Classsroom Photos Linky Party!

Hi everyone!
I hope you can all join the party and post your mid-year classroom photos! I'm sure all of you, like me, have made many changes to your classroom since the beginning of the year... SHOW OFF YOUR STUFF!

Here the motherload of my classroom...

My desk

Welcome!

View from my desk

Add caption

Helpers Chart... everyone gets a job in our class!

Daily Calendar

Schedule

Handy dandy clapper and supplies for my daily calendar

Calendar Journals (on clipboards), whiteboards and supplies

Class Rules

App Store, SuperKids (our reading curriculum) and Computer Info

App Store

Crafty Supplies Shelf

Surprise!

View from the back corner

Projector, radio, ELMO and hidden storage

Steps chart

Steps chart supplies, Parts of a Book cards and Wet Ones (gotta have those ready!)

 

Check out the other party-goers' posts, too!

What a Wednesday

Hi friends!
So today was quite a day! I had 5 students out today. 5!! And my student teacher was out too!! Flu shot, here I come!
Can you imagine what it was like in my classroom today?? It was so calm and quiet. We do centers each day for an hour and I usually have parent volunteers but my parent volunteer was sick today, too! So it was just me and my students today. It was so nice. After our calm centers, we started our Language Arts block. Do you remember D? Well this is the worst part of the day for him. Language Arts time is the time he dreads the most so he decided he wouldn't come back to the classroom. I gotta figure something out for that kiddo. Anyway, during our language arts block, it happened... dun, dun, dun! The fire alarm!!!! This was my train of thought: What's that noise? Is that the bell? What time is it? Are those more bells? Crap! (I go outside to make sure that those were bells because my classroom is far from the bells) Crap! What's today? Did I miss the drill? Crap! Then, "Ok boys and girls we are going to STOP what you are are doing, stand up and get in line." Yeah, I scared them a little with my serious-get-in-line-now voice. So D was already outside of our classroom, he saw everyone else and jumped in line (with a little prompting). We head over to the field to line up and D starts running. Running laps around the field. Just running. Having the time of his life. The entire school is outside at this point and D is running laps. What could I do? I giggled a little. There was nothing else. We figured out quickly that he just needed to let out some energy. When he was tired, he returned to class. After the drill- oh wait, it was a drill because a 4th grader accidentally pulled the alarm- we returned to class, finished out language arts lesson and moved right into Social studies where we continued to talk about the Statue of Liberty. No pictures of that today. Bummer. We watched a great youtube clip of a tour of the Statue. It was awesome, the kids were really excited about it. So during this lesson, I got a little surprise...I's parents showed up! With cupcakes, and juice, and goody bags for I's birthday. Surprise! Ugh. I hate when that happens. I really do. An entire hour before lunch. Double Ugh. We were still in the middle of the lesson. So I made them be volunteers for a few before I said we could actually eat those cupcakes and have those juices. Then I look over and mom is cutting I's statue for her. REALLY? Come on, mom, let your kid do her work. Can you tell I was annoyed?? So finally, I said it was ok to have some cupcakes BUT I had to inspect the ingredients first because I have students severely allergic to nuts including things that are made on shared equipment of nuts. Luckily, these were safe. Next, I had to inspect the ingredients again for gluten because I have a student severely allergic to gluten. Not safe. This student now has to eat fruit snacks while everyone else gets cupcakes. See why I hate these surprises? Then it was lunch time. Finally. But I have lunch duty today so I have exactly 15 minutes to heat up my food, get homework ready to be copied, help R find his lost lunchbox, scarf down my food, and report for duty. Ugh. After lunch, the birthday girl went home so now I have 6 students out and Art class. Pure bliss.
Here are some shots of my students at centers today. They were math centers 2 focusing on graphing, 1 reviewing patterns and 1 fun, creative one.

hmmm... one of these pages doesn't look right... We graphed the candy corn in our bags

We graphed the dinosaurs on the table

This one is from yesterday but I put it here because I love to see them on task and working together.

 Ok friends, be back soon!

Currently & a Window

Hi Friends!
I have figured out why I'm such a blogging slacker... I have no plan! Well that and I try to see my nephew as often as possible and when that happens, I'm too tired to lift a finger! Still, I have no plan! I have set up a little schedule for myself and I'm ready to commit!
Here it goes...
First up? Currently!!
I love these things! I love to read other people's responses and I think it's funny when I see some that are similar or have the same answers, great minds think alike huh?

I am LOVING my new whiteboard... I have rearranged my classroom, set up things a little differently and have been using that baby every day! I am going to post the current state of my classroom soon. I can't tell you how exciting it is! Well, maybe some of you know already because you have one BUT there are only 2 on our campus: one in my classroom and one in a fourth grade classroom. That's it.
I am THINKING that I need to put another project up soon! I just got another one funded for some interactive games to go with the whiteboard but I'm not sure what to do next...
I am WANTING some new clothes because, well seriously, doesn't everybody? And if my husband tells me that I have plenty of clothes one more time... I'm gonna lose it!!!! lol.
I am NEEDING a day off of work, Monday off? Shortened Day? Something! We started earlier than ever this year and it is really taking a toll on my body.
BOOK: There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves because reading this to kindergarteners is just so much fun! They are so cute and silly when they hear silly stories, it's so fun to read to them.

Now it's your turn... link up! I'm a few days late on this one and there are already 289 people linked up! 289!! That's amazing!!! Way to go Farley! 
Next up?
I have to share with all of you my Fall Window. This is our first year making these and I think it is so cute! Now the picture doesn't do it too much justice but I swear it looks good up close. Each of the students chose the leaf shape that they wanted and sponge painted it with "Fall Colors" orange, yellow and red. We (myself and my student teacher) cut them out and put them onto the window as this display. I also wrote all of the students' names on their leaves so that they could all be a part of our classroom tree. To make the trunk and branches, I used a brown paper bag crumbled up and flattened out.
Here it is...

Ok friends, Happy Monday!

And we're back!

Hey! Hey! Hey!
It has been a CR-A-ZY back to school week. I was so exhausted after each day and I stayed so late each day that I came home and plopped onto my bed! I was having a hard time juggling blogging, sleeping and eating. But, I'm back and I'm ready to join some linkys, go back to commenting on all these wonderful blogs and so many classroom photos (I LOVE looking at classroom photos) and keeping myself updated on the blogging world! YAY! Oh, btw, Android finally released a Pinterest app that I canNOT get myself away from. I love me some pinning!
Here's a few pictures of some little things from around my classroom...
I got this idea from somewhere online and I am so glad that I did! I have a spot for all of the lost marker tops and glue stick tops. The students are so good about putting the tops in here. Now, I'm hoping, we'll always be able to find a top! I have even taught a few of my girlies to take the tops off of dried out markers to save for others that lose their tops. Here's to hoping this will last! 

Add caption

 I had my sweeeet, sweeet grandmother sew on pieces of velvro to my carpet squares for name tags and look at the damage they have gone through already! It's only been a week! I should have put them in the middle so that they could sit on them. Ho, Hum... Oh and the trampoline doesn't usually go in the classroom or in that spot. I see those eyes looking at that! lol. I took this picture on Friday afternoon and I brought it inside for safe keeping over the weekend. We use it for sensory breaks for students. The bean bag chairs and rolling chair don't usually go there either. =)

Today I officially started using my new SuperKids reading curriculum! Wooo Hooo! I have been so nervous about this program and now that day 1 is down, I am even more nervous!!!!! I don't know why! Well I do know why... while it is a great program that introduces blending fairly quickly, I worry about the few students on my class that are already reading. I am hoping that once I figure out the program a little better, I can begin to modify the work to meet the needs of the students who are already reading AND those with a disability that causes them not to be able to access the materials from the program. Unit 1, Lesson 1 was fun, interactive but has the potential to bore those who already know that the letter C makes the /k/ sound. Hmf... I have to keep reminding myself that I can't do it all and I definitely can't do it all in one day.

This is a picture of my gingerbread man board... I added a cute title but didn't get a pic of it. On the second day of school we went on a hunt around the school for the Gingerbread Man! He left us clues all around the school (our way of getting them acquainted with the school grounds) to help us find him but he was just too fast! This is seriously the most memorable event in the first month of school for the kids. We didn't catch him but he did leave us a note and a gingerbread cookie as a treat. The next day, we made our own gingerbread men. Aren't they darling? 

Last picture... and the reason why I love kindergarten....today, we talked about the letter C and I had some kids predict what picture was on the card I was holding, these were their answers. I wrote and drew them on the board as they raised their hands (as quietly as their kindergarten bodies could be) to give me an answer....

Even though my pictures are awful, all of the students gave me such nice compliments. I am such a great "drawer" according to my class. I'll take it! lol. Oh you can catch a glimpse at some of the books we have read this whole week.  Oh my goodness, one more thing, one of the pictures says "crud" because one of my students raised his hand and said "crud." I was like, "crud?" He said, "yeah, crud. Like when you drop something and you say, 'oh, crud.'" Hilarious! I HAD to write it up there especially because he hasn't raised his hand much this week, I wasn't gonna shut him down with such a great answer! You may notice that my illustration for crud is a serious face. My student's suggestion because, "I get serious when I drop stuff." LMAO! I love that kid!

I am working on a 5 Senses pack with a powerpoint, review, hands-on activities and assessment. Hopefully it will be up soon! We are teaching senses this week so I'm hoping to include all of the things that work out well. Maybe I'll give a few away! =)

Ok friends, if you're here, follow me! If you follow me, thank you! I'm glad you're here. I'm off to blog-stalk!

Happy Monday!!!

Friday Photo Dump

Hi Everyone!
It was my last day in the classroom before the students come... yikes! I feel so rushed! My husband planned a wonderful camping trip for us...we leave TODAY! AAAHHH!!! Doesn't he know how much stuff I have to do??? I am excited to go to rest my brain because it has been working a mile a minute this week. There are so many changes (for the better) at our school this year with teachers, schedules, administration, academic programs and curriculum and of course, students! I have an exciting year ahead of me!
Here are the last few shots I got of my classroom, hopefully next week's photo dump will be work from my students!

Positive Behavior Support System. I use the traffic light to cue the noise level in my classroom.

Marble Jar (more PBS), Helpers chart: everyone has a job here!

Daily Schedule. I review this each and every morning with my class. We say the times and activities chorally.

Calendar board. Most of my helpers have a job to help with some sort of the morning meeting which includes this board.

Computer table.

One of my kindergarten team members made these for us to show the students the steps of what to do at each center, i.e. cut, color, glue, cubby.

I laminated a library pocket to hold all of the choices. There is one for each table.

Trying to stay organized!

My desk area. Teeny tiny but it works.

As I was looking through the pictures I see some things that I forgot to take pictures of. If you are curious about anything you see, feel free to ask!

Happy Friday everyone! I'm off to the river!

As the school year approaches everyone too, don't forget to check out my TPT products, these are my best sellers right now: