Pluggin' Along

After 5 days of new teacher training, I was back in my classroom with no agenda.  Here a few things I accomplished today.  There are more but I need them laminated and that is something I am not "supposed" to do.  We'll see what happens when I am working late tomorrow night:)

Not sure why these photos are vertical...grr.  The numbers booklet is an idea I got while subbing in the Davenport schools.  I have used them every year for early finishers.  This year they will be apart of Math by Myself.




 

I had this printed last school year from a Pinterest post.  This year I added the frames to put the kiddos pictures in.

New Teacher Training

For the past three days I have been entrenched in "new" teacher training.  My brain is full and unorganized.  My stomach is in knots. And my butt hurts from sitting all day:)  Despite how my body is feeling, I am READY to dig in to the curriculum and figure the WHAT and HOW of teaching my firsties.

Here is what I am thinking and feeling about the information presented the past three days in no particular order...

• I heart the Common Core (http://www.corestandards.org/)!
• I am anxious to see how I make it all work in first grade.
• I want to be apart of writing curriculum.
• I need to get to work on Flipcharts.
• How am I going to effectively monitor report card requirements with standards based grading?
• I NEED to get questions answered about my schedule.

I am relieved that Superior's philosphies, practices, and people mesh with my teaching style and personality. 

Mrs. Benner + School District of Superior = a good fit

Sunday Funday

This week the floors in our building are getting waxed.  Therefore, there is no working in my room.  The good thing is that it conisides with my new teacher training which is Wednesday through Friday this week.  So to put my mind at ease, I went in this morning at 8:30 and worked until noonish.  I feel a little constrained because I currently don't have access to a printer/copier (those floors are in the process of getting waxed and the copier needs toner) or a laminator.  Here are a couple of things I did accomplish today.

Math wall, calendar area. 
It needs a schedule, some dates, and a Math Words header.

Word work table.
Alphabet tape in a square with pens, markers, and rulers.

One of the ways I organize and work my way through my classroom as I set up for the school year is to place like items on tables.  Once I clear off a table it remains clear.  My word work table was cleared off today!

Classroom library

I did it!  I spent all day yesterday sorting and resorting my books.  Last week, one of dearest teacher friends and her husband, drove my books 4 hours to Minnesota.  We exchanged books, ate lunch, and said good-bye.  Short and sweet.  Now back to business...

My mission for yesterday was to get my classroom library in order.  I was fortunate to be left lots and lots of books from the previous teacher.  I checked out the 2 Sisters website for guidance on sorting and storing my books.  Then I headed to the Dollar Tree, Target, and Wal-mart for bins and crates.  Now, being a native Minnesotan, Target is always my go to.  However, some things I have to admit, Wal-mart has a better selection.  I bought the small, blue crates at Wal-mart in the Back to School section.  I went to 3 Wal-marts to get 20 blue crates.  My mom is picking up two more blue crates and 8 green crates from another store near her.

One pile of books.

This was mid-way through my all day sort.

This is where I started from yesterday.

Instead of sanding and painting my bookshelves, I bought contact paper from Amazon.

This is how it turned out yesterday. 



My CAFE board. 
Aww.  The letters and captions were part of the loot brought by Tammy and Paul.  I downloaded them from the Ladybug's Teacher Files last school year.  I had them printed on cardstock, mounted them on black, and laminated them. http://www.ladybugsteacherfiles.com/

Promethean Board Training

Today I attended a voluntary training for the Promethean Board in my room.  I am soooo happy I went.  First, I met more Cooper teachers!  My Cooper teachers, like my Madison teacher friends, are ahead of the technology game.  We were 90% of the attendees today!  They love Diet Coke, Sons of Anarchy, and going out to lunch.  Second, the training was super helpful.  Our trainer, Amy Conger, was excellent and very knowledgeable.  I am excited to start downloading flipcharts and making my own.

Tomorrow I head into my classroom where I have ONE MISSION: organize my books.  Tammy and Paul were gracious enough to drive my books up to MN this week.  I went quickly went through the boxes today and pulled ones that I thought my new firsties would read.  Now it is time to organize them.  I am modeling my classroom library organization after the 2 Sisters.  I have a lot of work to do.

On more thing...I ordered shelf liners for my bookshelves.  They are in bad shape and I do not have the time to sand, paint, and repaint them.  Pictures tomorrow!

Classroom pictures

Last Wednesday I sent the kids to daycare and I headed to school to arrange my furniture.  But when I arrived, my carpets were in the drying phase.  So I dropped off my trunk full of teacher stuff (Moose can now park in the garage!) and did some more shopping for my classroom.  I went to Dollar General for some bins, poster board, and other random items.  Target had a teal pocket chart in their $1 section and I picked up another teal crate.  I also went to Goodwill and the Salvation Army for books.  While I have some books for my first grade readers and there were some left in my classroom, I need more picture books.  I am looking forward to ordering from Scholastic once their new site is ready!

On Friday, the kids went to daycare again and I went back to school to see if my floors were dry.  Luckily the days were cool and the humidity was low and my floors were ready!


This is the view from my door.



This is from the front corner of my room.

More pictures to come as I head back in tomorrow.  Tomorrow's goal is to organize shelving and clear off one more table.

Summer reading

My principal gave me a copy of The Core Six, Essential Strategies for Achieving Excellence with the Common Core.  It is by Silver, Dewing, and Perini.

I am not very far but it am looking forward to the section on Inductive Learning.  That is a new phrase for me.  I'll post again once I am finished.

Thinking, planning, and pinning!

I just finished my allotted time to search Pinterest.  Like many teachers, Pinterest has positively influenced my teaching and classroom décor.  However, it is a black hole for time and I often set a limit has to how much time I can spend pinning.  Now that I am back in first grade and determined to emulate the Sisters (www.thedailycafe.com) with Daily 5/CAFE and Math Daily 5, I have lots of gathering to do.  I am a HUGE list maker and follower.  I found this cute notebook at Target that has colored sections.  I am filling it with ideas and questions for my new colleagues.  Along with things to create, make, buy, find, and organize for my massive room.  I also scavenged the clearance section for random classroom items.  Below is a picture of my loot.

Magnetic notes holder, mini clip boards, cute (but functional) Post-its, superhero wipeboards, and colored place cards.

A New Beginning

Today I went to my new school, Cooper Elementary, in Superior, Wisconsin.  I have to say that I had mixed feelings as I pulled up and entered the building.  I felt like I was "cheating" on Madison.  But then as I walked down the halls and met my new partners in educational crime, I realized that I wasn't the newbie teacher anymore.  I have a lot to offer my counterparts and I know what I need from them.

Then I saw my room.  It is huge!  And packed with teaching stuff collected over decades by a retiring teacher.  I am hoping to inherit some of her treasures.  There is a ton of furniture under the teaching materials.  I even have a bathroom.  The room is ideal for Daily 5/CAFE.  As I sat in my room today, I decided that I am going to tackle Math Daily 5 this year.  Similar to last year, I was inspired to try Daily 5 when I saw the master schedule.  This year, I am motivated to try Math Daily 5 because of the awesome potential I see in my room.  Oh, and I will have no more than 18 students, guaranteed by SAGE in Wisconsin.  I don't know what SAGE stands for yet, but I know that it means small class sizes for lower grades.

If you haven't checked out the Sisters website www.thedailycafe.com, you must.  Life changing.  Enough said.