Made It Monday!!

I'm linking up with 4th Grade Frolics to share my awesome chair for Made it Mondays. I found this rocker at a garage sale for $15, and the stools from a friend for $20.  I thought, score!  I've been wanting a rocker for my room for a while.  My mom had offered to sew me a cushion, but I thought I would try my hand at painting it and see where that went.

Link up Here 4th Grade Frolics 

So here is what I started with, a couple of red stools, and a dark finish walnut,  I think, rocker.  Nothing bad about them...but they needed a little pick me up!

Then I added some detail to the stools- pulling colors from my room.  I got the acrylic paint from Wal-mart for about $.97 a bottle. 

Next up was the rocker.  Now this was an undertaking, just for time sake!  First I primed it with some white primer by Krylon.  Then I used banner red from Krylon and sprayed it with about three coats. The whole chair took about 1 1/2 cans of the red paint, but so worth the extra coverage.  

Next up was the design and details.  It was actually harder for me to decide what to do than to actually do.  I learned to go nice and slow. Patience is key here people! I used chalkboard paint on the top so I can write in different messages, or names of guests.  And without further ado...

I've actually added a bit more detail to the upper spindles, and a little glitter paint.  I am super excited to take it and place it in my classroom tomorrow when I go in to work!! 

Our Class is Growing!!

So I have begun to check my class roster daily. I started with 30 and am now up to 32.  32!! Holy cow my largest class ever!  I know these kids are going to be awesome so I am not too concerned, the assessments will be a challenge, but after a multi-age room last year, I'm pretty sure I can handle it.  It's all about organization and time management!  Today I played around on Tagxedo and created a print that I am going to put up in my room.  I love that you can put your words into shapes.  I chose the heart shape- normally I don't like hearts, no explanation as to why, just don't, but as a teacher we need at times to be reminded that these children who enter our rooms are someones whole world!! I think about my little guy who went off to first grade today and hope his teacher will know just how special he is, how sensitive he is, and how smart he is.  I know that each parent trusts me to not only teach their child, but to make sure they feel safe, loved, and respected at all times.  I like to put up reminders around my room of each child, whether it be a drawing, a picture of them, or some little token they have given me to help me remember they are still children, they are still trying to find their way. It is those little reminders that help me when I may get short of patience as we all do!
So here are my little cherubs for this year- we better be feeling a whole lot of love in the room- with 32 we are going to be quite cozy!!

It's all beginning to come together now!!

So I have spent the past two days completely immersed in my room and getting it all ready.  Looking at the pictures now it doesn't look like I did anything... I swear I did!!! Be warned this is a looonnnggg post and kinda picture heavy!! I wish I was 100% done so I could post all the cutesy pics I see my fellow teacher bloggers do- but alas I was not that patient- let's be real!

The room I inherited also came with a million and one books- SCORE!  I also brought along a few hundred of my own- so now came the daunting task of merging two libraries and re-organizing them so that I can find what I need and the kids can access the books they need efficiently.

I didn't take many before pictures- because honestly I unpacked all my boxes in June when I moved over from my other building.  I unpacked, but then I just said heck with it I'll finish in August.  Well...I was starting to get anxiety about how it was all going to come together and when I'd get in there and on and on!!! Grrr ::insert hair pulling:: So I enlisted the help of my visiting cousin and my oldest man and we went to town.

 Poor Jenna had no clue what I was going to make her do- she had the lucky job of using the cricut and some contact paper to post our IB attitudes. These must be posted in the classroom all year.  I will spend most of launch and then, on-going throughout the year teaching, modeling and reinforcing these attitudes and behaviors.
The contact paper was $2.50 at Lowes and worked awesome!! I set the cricut to level 2 and just cut away. It was a little tedious removing the scrap paper from the sticky cutting board- but way worth the money it saved!!

And, my oldest son, Jack helping me put away some books. He loves to help me in my room!! He is already asking when we can go back. Love that kid!!

Ah- I love Alice in Wonderland!! I love this print and I love that the first thing you see when you walk in my room is no longer a huge, daunting wall of books.  

My cousin and I grunted, and shoved, and pushed and worked our tail off moving these bookcases in a more cozy nook formation.  I like that it gives it a more smaller feel.  I still have ways to go in terms of arranging the book boxes to all match by topic or genre depending on F or NF. But, it was a great start!! Those poms are much happier now too! 

My desk/table is to the right in the picture above. Perfectly positioned to see in the library and the table behind when I'm working one-on-one with another student. With 30 children this year- I have to be on my game! 

 View from the back. .  I put all of my chapter books up here- as you can see from the previous pictures there was no way I could fit them all on the shelves in the back.I am starting on my library labels tonight   I had got a set of TPT, but after looking at it more it was too babyish for 4th graders so off I go to recreate the wheel so to speak.  I was able to clean out a few boxes of books to give to another new teacher.  They weren't quite appropriate level wise for my 4th graders- but I think they will be perfect in her room.. and I have more shelf space!!

 See!!?? Cool huh?  They may not be perfectly straight, but I love it and Jenna worked so hard on putting them up there! She was very adamant that confidence go above the door- so the kids would always see that one word before they left.  Perfect.

 My writing station.  I saw the idea on Pinterest from Mrs. Tustall's room (who by the way has a ridiculously cute and decorated room, she must spend a fortune). Sorry kids Mrs. E is that not rich- remember I have three children of my own- yikes!! Someday...I will have a super cozy classroom like that one... someday.
I will have paper and scrap paper, and all their writing materials, if they need more, they can come on back and borrow what they need.  I don't want my writers up running to their lockers or rummaging in their drawers looking for supplies- I want them to write.  No one likes to get going on a good idea and then BAM your pencil breaks and you spend 5 min. looking for a new one only to lose your idea.  No way!! Well- problem solved.

 Each table has a tub as pictured above. I had done in the past that each kid had a drawer and they kept all their stuff in it, but I am hoping this will speed things up and keep them more organized since it is a their table and each drawer is assigned specific material. ::Fingers crossed::

 The Alice in Wonderland card bunting from Etsy. I may have to print off some more- I'd like it to be a bit longer.

And...I glued some upside down- oops!

Another item that must be posted in our rooms at all times is our IB Learner Attributes. I decided to find literary characters that portrayed each of these attributes. I got stumped on Communicator- so I went with Nelson Mandela- if he isn't a great example of a communicator then who is??!!

My lovely math cart. This houses our math materials, obviously.  The rolling cart next to it is where I keep our math games once they've been introduced. If they have independent time in math they can grab a game- some even like to play them at recess!  The colored pencil holders are my favorite!! I first saw them in my son's Montessori room and new I had to have them- so I searched and found them at Allison's Montessori! Score.

Well that's it for now!! I will be posting more pics later of my library as it progresses and becomes a thing of beauty, as well as what I have in store for Back to School night.

A little decorating!!

Now is the time that I am starting to get thinking about my classroom.  I have seen so many cute themes and ideas out there- that I thought hey why not. New building, new classroom, why not try something new. I wanted to go all Alice in Wonderland but then I thought maybe a room that shows off my favorite books would be cool too.  Then it comes in to color scheme?? Ah it is not so easy to pull a room together.
Here is what I am starting with... I found some cool things on Etsy for the Alice in Wonderland theme.

I got these for above the window

and this cool print

and then there was this jem I snagged up

and finally these to hang either above the library or some other cozy nook  I ordered sapphire, dandelion, and scarlet.

So after all this I am guessing that my color scheme will be red, yellows, and blues.  We'll see how it goes- the walls are a deeper blue and the bulletin boards are an orange color.  

Another awesome score were these at Lowes- free and that is my favorite type of decor.  Paint samples can be quite useful.  I will use these as locker tags and also on their plastic storage units for their supplies.  It's not a great picture I was just so excited to get them I snapped in a hurry.   You'll see them in the future once I get them in their proper place.  

As for the hugest undertaking I have purchased these library labels online. I don't really know why I did, I could have made them and after looking at them I will have to make more anyway- but I am so overwhelmed by the books that I accrued.  No joke I went from probably 400 books to pry almost 2000.  That is A LOT of books.  It takes up a whole wall in my room- I will be taking a couple days to sort through them and see if I can do some arranging to create a more inviting reading area. I will be sure to post some pictures as I do.  

A Little Summer Reading

Now people may think that during the summer us teachers just relax by the pool, sleep late, and just enjoy the dog days of summer.  Let me tell you, for most, that is not the case!  Like many teachers I spend a great deal of summer break trying to get ahead of my professional reading that I haven't gotten to during the school year.  This summer is no exception.

I just finished my first professional book of summer about problem-based inquiry.  It was a fantastic read that helped me to better understand the theory behind the method.  I left knowing more about how to begin the implementation of it in my classroom.  Moving to an International Baccelaurete school where the focus is on units of inquiry into who we are I can see this being one of the best read books of the summer. 

In April I  was lucky enough to get to go to the NSTA National Conference in San Antonio. I attended several sessions about bringing inquiry into the science classroom. What I liked about Problem-Based Learning is that it is a methodology that can be brought into any subject area.  The book discusses how to start your kids off with some teacher directed inquiry and as the year and maturity of kids progresses to more toward student-centered inquiry.  If you haven't read it and are wanting to know more about trying out Problem-Based Learning then I would highly recommend this book, great examples and easy to read.  He has another great book called Why Are School Buses Always Yellow, again about the inquiry cycle.  

Next up for independent study:  Science Formative Assessment by Page Keeley 

Next up for group book club: Notebook Connections: Strategies for Reader's Notebook by Aimee Bruckner

Day 10- Special Snack!!!

Takis, Mt.Dew, Jolly Ranchers, cookies etc.  Who knew breakfast could be so delicious!! Really though the morning bell hadn't even rung and they were busting into their snacks.  Who can blame them- I was tempted to steal a few Takis myself!  We continued our comic work as well as beginning our Poetry Anthology as we study the format of poetry as writing.

Summer Time Has Begun!!!!

Okay so the last few days were so crazy at school I can hardly remember what happened! Oh, well I do remember the kids playing dodgeball in the newly renovated gym and hitting the sprinkler head and causing the largest explosion of water ever!!! Firetrucks, TV crews, the works.  What a way to spend my last day at Edison.
Now that summer is finally in sight and my children and I sat down and created our Bucket List for this summer.  I think it is a good start.  I tried to color code it so I could quickly see my indoor and outdoor activities.  We will pry make short work of that list.  The weather here is gorgeous, 72 and sunny!!

I haven't figured out how to save word files as PDF so the fonts remain  the same.  So, Jing is the next best thing I can think of, great way to capture screen shots.