Progress!

I have been able to spend the past 2 1/2 days in my classroom, finally---after having SO many different ideas go through my head this summer, and seeing all the wonderful rooms out there.  It's been nothing less than stressful.  My own kiddo started FIRST grade Monday!  Ohmiword...  does it ever get easier sending off your little ones?!?!?!  He was so excited because he gets to ride the bus this year to and from school.  We are lucky to have someone in the neighborhood that watches kids.  My 2 year old decided to be ALMOST potty trained last Friday.  I was secretly hoping to have him do it this summer, but he had other ideas.  (my 6 year old was potty trained at 24 months-miraculously!  Cause I did nothing with him to speed it along!)  Well, he was dry all weekend and even woke up dry Monday morning and I could see that light at the end of the diaper tunnel....  Till I picked him up from his first day of "school."  He refused to go for them....  :*(  He isn't a good transition kiddo.  It took him WEEKS to get used to daycare last year.  He just loves his momma! ;)

Add the home stress to the fact that tomorrow is my first inservice day back and Thursday is also another inservice-but there's actually a session in MY CLASSROOM!  (not to mention I am somewhat responsible for the session with another first grade teacher...)

ah.  sorry for all that.  It's nice to get it out there---and I'm sure there has to be SOMEONE somewhere that can relate or know what it's like.  All of you can relate to that back to school stress.  :)

Here's some pictures of what is going on in my room.  It's not completely done, but it's "sit-able" for an inservice!  {sorry the pics were taken with my phone... so they aren't that great}

  This is my new "clip chart" that I'm trying out this year.  I still have to work out the logistics of it, due to our switching classes---but I think I have a good start. UPDATED:  Click on the photo below to find this clip chart on Teachers Pay Teachers.  I added a white background option and certificates for those who exceed expectations within the file!!!

I am planning on having the kids put their clip up at the beginning of class.  There are pink containers on the table there for each class (homeroom, math, reading).  I plan on making it the kids' responsibilities to come to me if they had to move their clip (either up for a bead or down for a "talk" or note home, etc.)  When they leave my room, they will remove their clip and place it back in the bin.  {that's the idea right now anyway}

Close up.  Students will get a pink, blue or purple bead if they move up.  We will be using BragTags, so it will go right on that chain.  {More about BragTags down below!}

As you can see, I've embraced the owl obsession that started with my room last year!  =)
My word wall-I completely redid, which was such a big time consuming project!  My word wall is up in the back of my classroom.  I leave all words up all year due to having such a range of students.  I color coded this word wall to match the Dolch list.  I don't have an up close pic, but the preprimer words are outlined in red, next level is orange, next is yellow... etc.  It really made it colorful and I can envision using the word wall by having them find certain colored words in addition to other things I would have them do!

(I somehow lost my X owl...  and the color printer is down at school and I'm out of ink at home!  I'll just tell the kids he flew the roost!  hee hee)

Here's my job chart.  It is behind my desk.  (sorry for the horrible lighting on these...)  The nests are the jobs, and the owls are going to have their names.  I'm not sure which owls I'm going to use yet.  I created one last year (and forgot) and just made new different ones this week...  ;)

 (I *think* I'm leaning towards the owls above)

I like these colorful owls, but I am already using them in their cubbies and also in the bulletin board below...

 My BragTag display!!!  (I'm just missing the BragTags to hang.  School doesn't start for us for another week.)

This display is half of a bulletin board in the front of my room.  Below each owl is a push pin where their chains will hang.  It's all within reach of the kiddos-which is important! :)

Speaking of BragTags!  I just started a fabulous giveaway for them!  THREE lucky readers will get 35 tags and 35 neck chains.  Click on the pic below to go to the post to enter!

 I wanted to also share a random worksheet/flip book that I keep handy.  It is a great thing/tool to have for substitutes to do with students.  I do at least one with my kiddos early on in the year and then it's always a go-to tool for those last minute sub plans or even for when I have to write sub plans.  Just choose a book for the sub to read and then have the kids work on that!  (or I even have my kiddos pick their own book to read and complete it, if it is towards the end of the year-or work with a partner to complete!)  Click on the picture below to grab yourself a copy.  It's important that when you print it out, to leave it the way it comes out so that you just put it right into the copier to make sure that it copies correctly so when you fold it, it makes the booklet right! :)  (you also need to double side copy)

Don't forget the BragTag giveaway!  It ends at midnight September 1st!!!!!!!!!