Monday, August 12, 2013

Meet the Teacher


So today was our first official day back. Today, we had a staff breakfast, followed by working in our rooms, and then we got our class lists at the end of the day. I have 20 students in my class and I am super excited to meet my new Kinders. How about you all? How many do you have in your class this year?

 

Well, this week is "Teacher Week" Linky. I am very excited to get to know everyone and share things with you all. Here's the schedule:

First off, I'm Cara.
 

Today, I will be sharing...
 

 1. I am a Disney-aholic. I LOVE Disney and if I could I would live there. I love watching my little girl light up when she sees the castle.
 

2. I love making hairbows. I also sell them on the side.


 

  3. I love watching the University of Tennessee football. I can't wait until the season starts. Go Vols!
 

4. I'm obsessed with Vera Bradley. I believe I have over 25 bags. Love, love, love!

 

5. My husband is also a teacher. We have taught together at the same school for 7 years now. This will be the first year since then that we haven't worked at the same school.
 

6. I love visiting the Smoky Mountains. It's so beautiful and relaxing.


7. I am obsessed with Pinterest. I enjoy finding new things for my classroom and home.

8. I am a Reality TV Show Junkie. Big Brother, Top Chef, Next Food Network Star, Duck Dynasty, Gator Boys, you name it, I watch it.
9. My daughter is my world. She makes me laugh everyday and brings such great joy to my life.

 

10. My favorite time of year in school is setting up my classroom. I can't wait to come back tomorrow and show off pictures.












 
 


 

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Daily 5 Folders


This will be my first year implementing Daily 5 in my classroom. Last year as a Curriculum Coach and Resource Teacher, I was exposed to it in the classrooms I visited. I have read the book and am excited to start using it in my classroom, as well as, learning about it through others.

As I have been planning different activities and deciding how I’m going to set up my classroom, I came up with an idea of how my students are going to hold papers for the activities that they complete along with holding them accountable for their work. Well, I created this folder.





This is the front cover, where my students will write their names. Here is what the completed folders look like. (I go through step by step on how to make one.)

 

 
Here is the first folder which has a pocket for Read to Self/Read to Someone Response papers. It also has a pocket for Listen to Reading Response papers.
 
 
When you turn the first folder, I placed a sheet protector with a Daily 5 checklist and rubric.
 
 
 
The next folder has a pocket for Word Work and Work on Writing papers.
 
 
On the back cover, I placed "EEKK!" and "I PICK" reminders for my students.
 
Now here is how you make these Daily 5 folders.
 
 
First, you need 2 folders with pockets and prongs, as well as, a sheet protector.
 
 
Next, print off the papers to make the folders. You can do so by clicking here.
 
 
Now, open up one of the folders. Fold it in half so the pockets are facing out. Like the image below.
 
 
 
Then, open up the other folder and place it in front of you. Place the folded folder inside the flaps where the prongs are located.
 
 
Now, you line up the prongs and holes and close the folder just like you would if you were placing papers inside it.
 
 
Turn the folder to the next and do the same.
 

 
Once you have closed all the prongs, your folder will look like this closed. You now have two folders fastened together for durability.
 
 
Now, to add the sheet protector page. Open the folders to the very inside of the folders. You will see the back of one folder and the front of the other. I simply place the sheet protector down and taped it with colored masking tape on both sides.
 
 
 
You are now done making the folder but you have a few more steps.
 
 
Glue the front cover on.
 
 
Then, cut out the labels for the pockets. I cut around the design, however to save you time you can just cut them into a rectangle and glue to the pockets.
 
 
You then, need to place the Daily 5 Checklist and Rubric into the sheet protector. Why are they going into a sheet protector you might be asking yourself? How are they going to mark on the checklist and rubric? Well to save on paper each week, I will be having my students use dry erase markers to mark on the sheet protector. Each day my students will circle the Daily 5 activities that they completed on their Checklist. I can then easily look at it at the end of the day or at the end of my Reading Block. Next, the rubric will be completed at the end of each week with the students circling their score and then writing the number in the box.
 
 
 Finally, I glued the "EEKK!" and "I PICK" reminders on the back of the folder for students to review if needed.
 
 
 
I hope you find these folders as a great resource for your classroom. I am looking forward to using them in mine and know it will be a great way for them to be held accountable for their work.
I will also be participating with First Grade in Foxwell Forest, for her monthly Daily 5 on the Fifth Linky Party. Click below to stop by and check out all the wonderful things others are doing in their classrooms with Daily 5.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Classroom Makeover Day 2



How are you all doing? I have been busy working in my room organizing and starting to decorate. Can I say I am completely overwhelmed and stressed out? I have SO much stuff to go through. Ugh! Does anyone else feel this way? I have officially moved everything into my new classroom.
This is just some of the bins that I brought in. Inside many of my bins are books for my classroom library. As I unpacked them, I had to repack many of them because I can't use them in a Kindergarten classroom. Remember, I'm going back into the classroom from teaching K, 1, and 2 Reading for several years. So in a box they went into my closet. I started sorting them by levels and then topics. I still have to straighten them up and add labels to the front of the bins.
Here is a picture of the empty bins in my library. I forgot to take a picture of them before I left today. Duh! I had to take a break from the books. My eyes were getting blurry. So, I moved on to cleaning my cabinets and closet. I literally took everything out of them. There was stuff EVERYWHERE! The teacher whose room it was before mine came in and took her things out. She said a lot of the things were in there when she came in. I ended up boxing up a lot of the items and am going to put them out for teachers and aftercare to peruse when we officially return next week. I also got rid of broken crayons that were in bins and other miscellaneous stuff.

The teacher that had the room last year came in and removed majority of the stuff that is by the window. The only things I'm waiting to be removed are the Intermediate student chairs and two teacher desks. I was so happy when she showed up today. I was starting to feel claustrophobic.
I also put up my bulletin board paper and border with my husbands help. Oh yeah, my little one had to do some modeling in front of the board. He also, put up my Alphabet and Numbers. 




We both don't like the numbers being scattered around and will be changing it. I can't wait to finish decorating my room. It's my favorite part. I have so many cool things still to put up. I'm off to take a break for the night. I don't feel like cooking after cleaning ALL day, so I sent my husband to pick up a pizza and Chicken Parmesan from our favorite pizza place. Yum!
 
I hope you enjoy this post. Still a lot more to do. How are you all feeling as you start going back into your classrooms?
 
One more thing before I go, I'm 9 people away from 200 followers. When I get to 200, I'll have a giveaway and freebie for everyone! 

Monday, July 29, 2013

Classroom Makeover: Day 1


Today, I was able to get into my new classroom. My husband and daughter came with me. I was able to put my husband to work bringing in the first load of boxes that I currently have stored at my parents house. (We live in a condo so, I was lucky that they allowed me to use their spare bedroom to store my things.) I spent most of the morning just placing my furniture where I wanted it to go. I still have a lot of the previous teacher's items in my room, along with maintenance storing things like light bulbs, ceiling tiles, etc. in my new room. I simply just moved most of the items to one area in the room and didn't even touch the other teacher's items in my closet or cabinets. I talked to her briefly today and she is coming in on Wednesday to get her things and move them into her new room. Here is how I decided to setup my classroom for now.
 
This is looking from the front of the room towards the back. Most of the items on the shelf are the other teacher's and some is manipulatives. I have to go through that tomorrow. My plan is to have this area be my guided teaching table.

 
This is looking from the front towards the back where the closet is located. I ended up moving the filing cabinet after taking this picture to another area of the room and placed another bookshelf there. I will be using the filing cabinet as a center for students to make words or do math centers with magnets.

 
This will be my classroom library and whole group instruction area. The carpet for this area is getting cleaned.

 
This is looking from the back towards the front door. If you notice, you can see some of the items that belong to the other teacher along with some maintenance items off to the right. (I didn't take a picture of that because it is very cluttered.) *Notice my little "Flash" running in the picture. LOL! She was having a ball playing with the linking cubes.

 
Another view of my students tables. There she is again playing with the math bins.

 
This is the last hexagon table towards my other door. I also have a kitchen that I placed under the bulletin board. I'm thinking about moving it. I am debating whether or not to make that bulletin board my calendar math board or making the small bulletin board in my library the calendar math board. I was also thinking that the small bulletin board could be used to post my weekly poem. Hmmmm....what do you think? Opinions please.