huge candle for my birthday. 

Unfortunately, we didn't get to do a lot of the things Kyle had planned. 

This one makes me think of The Help "you is kind, you is smart, you is important."
 

And of course, who doesn't like "poos" sometimes I'm really thankful for pictures!

4. Teaching Kindergarteners how to write makes me giggle. 

Their sweet innocence trying to sound out the words is wonderful. 

5. I joined a life group at my church finally! 

I've been wanting to get involved in a women's one and they just started one!

It's a bible study and fitness class which is pretty awesome, and has been a great motivation to start working out at least a little.

The Other Side

While there are many times that I am utterly shocked in a negative way about what comes out of my student's mouths there are also many times where their complete innocence has me laughing out loud. 

Sorry I'm not sorry for laughing at my students. 

They don't know I'm laughing at them, it's all good. 

This has nothing to do with this post. Pictures of my class is probably a no no!

Here are some of my favorite student quotes from this year.

Our last unit was on neighborhoods. We were reading a book about maps.

Me: Then you turn east

Student: East, you mean like the Easter Bunny?

Yes, exactly like the Easter Bunny. At least he understands word parts?

One plus about Kindergarten is that you get complimented a lot on your clothing choices. 

It's nice to know my jeans, Toms, and sweater are so appreciated. 

One morning I was wearing a statement necklace. 

Student: I like your necklace, it looks like bouncy balls!

If you want to impress a Kindergartener identify with their interests.

I can't tell you how cool I was for seeing Wreck-It Ralph.

We're learning about different types of energy in Science right now. 

The other day we were doing a sorting activity on objects that give off light, heat, or both. 

Me: Can someone tell me something that gives off light and heat?

Student 1: A bombfire!

Student 2: Like a bomb?

Student 1: No, don't worry, they just call it that because it gets really big!

At least he can justify his answers!

 

Class Job Chart

I told myself I would not have jobs in my classroom.

They're hard to keep up with.

I can never remember who should be doing what.

And more often than not they tend to be more effort than they're worth.

Then I got my class.

All of my students had come from one of four other classrooms.

All of those classrooms had class jobs.

My students wanted to know what their jobs were.

They pushed and shoved and got in trouble because they all wanted to be line leader/door holder.

So I caved.

I made a job list on my white board that I changed daily.

But I had no good way to rotate the students or remember who had done what.

Plus it was taking up half a white board.

Of course I immediately started searching pinterest. 

I saw this one and decided to make one using the jobs I had already come up with.

Mine is no where near as pretty. I'll probably do more work on it later, but mainly I just wanted it up this week. Plus, I'm sick so I spent maybe 10 minutes on it....

It's hard to see in the picture. 

On the bottom right it says extras and holds all the names that don't have jobs yet. Their sticks will travel around clockwise, changing each Monday.

Jobs in order:

Substitute- Takes over if someone is absent

Table Washers- Cleans lunch tables

Morning Meeting- Does Calendar and Money Mob

Line Leader

Door Holder

Electrician- Turns out lights.

Teacher Helper- Opens door when someone knocks, runs notes, passes papers out, and anything else I need.

I also have their pictures cut out in circles that will be glued to the sticks so it's easy to see from farther away.

Linking up with Melissa, Amber, and Sarah

A Peek into Kindergarten

After two days of set up I have a classroom that's basically ready to go. 

The room is HUGE!! 

I kept adding things to the walls just to fill up the space.

 When you first walk in my door you can see my reading nook. I have a bunch of pillows that will go in here as well and I really need to buy a rug! The book bins have all the picture books for the students to read. The board will fill up as we begin to learn!

 

The next area on that same wall is my writing and computer area. Their papers will go into the wooden stand in the back along with all the writing materials as it's introduced. Their artwork will go on this wall as it's created. There are two computers on the built in desk, one is hiding.

The third space on my back wall is their main work area and my desk. The empty boxes will be their cubbies. Next to the blue bulletin board all will go their Chicka, Chicka Boom Boom trees with their names that we'll make sometime next week. The black poster will have their birthdays once I get the pictures for it.

Here is the far wall from the center of the classroom. Told you it was big! Under the window is my word wall. The other wall has my calendar things and an alphabet wall. It's still missing a weather graph! I'll probably end up making one for this coming month while I search for one I like.

Closer up view of our whole group area. You can see my behavior chart on the far right.
Isn't this rug cute? All the letters of the alphabet made out of things that start with the letter. For example: A has an arrow, and K has a kite. It was waiting for me all brand new when I walked in on Thursday.

  Here is the opposite wall. We have almost a full kitchen and a bathroom. This wall is my math center activities. It will also be my small group center for reading.    Here is the other  half of the room from the center again. The gray cabinets are build in like that. The opposite side is open shelves with my word work activities.

Not pictured:
My front door, which is directly opposite the reading nook.
My storage closet which is on this small white wall you can see peeking out on the left.
And my TV, which will go on that same wall when it shows up!

I get to go fill out fun paperwork and go through meetings Monday, then Tuesday I'll start with my class!