My Classroom Digs!

Hey ya'll!

 Phew, is all I really have to say right now. Today was our second *official* day of school, and let me tell you...I am EXHAUSTED! I always forget that my cuties really do start out as babies. But, in my two short days with them, they have already impressed me beyond words and shown so much growth! 

I really can't wait to show you all the fun stuff we've been getting into, but today I'm here to link up with Blog Hoppin' and show you my classroom digs! This year, I was fortunate enough to move into a brand new and HUGE room! It has been a dream come true for me, but still I feel like I am dying for more space. I guess that's something a teacher really will never be satisfied with. Especially if you have a basket hoarding problem like I do. 

First up, I'll share a picture of my calendar, and center rotation chart board! I totally changed up my color scheme this year, and as you can see, I also totally stole borrowed some bulletin board ideas from the amazing Kindercraze.

We have already put both boards to great use, and I love how bright a cheery they look! I also got my fabulous alphabet from the one and only Kindercraze. Now if only they would invent a tape that would actually adhere to cinder block walls....sigh.

Oh and that rolling container you see? Well this lucky lady happened to win that at  PD two weeks ago, and now I SERIOUSLY don't know how I ever survived without it. I'm not sure how much they cost retail, but I swear it would be worth every single penny. 

Next up, a little snip of my rug area. I was lucky enough to have enough space in my classroom this year to position a rug right in front of my Promethean board, and still enough space to have another massive rug in my classroom library. Blessed, I know. 

The pocket charts on the back of the bookcases are for center use. On the other side is where we store all of our math tubs. The buckets of clipboards are also used for center work, and the bucket of dry erase boards are used daily in a variety of subjects!

My next area up for show is our classroom library. Almost all of the books and tubs are labeled, but it's still a little bit of a work in progress. I'm realizing it's actually impossible to have every aspect of your classroom entirely done before school starts. If you are one of those lucky people who are able to do so, I don't wanna know about it. ;) I prefer the comfort of the idea that I am not the only one still scrambling to get it together!

My library definitely got quite the upgrade this year, and I was so thrilled to be able to add that sweet little tent of mine! All of my bookshelves were donated to my class via Donor' s Choose, and boy are they a lifesaver! They take up just the perfect amount of space, and have plenty of room for my ever-growing library. The buckets you see on the shelves to the right house all of our "word work" centers. This picture was taken prior to the numbering of each of the tubs. The paper trays above each correspond to a word work center, and house the recording sheets for each activity. 

Well, friends! That's all the pictures I have to share with you today! I realized after getting home that I have absolutely NO pictures of my student tables, small group table, writing center, or computer center, so that will have to hold off till another post! In the meantime, I'm going to make myself mighty busy checking out all the other wonderful classroom digs over on the Blog Hoppin' linky! 

Thanks for checking in and, as always, happy teaching!

Linkin' Up!

Hey there, friends! Today I am linkin' up with Kickin' it in Kindergarten to talk about one of my most favorite hobbies...shopping.

Since becoming a teacher, I've realized that this is a quality almost necessary if you want to have a well organized classroom. But let's be honest, shopping for teaching supplies isn't the only the thing I'm addicted to. Fortunately; however, I have been SO consumed with back-to-school business that I've had hardly any time to shop for items unrelated to my classroom.  But guess what that means? I've got plenty to share with you today!

First up,  the newest addition to my library...

Seriously. Cuteness overload.

 Was it necessary? No. Do I really have room for it? Probably not. Did I make it work? You bet I did. And now, I absolutely cannot wait to get my new batch of cuties and see their excitement each day as they enter my reading center. I'm completely aware that this tent may also be the catalyst for many disagreements in the classroom, but for now I'll just choose to look on the bright side of things. #aintnobodygottimeforthat

Next up, I have a three in one picture for you....

If you've followed me for any amount of time, then you probably know I use a "microphone" in my classroom to control rug time. The microphone is not only fun for my kiddos, but it truly is an easy way to keep their blurt outs in check without them even knowing! Unfortunately, my original microphone, from my very first year of teaching, bit the dust by the end of this past school year. Not to worry though, I was able to snag a new one for this year, and I must say it's even snazzier than the first!

Oh, and that precious elephant? Well that's Ellie, of course. She's our new class mascot for the upcoming year. I have been wanting to incorporate a mascot that could be sent home each week, and now I've finally gotten around to it. I told you third times the charm! 

Since my classroom "theme-ish" is the circus, I thought an elephant was totally fitting. Each week I choose a "ringleader" to lead the class, go first in line, and run errands. Now, the ringleader will have the added bonus of taking Ellie home for the weekend {in that cute little canvas tote that needs some decorating} and writing a journal entry...or blogging...or writing a letter about it. I haven't totally worked that last part out yet, but I'm getting there. Promise. 

And lastly, since my first year of teaching I have been using dry erase circles at my small group table. If you haven't tried this yet, it's a must. Totally life changing. I'm not sure where I got the idea from, but I bet you I didn't dream it up myself. Whoever did give me that idea, thank you, thank you, thank you! My kids love nothing more than writing on their very own, colorful, dry erase circle. The only downside to these cuties is that they are really only good for a year, depending on how often you use them. But trust me, ya'll, completely worth the money. 

Well, that's about all the shopping I can handle talking about without freaking out about the crazy amount of money I spend on my classroom. But don't you worry, there's plenty more where that came from. I'm thanking Elizabeth for enabling my shopping addiction. Check back again next week for more of my recent finds and splurges! And for more awesome shopping finds, check out Elizabeth's linky! 

Happy teaching, and shopping!