Classroom Considerations

Visited my school today...still a construction site!  All the classroom AC units are being replaced which means they have to:1) pull down ceiling tiles to run pipes, 2)remove shelving, 3)replace old units with new ones...

I'll admit my heart sank a bit.  All this construction means that the cleaning crew is pushed back which probably means that it will be a back to school frenzy to get the classroom together.  Usually the beginning of August is when I start to pop in and get started but I guess this is a no go.

Still, the wheels are turning and I decided on this today:

1. I'm going FABRIC this year on bulletin boards.  I've heard about it, seen people do it, and from what I read it seems to be the way to go.  I also decided to go with BLACK!  I love the way a black background automatically makes your posters/papers/anything POP!  I just ordered 8 yards on Amazon.com...it has small pin hole dots in white to give it a textured look...

2. Going with black valances for my windows.  I found a good deal at Sears/K-Mart...solid black for about $7 a piece.  Will stop there soon to check it out!

If anyway has other great deals or ideas, let me know!  

Have a super day!

--Teacher E

    

Welcome to my blog!

Greetings and welcome to all my fellow teacher nerds!  I am happy to start blogging this summer and slowly but surely I am making progress.  A big thanks to Leelou Blogs for getting me started with a wonderful template! Another big thanks to my husband Steve (the technology guru of our family) who continues to push me to get out in the digital world and make connections.

It is hard to believe that summer is half over but I will admit that part of me is excited.  Back to school time is my FAVORITE time as a teacher.  It is probably the obsessive-compulsive side of me (or as my husband might say the "control freak" side of me) but something about new supplies, a fresh start, setting up and organizing...it all is so exciting to me!  Right now my school is under construction so there is little I can do about stopping by my room (so frustrating!) and getting things started.

So a couple new changes for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year...
1) I am piloting the new McGraw-Hill Reading Wonders program.  I am a bit skeptical...over the years we abandoned one anthology program for a more literature based readers workshop model.  Now I am back to an anthology.  There is a ton of resources in this program and it looks like it has a cool digital piece but my biggest concern is deciding what is most important and figuring out how to fit it all in.  If anyone has piloted this program last year, I would love to hear your thoughts!

2)I am going to attempt a guided math workshop.  We use Everyday Math in my district and over the years I found that it was difficult to provide differentiated experiences for my students.  A little nervous about the implementation and management of it all but I am going to give it a shot.  To help organize my students into groups, I am currently working on creating pre-assessments for each math unit in my TPT store.  I will post again when they are ready!

A sneak peek at my Everyday Math pre-assessments!

3) Finally, I treated myself by ordering a teacher planner from erincondren.com!  A bit pricey but it has so many cool bits and pieces that it totally speaks to my inner nerd.  Check out the video below as Erin herself walks through the new planner!



Enjoy the rest of your day!
--Teacher E