So, I spent the week at the Amazing Race Technology Camp, which I organized for our district. What a week!!! It was great, but exhausting! I go back to work August 5th....WAIT! It's ALMOST AUGUST! I am SUPER excited to get back into my classroom. This is the first year we are NOT departmentalizing. For the past several years, I have taught just math and science. (Our school is a SFA school - so EVERYONE teachings Reading. Language Arts is a separate block that encompasses writing, grammar, and word study. ) I loved teaching math, but I missed teaching Language Arts, and now I get to have that time back with my students! There are so many wonderful opportunities for projects and integration of technology that I haven't been able to do, and I am SO ready to get my Language block back!! (Not to mention, the pressure of the State math test is now only for ONE class instead of ALL the third grade classes!)
With all of these changes, I decided I needed to revamp my classroom, and add in more math centers and update my language arts for more individual practice items for when I do small group instruction. I have been busy printing on cardstock, and organizing these things for when I went back into my classroom on August 5th. Then, our building got an email -- August 5th would be in our classrooms, the next two workdays would be GONE -- SFA Reading Training since we are upgrading to the newest edition. Wait -- WHAT?!?! ONE WORKDAY BEFORE STUDENTS COME FOR REGISTRATION!!!! Commence Operation Freak Out! One day, to set up my classroom from SCRATCH! I wanted to cry :( This would be a no biggie if the building was open -- but it's not. Closed for cleaning! So, one day after my summer camp this week, I called our maintenance department, and got an appointment with the laminating machine! I didn't realize exactly HOW much I had accumulated that needed to be laminated!
Holy Laminating Batman!! TWO ROLLS!! I'm afraid to unroll it and start cutting because I don't think my little house is big enough to hold all this laminating! I really NEED to start cutting!
Check out those classroom Labels! Are they not the CUTEST!!!! My room this year is going to be black and pastel, so when I found these chalk board labels for my classroom, I was stoked! They have the prettiest pink writing and teal border! Do you absolutely love them?!
If you love them as much as I do, check out Ms. Third Grade's post where I got them HERE! You will notice I linked her name to her blog, and the labels to "HERE" -- because I want you to see BOTH! She gives away amazing freebies, and has some great post and ideas. I may be partial because I'm also a 3rd Grade Teacher, but check her out!
SO --- I was FREAKING out today, thinking I only had ONE day in my classroom before my 20 wonderful kiddos show up to meet me and drop off their supplies, and honestly, I was FREAKING out-- and then I got this WONDERFUL email from my principal:
I emailed her back, immediately, telling her THANK YOU and how relieved I was. Two days is better than one! I will just need to be in SUPER PRODUCTIVITY MODE!
I am looking forward to looking for some classroom supplies tomorrow - hoping to catch some sales! I am looking for some lamps (I despise the florescent lights in our rooms), the supplies to make my own bulletin board, and some organizing bins. I purchased some notebooks at the end of the year last year for Class Journals, and I look forward to designing the front covers for those!
As a side note -- has anyone repainted or refinished their bookcases in any way that could be done in one night at home? I really need to update my shabby bookshelves!
Oh no! I've been in my classroom I don't know how many times this summer already. My bulletin boards are already up, my desks have been cleaned and set up, and my back table stuff has been sorted through. I sure am jealous of the laminating you've done, though!!
ReplyDeleteAnd good luck with teaching everything! I love having the same kids all day because you can often see issues that carry over (like they struggle in math but it's really a reading problem) that sometimes get lost in the cracks when departmentalized. And if you need anything, just give me a shout :-)