It's that time of the year again - BACK TO SCHOOL! Here's what my room looks like this year!
I have a stellar full-time intern from UF who will be with me all year: CAROLYN!
View from the hallway:
We are going to print what we are reading and post it in the hallway all year long to promote lifelong readers! We are also going to have a "Staff Spotlight" where we'll have a student interview a staff member about what they are reading & we'll post a picture of them and their book in the hall too!
We are hoping this will encourage all students to LOVE reading!
Our timeline is one of my favorite things: we take pictures of what they do each month & post.
I seriously love the Walgreens app because you can print from your phone to your store and it's ready in an hour!
Work display for the hall:
The "Wall of Fame" will have pictures of each student and their goals for the quarter. The blue paper will serve as our photo backdrop on the first day!
Our school is ramping up A.R. this year so this will be posted all year long!
Reminders as they wash their hands :)
Bathroom sign in/out log, Drop box for all notes to us, and Think Sheet/Incomplete Work Notebook!
If a student isn't making the best choices, they get a Think Sheet to fill out at school and I have to sign off before it's sent home that night. They are to get it signed and bring it back the next day. If they don't, they have silent lunch or reading recess and I make a phone call home that night asking the parents to look for it. Once it's signed, they show it to me and file it behind their number in this notebook.
Students log their incomplete HW so you always have documentation in case of a conference.
Number tabs - behind their number is the incomplete log and they file Think Sheets here. Super easy for conferences - all your documentation is there!
Most likely our writing board but we'll see!
Student area to file all complete work:
Student supply cart - don't ask us, just get it!
Student cubbies that contain more supplies so they can just get it and not ask us!
Questions for the first day:
Codes that correspond to individual student cards they use during independent work (not pictured) but I used them last year.
Free chalkboard letters thanks to Pinterest!
Noise chart, learning chart, EQ & HW board
Computer & Elmo table - hooked to SMARTBoard.
My subject bins from the Container Store - holds all teacher's editions, activities & copies for the week, etc. so I can just grab & teach!
Friday Folder bins & stuff to hand out the first week. Empty cubbies will be for their lunchboxes.
One of my favorite parts (used last year) pocket charts that double as curtains!
I added "I LOVE READING" border underneath this year!
Classroom library & reading area:
New this year: Book Checkout Chart
(Thanks Katie for helping me make this & Heidi for getting the cute pockets!)
Once they choose a book from the class library, they write the title and date when they checked it out. They have to bring their book and card for us to initial when they have checked it back in. This creates accountability for books & responsibility if they lose them. A letter is going home in their Welcome Packets explaining this system & students and parents sign off saying they will replace the book if their child loses it!
Reading focus board:
Shelves behind my desk:
Drawers for Guided Reading group materials. These will be labeled once they are established.
Genre posters & space for anchor charts
My desk also doubles as my guided reading table.
View from the back of the room! I LOVE my rug!
Grammar door which will fill up as we teach & Data wall
which will have classroom percentages for all assessments.
Amazing words will go in this pocket chart for each Unit & this is
also Carolyn's area and small group table.
Carolyn's drawers for her small group stuff.
School-wide behavior clip chart - anything below green gets a Think Sheet.
Meet the Teacher stuff: Student Info Form (goes in binder with parent contact log to document all communication) and a letter from us. I added a "Contact Me" magnet so they can stick this on the fridge. This is our school phone number - I NEVER give out my personal cell number!
Views as you walk in (notice the word wall on the ceiling again!)
New accordion folders this year: each student has one with the tabs to keep the little things organized!
"Caught Ya" cash is our positive behavior reward they can use at a school store to buy items.
Math & Science tabs for vocabulary cards they either cut out or make themselves. There are 3 more tabs that we may make additional labels for throughout the year if we see a need for something.
PHEW...so there you have it! So excited about this year!