My First Five For Friday

Hey there! I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching today for my very first Five For Friday! Check out all the fun I had this week!

I went to the fabric store in search of some new decor for my classroom. I am pretty much in love with all of these, but I'll probably go with the green and grey on the top (although I wish I could do the blue, grey, and orange!).

A Work In Progress

Today, I'm linking up with Kim from KinderGals for their Workin' On It Wednesday series. While I am nowhere near as organized as Kim is this summer, I really should be!

This week, I went into school for summer school training. I'm feeling the pressure to get things done even more this year because I will be teaching summer school in my own classroom beginning in July. There is so much to do and so little time since I will be off visiting Charleston for six of the eighteen days I have left. 

This summer, all the classrooms in our school are being installed with TeamBoards which is super exciting! Because the installers will need to do some work on our white boards and such, I needed to take everything off of my walls and I decided to hold off on switching the fabric on my side bulletin boards!

So, here is my to do for the picture above:

- Recreate reading focus wall on left

- Create goal setting board on the right

- Create math focus wall wherever there is leftover room after my TeamBoard is added

- Move classroom rules to under the white board

I think I saw class rules in the space under a white board in a blog or on Pinterest. I love the idea! When there aren't desks pushed to the middle of the room for summer cleaning, this are is our gathering spot. Under the board would be a perfect spot for quickly reviewing rules with friends.

Above and below are the two areas that need the most work, and I don't even know if I am at the point where I can make a to do list for them. The area above looks different during the school year. The students put their backpacks along this wall, and the shelves are rearranged in the right two cubbie areas to create our library. But I want to cut our library down a bit. I also want to make sure that all my buckets on the shelves match and get rid of the ribbon word wall. I just don't know where to move the word wall!

Below is where my small group table usually sits. This area needs some revamping as well. The two bulletin boards back here do not have any specific purposes. Part of me wants to make the word wall on this super tall board, but it's really not where most of my students can see. Dilemmas!

As of right now, my last project is my small group seating. I made super cute crates, but they are a few years old now and breaking. I can't decide if I want to make them again or come up with another option. I saw these at Target today and thought they'd be super cute too! Price wise, though, I can't decide.

Aside from normal summer school prep, that's what I'm working on!

I'm also working on my own link-up for the summer - Sell It Saturdays! We had our first one last weekend. Be sure to stop by this Saturday and link up with a product you are selling on TPT!

Class Update and New {School} Year Resolutions

It's been a few days since I've posted. I've been super busy in the classroom. Last post I showed a few preview photos to show off what I was working with, but now I'll get to show off the (near) finished look. It's basically just the bare bones as I have not gotten any posters or displays up, but the walls are done, and it's coming together nicely.

This is how it started.

This is how it looks now! I love it!

Another before picture - other wall.

New and improved wall!

Better view of my future class library.

But updating the walls isn't the only thing I've been doing. I've been adding details to help make the room more organized and/or inviting - depending on the detail.

A tablecloth gives the table a completely different feel! It really warms up the entire room so much!

These crates are due to be turned in to seats. They'll double as storage. A trip to Home Depot and Hobby Lobby are in the works for today.

Each set of five students gets their own shelf to store book boxes and other odds and ends I don't want in their desks.

So, those are some of the things that I've been working on. I have a bunch more little projects that will hopefully be the final touch. I also need to put stuff on the wall. That will definitely be a process, but I know I need to find space for my Daily 5 and CAFE boards. I will need a writing board. I had a word wall last year; we'll see where that goes. I'm sure that I'll eventually be running out of room.

Finally, I'm linking up with Amanda at Teaching Maddeness for her New {School} Year Resolutions. Here it goes!

Number One: Stay organized! It's especially important because I got rid of my desk. I'll be using my Guided Reading table as my main spot, plus a shelf in the room for office supplies that I will be 'sharing' with my friends. Number Two: Plan! Last year I was so overwhelmed that planning was difficult. Don't get me wrong - I did plan, but it wasn't done as far in advance as I would have liked. Number Three: Guided Math. I was on and off and on and off with Guided Math last year. I loved it. My friends loved it, but (probably because of Number Two) I never was able to consistently do it due to planning constraints. Number Four: Take on some school projects. I'm putting this as a resolution, even though I kind of have already started. In theory - as long as no one else decides they want it - I'll be taking over Box Tops and Yearbook this year. So exciting, but I like being involved in things. And last, and probably the oddest one: Number Five: Stay late. What?! No really. My little puppy was so small last year - and still learning how to control his bladder, so I'd have to race home once our teacher hours were over so I could make it to let him out before he made a mess in my kitchen. Now, he's almost a year old (his birthday is on Tuesday!) and he is almost a pro. Still the occasional mess, but he's able to make it an extra hour or two by himself. But he's trained me to come home right away, so it's a habit I'll need to break. I don't need to stay late everyday - I don't want to stay late everyday - but I need to remember if there is something I want to stick around and finish, it's okay. Okay, I think that's it. I promise next post will be from my First Year Advice From a Second Year Teacher series. It won't be until next week though because we're going camping this weekend. Oh joy!
Until next week!

First Post ... Newbie Blog Hop

1.  what state you are in
I am currently taking up residence in Illinois. 

2.  your current teaching position

This year I will be teaching a third grade ESL class.

3.  your teaching experience

This year will be my second year teaching. I am lucky enough to be at the same school again, although I will be changing grades (and rooms). Last year, I taught a second grade ESL class. I'm very thrilled to be heading into this year a lot more organized, and I am cautiously excited to have some of my students from last year back in my class again.

4.  when you started blogging

It may look like I am just starting blogging with this post, but I've actually been blogging for a bit now... just under different names. Picking a teaching blog name is tough stuff. I've also had a cupcake blog in the past. Baking is my other true love, although cooking is quickly picking up steam.

5.  share a blogging tip / blogging resource

Find a blog design website that has free or inexpensive templates. Uploading a template onto your blog may seem like an unnecessary thing, but it's really motivated me to get started with my blogging, and when I am surfing through blogs, I'm much more likely to spend time at one that is nice and designed than one that just uses a basic blogger template. I'd like to get my own customized blog one day, but I'm trying to be smart and wait until I have some actual followers. Hopefully, one day that will happen!


Follow past the cut to see everyone in the blog hop!