Top 3 things Linky Party!

Simply Second Resources is having a great Linky Party about what are the top 3 things you want to work on in your classroom! I think this is a great idea and wanted to throw my hat in the ring!

1. Independent Reading - Last year I implemented Daily 5 into my classroom and was so focused on trying to get as many "Dailies" in as I could I don't think the kids got much time to really focus on any of them.  Then I read The Book Whisperer and it has totally changed my thinking about teaching reading! I plan to really show my students my own love of reading and provide them with time for independent reading this year. I am doing two 30 minute rounds of D5 each day and the students MUST do Read to Self for one of those rounds every day! That means my kiddos will get at least 30 minutes of independent reading every day. Plus I am doing away with all the "busy work" I have for the kids to do when they finish an assignment early, if they finish early they will read.  Instead of working so hard to try to pull reading groups I am going to focus more on conferencing with my students about what they are reading and what strategies they are using

2. Writing - Since Writing is so important in 4th grade in Florida I am planning to make some big changes to my writing instruction. I was so fortunate to get to attend a Melissa Forney conference last month and I can't wait to implement her ideas and lessons into my writing instruction. I purchased her book Writing Superstars and plan to follow her lesson plans for teaching writing. 

3. Math - While my class did fine in math on our standardized assessments I personally was not happy with their growth in this area. I am planning to make some changes in how I teach math this year as well. I believe that I spent too much time on topics that my students didn't need and then had to rush through topics they really needed more time on. I teach using Envision Math and they provide two Topic Tests for each topic, so I am going to use one of those as a pre-test at the beginning of each topic to see what areas my class is already solid in and what areas they need more work. I think that this will really help me to focus my instruction to exactly what my students need. 

OK those are my top 3 things, so now it's your turn, head on over and join this Linky Party!!

Classroom Update - I'm almost ready!

I finally got to get into my classroom today!! I was so worried that I would be overwhelmed and for a moment when I first walked in I felt a slight wave of panic wash over me when  saw everything piked into the center of the room. I started off like I always do, I take pictures of what it looks like when I first walk in, that way when I feel like I have been working and working getting nothing done I can look back at the pictures of what it looked like when I first walked in and see the headway I have made.

This is what I walked in to see - This is the view from my door

This is my desk area - before

This is my writing corner - before

This is my reading corner - before

A view from the other side of the room

This is all the stuff I brought from home

After spending about 6 hours in my room today I am very glad to say that I am pretty close to being totally ready!! Setting up went a lot faster than I thought. Last year was tough because it was first year in 4th grade and I had to try out all sorts of arrangements with my desks and my teacher table and my reading and writing areas. At the end of last year I FINALLY found a set up that I liked and was really comfortable with the way it "flows."

Today I accomplished quite a bit. I got my furniture all arranged, I got all  my inside bulletin boards done, I got PART of my desk area set up, and I got my reading area all set up. THAT was by biggest worry because I had to go through ALL my books and reorganize them by genre instead of AR levels. I am really pleased with how my room is looking. I only have a few more things to hang up on the walls, plus I have to do my big AR bulletin board in the hallway, and I have to put student's names on things but other than that my room is ready. If I had to teach in there tomorrow I would be fine and that's my biggest concern when I start out. Here are the during/after pictures

This is behind my desk with my great Teacher Toolbox that I hung on the wall!!

P.S. the picture is crooked - not my toolbox LOL

My clip chart with clips all ready to go - just need a class list to put names on them

My calendar, schedule, and Lunch Menu board at the front of my room

Not sure why this came out so blurry but it is my Daily 5 Check-In and my Common Board Configuration

A closer picture of my Daily 5 Check-In board 

Looking at this picture I realize that I need to adjust the two lower side ones, I want to move them up a little 

My updated Reading Area

The view from my door as I was getting ready to walk out at the end of the day 

My writing area with my AR incentive charts on the Bulletin Board - The wall is blank because that is where our anchor charts will be going

Another shot of my reading area - Check out the weather outside the window - it was POURING

My Master's Degree!!

My Wall of Fame LOL - My Bachelor's Degree is at the top, then my Master's Degree, In a couple years I'll have to move everything up to make room for my Ed. Specialist Degree (class starts for that on Sept. 6th)

After looking at my before and after pictures I feel like I made some great progress in the 6 hours I spent in my HOT classroom - Uggghhh I think the AC finally started cooling around 1:00, about an hour before I was finished. Oh well, at least I don't have to run today, I earned my Weight Watchers Activity points by moving furniture and books, and sweating my behind off!

Shout Out!

Ok I know I am breaking the unwritten rule of posting twice in one day but I just had to do a shout out! My former student teacher, who is just getting ready to start her own journey into teaching, has just started her very own blog! She is new to teacher blogging so head on over to Busy Bees and show her some love!

Cool things from Pinterest and 50 Followers!!

OK first off I gotta say that I am so excited!! I have been blogging for just under 2 weeks and I already have 50 followers! How exciting is that?!?!

When I first saw that I had reached 50 followers I was excited... then I thought, "OK well what exactly IS the big deal?" So I started thinking about why I was so excited that anyone was following my blog and it occurred to me, having followers of this blog will help me stay motivated!

Every year I get really excited when school is about to start and I have all sorts of great ideas and intentions but by about the 3rd week of school I start to slip back into the "same ole same ole" routine and then I feel bad because I didn't carry out all my great intentions! Well I think the fact that I have started this blog and I have people who are following it, will help me stay on track with my new ideas and inspirations because I feel somewhat accountable to those followers, I feel like I have "promised" to do something and am being expected to keep that promise.

I know I am more than likely analyzing this way too much but hey, if it keeps me motivated and keeps me trying new things then my students are the ones that are going to end up benefiting the most. So thank you to everyone who is following me and I just hope that as the school year progresses, I don't bore the  daylights out of all of you!

OK... now onto the cool things I found on Pinterest!! Check out these cool motivational posters!!

I was stalking Pinterest and came across the blog Sweet Blessings and found some AWESOME motivational posters!! These 4 were my faves so I had to print them out and laminate them to hang in my classroom! I don't remember whose Pinterest I found these on but if you know who you are I thank you for pinning these!! I am going to put these in the very front of my room and refer to them often. I think they are great quotes and sayings! My momma always used to say "Can't never could because he never tried" and I always tell my students they are not allowed to say "I can't" they can only say "I'll try" so I LOVED the one on the top left. I am thinking about making it into a bookmark for each of my students.

Pinterest has given me several projects to make but I came across this on the blog called Two Things in Common

I spent the morning putting together my Daily Folders, my Unfinished Work folders, and extra reading notebooks. I made extras of the folders too and I am going to make 5 sets of these New Student Bags. I am going to put these things in the bag:
Welcome Letter
Supply list
Reading Notebook
Daily Folder
Unfinished Work Folder
Clip Chart clip
Lunch Count strip
Desk tag
AR Monkey cut out (for AR incentive board)
AR Sticker incentive chart
School Code of Conduct book (if the office will give me extras)
School Planner (if the office will give me extras)

I think there will be a few more things, I won't know for sure until I start setting out everything for my students, basically everything my students get the first couple days of school will go in the bag. That way when I get a new students all I have to do is pull out the bag and have everything ready no stress!

Well that's all for now! I get to start working in my classroom tomorrow so I will be posting some pictures over the next few days.

A few more things I have printed, laminated, and cut out

After searching unsuccessfully for calendar headers that would go with my monkey theme this year I found nothing I really liked so I did what I have been doing since I started stalking blogs, I made my own!

I was also stalking Pinterest and came across a really cute noise level poster (left side) from Little Warriors blog that I just had to print out too !

I get to work in my classroom on Monday and Tuesday of this coming week so I will be posting some before, during, and after pictures. I have to spend a little time tomorrow putting everything that I have accumulated over the summer in my car to take to school Monday morning. I am not sure how I will get it all into my classroom, I usually drag my youngest son with me the first day I get in my classroom to do my heavy lifting (he is a 6' 1" 225lb high school football player) but this year his football time trials are the same days I get to get into my classroom so I will have to try to snag one of the school carts to get everything to my room.

I don't know how much I can get done in 2 days but I am hoping quite a lot. I like to have my room totally arranged and decorated before preplanning officially begins so that I am not stressing during the countless meetings we have during that week. That way all I have left to do is put student names on everything to be ready for Meet The Teacher.

My poor daughter is really stressing too. She gets to get in her room for the first time on Monday as well and then on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday she has orientation and trainings to attend, then she has Friday and Saturday to work in her room again, then Monday she has meetings ALL day and then Tuesday she has Meet The Teacher! She is stressing out because she only has 3 days to get her room ready, I will be going down on Friday morning to help her and I will be staying at her house that night and then helping her on Saturday too, I am really looking forward to helping her set up her classroom. I just love having a daughter who is in the same profession as I am. We have always been close but I think this just brings us closer because we have even more in common.

Goodies I have made for my classroom!

Thanks to Create-Teach-Share for sharing this great idea for a super cute organizer. I went to Lowes today and bought the organizer drawer thing then I printed off the labels she shared, added a little of my own decorations and TA-DA!!

I am SO excited and can't wait to put this in my classroom and get rid of the ugly bins I have had this stuff in currently. Now I just have to figure out where to put this. I have two ideas so as soon as I get in my classroom I will figure it out.

I am hoping to relax and enjoy my weekend. Then on Monday and Tuesday I get to work in my room. I can't wait to get started!

I have also completed my Clip Chart for this year as well. Thanks to Teach-A-Roo for the printables. I am VERY pleased with how it turned out! I can't wait to get it all set up in my classroom too!

I am SO thankful that my friend Jackie from Sister Teachers introduced me to the teacher blogging world and Pinterest! These are just two of the awesome ideas I have been able to garner for my classroom! Plus I have learned how to make my own printable posters and labels and all sorts of other goodies.

Advice for New Teachers Linky Party!!

After spending a lot of time helping my daughter prepare for her classroom, and talking to my student teacher from last year who just got her first teaching job I started thinking about all the advice I give out to new teachers and was wondering what other great advice other experienced teachers would give them! So I thought this would make a GREAT topic for my very first Linky Party! 

So its time to dig back into your past and think about what you wish someone would have told you when you first started out teaching! Give us your best advice from your experiences!

Mine is - 

Say what you mean and mean what you say. 

Be consistent

Set aside at least one evening during the week to not do anything school related at all.

Can't wait to see what advice all you great teachers have for those who are new to our wonderful profession!!