Classroom Complete!

Well Y'all,

Here is my classroom, complete!

 This is my door.  It opens into my classroom.

 Computer Area

 Student cubbies (sorry it's blurry.)

 Coat racks.

 Promethean Board! (LOVE it!)

 Computer for the Promethean Board.

 Word Wall above magnetic white board.

 Writing supplies and the curtain my mother and I made to cover my storage shelves.

 Another view with the soon to be birth month pictograph.

 My small group table and my little area of personal stuff.

 Book pillows, pointers, big book easel.

 Carpet area

 Calendar Time

 Clip chart for behavior.

 Student tables and classroom view from the doorway.

View from the whiteboard corner of front of room.

 View from my small group table.

 View of my book nook.

 Classroom view of from the book nook.

 View from the center from of classroom.

 View from the corner where the student's coat hooks are.

 A.R. pennants (Students will receive point stars/paper trophies to be placed

below as they make 5 point gains.

Door to classroom closed!

Hope y'all enjoyed the brief look into my classroom.

Night all,

Mrs. Hall

District PD Days #2, #3, and #4

Well Y'all,

I'm finished with my required professional development for the year.  That does not mean that I am finished with improving my teaching; that just means that I now get to choose what I will be working on in my spare time.  Let's just say I will be completing some self-directed learning.  I am working on reading Math Workstations at the moment, as well as, many of the wonderful teaching blogs out there in cyberspace.

During our 24 hours of district PD we worked on pacing guides, student friendly learning targets written as I can statements and assessments.  We did not get very far with assessments as the other items took quite a while.  Lots to digest.

Well, I'm been to the grocery today (THEY ARE REMODELING!).  It is my least favorite place to shop on a good day so I am worn to a frazzle.  

Night all!

Mrs. Hall

Day 1 of District PD

Hello All,

Today was our first day of District PD.  We listened to Dr. Sheffield from NKU during the morning.  She discussed some of the changes that have occurred due to Common Core Standards and stated the value of number sense and taking the time to ensure that students had a great hands on foundation of mathematical interactions.  

In the afternoon, we worked on our District Curriculum Maps or Pacing Guides for Reading.  We had previously completed the Mathematics Pacing Guide.  I must say that I feel the Mathematics Pacing Guide is a lot more user friendly than the Reading one we completed today!  Well, we will see how well they both work when school starts!

Well, I am tired so I am off to spend some time at home with my little family before Mr. Hubs goes to work.  

Night All,

Mrs. Hall 

Work Day #14, #15, #16, and #17

Hello Y'all!

I've almost finished my room.  Well, except for putting student names on things.  These pictures are from a couple of days ago.  It shows the almost ready room.  I'll try to get some of how it looks now that I am pretty much finished.  That will have to wait until next week. 

This is a view of the door and calendar math wall.  I do most of my calendar math on the Promethean Board.

This is the view of the "front" of the classroom.  It shows my Promethean Board and part of my word wall.

This is a view of my word wall above my magnetic white board.

This is a view of my writing supply area for writing tasks and centers.

Sorry that I don't have many pictures of the almost ready room.  Most of the ones I took where blurry.  I was leaving with my Loves!

Here are a few pictures of my room after I had worked for a few days.  When I first entered the room, it was completely empty except for the closet.  I had to move the stuff from my old room to this one.  It was a little overwhelming to say the least.

Well, I'm off to spend some time with my loves!  Night all.

Mrs. Hall

Work Day #12 and #13

Hello Y'all,

I went to school yesterday and worked in my classroom.  I had my little love with me so I did not get as much completed as I had planned, but I did get the rest of my clips strung from the ceiling, an alphabet chart hung, some books on tape sorted through, and that's about it.  We only stayed a couple of hours so not a whole lot accomplished.

I went today as well.  Mr. Hubs and Little Love went with me; Mr. Hubs had just got off work and had not slept since 4:00 p.m. yesterday so he was very tired.  He tried to keep Little Love occupied while I worked, but it was difficult for him.

Today, I accomplished:

1. putting up an abbreviated calendar wall.  (This took most of my time today.) Most of my calendar is done using the Promethean Board.  I still have several reference items such as--a physical calendar; a date board; days attending and days left straw pockets; yesterday, today, tomorrow cards; a 100s chart; a month chart; a clock (working analog clock); and a few other math reference charts/cards.  Most of the actual recording items are completed on the Promethean.
2. cleaning off a second table, which Little Love totally covered in stuff that was interesting to her...so there will be some clean up needed the next time I'm in my room alone.
3. hung my clock.  (So happy about this as I had to keep running to the computer to see the time every time I worked in there!)
4. hung a pocket chart that is used for review using a game show format.
5. finished going through my books on tape.
6. emptied next to last box in the room.  It was full of miscellaneous items.  The other box is full of my CDs and cassettes.  Most of my CDs have been ripped to my thumb drive so I don't have to keep hunting for a song.
7. emptied three tubs (two large, one small) of math manipulatives.  Some were kept, others left for whoever needed them.
8. linked unifix cubes in groups of 10 cubes of same color and then 10 groups of 10 different colors so 100 cubes altogether in a baggy.
9. sorted a clock partner matching game. It had enough sets for 10 groups of partners.
10. played with Little Love whenever she would get bored of Mr. Hubs falling asleep in his chair.

Overall, it was a productive day.  I still have a bunch of things to do, but not near as much as I did when I started!

Well, it is late and we are going to surprise my mother-in-law tomorrow by showing up with Little Love to wish her Happy 54th Birthday!  She will love it.  It is a three hour drive, but will so be worth it to see how happy she will be!  We love you Nanny!  Happy Birthday!

Well, night all!

Mrs. Hall

Work Day #10 and #11

Hello Y'all,

Well I worked in my classroom yesterday and today.  Mr. Hubs and my Little Love came with me today.  Mr. Hubs hooked my computers back up and cleaned them out and everything.  My little love seemed to enjoy undoing some of the things I had finished with.  Oh well, I am almost finished so no sweat.  She was really good today, all things considered.  

I will need to put one more day in and then I should be finished!  I will not be back in there until next week.  Tomorrow Mr. Hubs and I are going to go watch a matinee of Transformers for date day and the school is closed for the halls to be waxed on Thursday, Friday and Monday so I can't get back in until Tuesday.  I would have to take my Little Love with me or to Nana's house (her WONDERFUL babysitter) on Tuesday and Wednesday due to Mr. Hubs working if I went either of those days so I will probably wait until next Thursday.  Well that was a bit of a ramble.  

Over the past two days I have:

1. emptied, sorted and gotten rid of all but two of the various cardboard boxes from my old room.  I know what is in these last two boxes; I just have to decide where to put the contents.
2. had Mr. Hubs hooked up my computers and he even clean them.
3. had Mr. Hubs clean and hook my refrigerator back up!  (He volunteered to do it!)
4. cleaned bins.
5. put my tables where I want them to go.
6. cleaned my pocket chart stands.
7. hung valences in my windows, my closet alcove and on the classroom door window.
8. hung curtains over the four shelves that store my manipulatives.  My mother and father came down Monday and helped make the curtains for everything.  That took all day so technically I should call it a work day as well!
9. sorted games and manipulatives.  This is an area that still needs some work and will probably not be worried about until I use them during the school year.
10. began hanging clothespins from the ceiling using fishing line...this lets me hang student work from the ceiling.

The room is really beginning to look like a classroom and not a storage room.  I am really excited about it!  I don't have anything decorated for a classroom theme yet; I've just sorted, thrown out trash, and put things away.  

I haven't quite decided on a classroom theme for this coming year.  I keep thinking about it.  I probably won't make a decision until the week before open house.  But decorating is easy once I decide on my theme.  The most time consuming part of decorating is writing student names over and over.  

Still to go:

1. finish putting away what is left on the tables in the classroom.
2. clean up from Little Love's visit!
3. sweep on last time.
4. place chairs.
5. put lights in my lamps.
6. bring my computer bench to school.
7. clean and put my carpet down for the whole group area.  (The janitors will shampoo it when the have time!--They really are wonderful.)
8. finish hanging clothes pins from the ceiling.
9. put pocket chart carts out of the way and place my big book easels and reading easel in their spots.
10. set up my daily math wall.  It won't have a lot on it due to the fact I prefer to use the Promethean Board.
11. decide on a classroom theme.
12. decorate.
13. write student names on things.
14. attend mandatory district trainings.

Well it is late and I need to get little love settled down for the night-so good night all.  

Mrs. Hall

Work Day #9

Howdy Y'all,

I worked in my classroom again today.  I can see a light at the end of the tunnel.  It is still a long way off; however, it is getting closer!

Well, I'm not going to post much tonight; I'm too tired.

Night all,

Mrs. Hall