New Hire Orientation on Thursday...

So I start my job on Thursday.  I decided to go into my room for a short time, then spend the day with my girls.  We decided that we should make Mrs. R's famous pretzel rods...

Mrs. R was probably one of the most influential people/teachers for my family.  She was a stay at home mom, who entered the work force when she felt her children were independent enough and able to manage with mom working (like me).  She was also a teacher who made every child feel special, loved, capable, important to the classroom community, and always had a hug for everyone, including the parents.  She retired last year.  I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to watch her work. 

Some of the best projects Mrs. R had:
1) Service Learning:  Math and Taxes and raising money to give a family Christmas.  I loved this project!  Students held a bake sale (everyone worked two shifts), and the students raised money.  During this time they reviewed money concepts and learned about taxes and how to calculate taxes.  Then a field trip to Target to buy the gifts, calculate the tax and make sure they had enough money. 
2) Biography Book Report:  The students prepared and gave a book report as if they were the person they read about, complete with costumes and props.
3) States and Capitals Parade/Write and Record your own Travel Video.  A year long activity that had so many moving parts, but all came together at the end of the year.
4) Baking: Mrs. R baked for every student, pies, cookies, fudge and pretzel rods
5) Pictures:  She took pictures of all of the students and decorated the classroom with these pictures.  They even had sound bubbles for classroom rules!
6) Time Capsule.  The first day of school the students made a time capsule of themselves.  They traced their hands, measured their height in string, wrote goals and dreams.  The last day the students opened the time capsule and were able to reflect on the year.

So, pretzel rod in hand I go forward into my new career hoping to be an engaging, interactive, loving and community building teacher that lets every student know how much they are loved and how important and special they are!

Health: Skeletal System...

So over the weekend I managed to get a draft of the health unit on bones done!  I am really excited about it.  Here is what I have come up with...

My first lap book!!!

On the left in the pink pocket there are 5 "bone cards" with specific facts about each bone on one side.  Also, a what we learned question and flip foldable.  The middle has the skeleton that the thriving thirds will put together, and types of exercise, how long they need to exercise and a place to write 5 ways to keep their skeleton safe.  On the right is a book for students to write a physical activity goal.

 

 

The inside (I did not fill in the answers yet).

The white part is under the skeleton.  Students are to write at least 3 sentences about why it is important to take care of their skeleton.

 

The inside of the goal book.

 

And my rubric.  This also has a collaboration grade and does not include the unit quiz.

 

Whew!  That was a lot of thinking and typing of lesson plans!  We will be doing a lot of experiments/demonstrations during this unit!  I will let you know how it goes!

 

I welcome any suggestions you might have!

OK, so what about teaching...

I spent most of the day in my classroom adding the "finishing" touches to the room that I can.  It is looking really cute and I can't wait to reveal it in pictures!  Just not quite there yet!

My focus is now turning to teaching... I am going through the teaching guides this weekend.  Specifically Health and Engineering, Unit one of Math and Unit one of Reading.  I also read unit one in social studies today.  Since I am the only one teaching Health and Engineering I am trying very hard to get a solid start on my plans for the 6 weeks that I have each class.  For Health I hope to create a lapbook, and for engineering we are building windmills.  I plan to make one notebook with my plans and the general template for all of my team members for their lesson plans.

I also found out that all my thriving thirds have to be text leveled by Aug. 23.  SOOOOOO, planning to research that before my training so that I am very comfortable with it. 

On top of that it is my wedding anniversary weekend and I hope to put some of this away and enjoy my wonderful family for a while!

Pictures coming!

Did I actually get anything done?

Well today my girls and I went to school with lofty goals!  We I did not get everything done that I wanted too.  I kind of ran in circles... but here are some pictures...

 

This is my white board.  The computers must live in the middle of it due to the electrical set up.  GRRRR!  So, I have a small area to write on which I outlined with matching boarders.  I put magnetic tape on the back to make them stay.  I hope they do not shift too much, or it will drive me crazy and I will end up rethinking this.  I LOVE my green and white polka dot border! 

The area on the right will be for my small group and reteaching. 

I do not have an easel, nor to I have the space for one.

The middle of the board will have my Daily 5 posters that the thriving thirds make with me at the beginning of the year. 

 

 

This is the bulletin board at the front of the room.  I will use the elmo in front of it to teach most of the time, so the lack of white board space is, ok!

I plan to post objectives to the left.  I will laminate a large poster board for that and staple it to the board.  The daily schedule will be on cinder block next to it... hello stick gum stuff!

I will teach from the two student desks in the corner!

Look I have a flag now!  AND a very small file cabinet!  The custodial people are my new best friends!

 

 

This board is to the back of my room.  This is the "Our Amazing Work" board.  I am choosing to not call it art, so we can put great writing, or reading or whatever suits us up... maybe even pictures of our accomplishments!

 

Now there is what the girls did...

 

 

And this is only a portion of my books... Thank goodness for that large bathroom storage room behind the pocket chart!

 

That's it for today!

 

The day after the first day...

So I got home yesterday and did my awesome mom thing by allowing my girls to host a teen beach party in honor of the new Disney movie.  So quick, put the party together, then retreat to the bedroom to cut out all of that lamination, and start to stuff those envelopes with the completed Daily 5 work.

Today, PANIC!

Then my husband asks "Why are you letting yourself panic?"  He's right.  One step at a time... Breath in, and out... go teach ballet (that's another story), and now I am back

Today:
1) finish stuffing envelopes mentioned above...
2) cut out word work station, and print out Scrabble word work station
3) Print out more book labels

THEN:
Diagram my back bulletin board, pick up some of that awesome blue sticky gum, hooks, and binder rings... Hmmm, I would LOVE to get magnetic borders...

Moving in...

First reality has set in!  Panic, excitement and a moment of thanks.  I am so thankful for the support my family has given me on this journey!  I am thankful for the incredible life experiences that I have had that got me to this point, and now I can add that I am thankful for my amazing third grade team that helped me configure furniture, unload my car, and help me set up my reading files!!! 

Here is my room when I arrived...  That is One of the amazing people I get to work with this year!

 

 

We already had our first meeting regarding science!  We are splitting the 5 science units up between us and I get to teach Health and Engineering!  Woo Hoo!  That will surely alleviate the planning this year!

 

Here are some "after" pictures, but it is mostly just furniture moving.  You will notice that I do not have a desk.  I am actually really happy about this.  It will force me to stay organized! 

 

Another awesome  team mate!  Can you believe that they came up to help me???  I love them!!

 

 

 

                                                                  From the front!  See my sink??

From my library/and door area

 

 

From my "teaching station" and elmo.

You can see the door to my HUGE bathroom too.  However, the kids cannot use this.  It will be all mine!  I also have a ton of storage in there!!

 

 

Ok... so I like the laminator!  But I already have 2 of my stations/Daily 5 areas done for the year!  Again thanks to my team!!

 

My teaching station/desk with the elmo "tossed" on!   I am going to have to be a little creative with space and how I teach!   

 

 

 

Look - The school provided purple book boxes!!!

 

 

This is the start of my library and my small group meeting space.  I have asked for a teacher chair for this area.  We cannot bring any furniture from home... so no beanbags, not pillows, no comfy chair.

 

 

From the back of the room.  The blue pocket chair will not stay there.

 

 

 

This is from my small group table.  No horseshoe table, but I am just fine with that!  This will also be my official "desk area" because it is near the cabinets. 

 

So that is my room after day one!  I do not lack for storage!

 

My favorite part of the day... the enthusiasm for teaching that my team has! 

This is the Right Fit!

 

 

 

 

Reality is hitting...

Moving into my "second home" tomorrow!  I am so excited, and scared all at the same time!  I have so many ideas of what I want to do, but then there is the reality!  For example:

I have in my mind what my classroom will look like, but I do not know what furniture I have...
I love colorful posters, but my wall space needs to also be functional and uncluttered...
I have ideas of first week activities, but I want to collaborate with my team...
Then there is also the culture of the school and as a community what our goals are for the school...
What are our goals as a third grade team?

STOP SARA!  Don't get too far ahead!  One step at a time!

My agenda for tomorrow (Moving Day):
Take a copy of my procedures and arrange the furniture to maximize learning and facilitate traffic patterns...  (Yes I typed out all of my procedures - glad I did it!)
THEN and only then will I start moving my incredible library of books into my room! 

Pictures will be posted tomorrow!

My Library...

In two days I move into my "second home."  I am overwhelmed with trying to make this a fun, inviting, and inspiring place to learn!  My main focus has been my classroom library.  I have so many books thanks to my parents, my kids, and many friends willing to donate books to me.  So how do I organize it?

First, I put my name inside all of the books!  After that I went to the dollar store and purchased 25 white baskets.  Then I sorted all of the books into what seemed like good groups.  By favorite authors, by favorite series, miscellaneous chapter books, reference, science, etc.  I labeled fiction with letters, and nonfiction with numbers with the thinking that I can expand more easily that way.  For example, all of my Beverly Cleary books have A on the front, and will then get put back (I hope) in the A basket. 

I also have a basket for Mentor Texts.  These are picture books that I will change out periodically but I will also put post it notes on/in them to point out examples of good writing.  We will look at these books for enjoyment, and also examine them as writers. 

I also love picture books, and I know that my third graders will love a good picture book occasionally too!  So depending on space I will try to get a book shelf to display them.  I plan to have seasonal/holiday books out too!  I LOVE my holiday books!  This might require a basket or two if I don't have room for a shelf!  (Another issue I am working on is storage...)

Procedure: I will use the daily 4 or 5 method in my classroom which incorporates "Read to Self." Students will select books from the classroom library they are interested in (good fit books), and put them in their own book box (ice buckets from Wal-Mart... I am cheap).  During Read to Self they grab their box, and cozy up with a good book. They can read them for how ever long they want, but they need to keep them in their own book box.  I can also add books to student boxes if needed as "suggestions."  When the student is finished with the book, they simply match the letter or number on the book to the letter or number on the basket!  No need to have clothes pins, book marks, or any extra parts that get lost, broken or accidentally go home!

I promise pictures will be coming soon! 

The beginning...

Do you do this?  Do you wake up in the middle of the night thinking about classroom procedures, and then looking up procedures in "The First Days of School?" by Harry Wong? Then you must be a first year teacher!  Congratulations! If you are a veteran teacher reading this I beg you for your insight!  Welcome to my blog!

I am a new hire to the school district!  The contract is signed!  This is also my second career (maybe third, if you count staying home with my kids)!  Anyway, I am very excited and today marks the beginning of my journey because I saw my new "home away from home" through a tiny window...it is actually going to happen.... PANIC!

So today I started writing out all of my classroom procedures.  My favorite is my classroom management procedure that I am "borrowing" from a long term sub position I had (also in third grade) and it was magical!!!

Make one of those clip charts you see on Pinterest.  OK, so you are thinking "what is the big deal, seen it!" Here is the kicker... kids cannot clip down (only see the positive), and if a student gets to the very top, they get a jewel sticker on the clothes pin.  Yes a jewel sticker on the clothes pin!  Once a student earns 5 jewel stickers, the student gets a silver clothes pin and gets to pick a coupon from the coupon box (I will get to that later).  The student continues with the silver clothes pin, and then advances to the gold clothes pin!  What I love about this is the kids can see their own progress, the love the stickers, and they do not clip down.  Also, as a mom, I get tired of all of the mini toys, and candy my kids earn.  This also teaches some delayed gratification.

Students clip up for following directions quickly, helping a friend in need, and helping to keep our classroom running smoothly!

Supplies:  packs of wooden clothes pins ($1 at the dollar store), silver and gold spray paint, jewel stickers (Joanne's coupon 50% off).  The clip chart and the coupons I print myself!  Not a lot of money but a lot of pay off! 

Coupons:  Sit at the teacher's desk for half a day, bring something special to share with the class, take your shoes off in the classroom, read out loud to the class, jump to any place in the line for the day, use the teacher's silly pens etc.

I am excited about this procedure because I have used it and I have seen it in action!  I also cannot afford to buy awards! 

Pictures will be coming soon!

Well, at least I have that procedure figured out... what classroom procedures to you like to use?