CLASSROOM REVEAL!!

It's finally time! I've spent an entire month changing my classroom theme and I'm finally ready to reveal it. :)

To start, I focused a couple of days to painting this stool. Yes, I free-handed the drawing and lettering. I'm actually pretty proud of myself. I haven't done something like before, but I've always been good at drawing while looking at a picture, my pictures just turn out to be bigger-HAHA.

My next painting project was my rocking chair. I decided that since I had a Mickey themed stool that I would make a Minnie rocking chair. I was so excited while I was painting this and kept picturing it in my room. This was one of the first things my kids complimented me on when they came in on Thursday night.

So now, we make our way to my classroom library. I've spent the last two years trying to organize my books and I've finally figured out how I would like my library organized. So I have a section that are leveled by AR ZPD and then the rest are organized by topic. Of course I had to tie in Disney characters where I could :) I've been debating over a system on how to keep my books organized, but I feel that this would be a good way to teach the students about categorizing and organizing by identifying the topic of their own books. On the first day, I'll have book folders filled with books for each of my students to start practicing Read to Self. Here is the link for the book bin labels from Teachers Pay Teachers!


Last Saturday, I had a meeting at the school to review some things for authorization to becoming an IB school and we ended up getting out early! YAY! So I was able to cut and mount all my colored printing items and get them laminated. This project took me only about an 1 1/2 hours to cut out while watching The Office--who doesn't love the Jim and Pam story?!

Finally--the intricate details! So I placed an order on Eureka on August 1st and didn't receive my package until August 29th. Note to self: Don't order during the summer even though the sales are promising! So during my breaks on the 2nd day of training, I would race through my room hanging up my borders frantically to get it done! But I managed, and let me tell you--the borders really make the room! First, I have my inquiry wall. This is a requirement of an IB school. Students should have access daily to the central idea, key concepts, lines of inquiry, and so on.

Right above it I have my learner profile wall. I'm so happy I found these Disney themed learner profiles! If you'd like to get them yourself, click here! Another required piece to an IB classroom are the IB Attitudes. I've always loved this board and loved the extra touch of Donald :) These attitudes came in a bundle with the world flag border and you can find those HERE on Teachers Pay Teachers!

As we move through the room, here I have my main instruction corner. This is where we will have our shared reading, reading lessons, math lessons, writing lessons, etc. I can't believe I almost got rid of this easel! What was I thinking?! I'm glad I kept it :)
Now I'm probably most excited about the front of my room! I've moved my desk from where it was last year, which has opened up my room tremendously! My focus walls are basically my standards area. As an IB school, I've found it difficult to state "I can identify verbs" when I want the inquiry to take the place of my instruction. So the focus will be put up but the kids will help write the standards after the inquiry has taken place. For the math side, I found the headers and the questions that I will use to guide my instruction on Teachers Pay Teachers, click here!  For the pendant banner, this was a FREE DOWNLOAD!  I used the focus wall letters from the Journey's bundle :) For the reading side, I purchased this Focus Wall last year and have adapted it according to the pieces of Journey's that we will be using this year in our instruction. I also found this on Teachers Pay Teachers, click here!

The next part I love is my shape and color area :) I follow Miss Kindergarten on Facebook and she had posted about these shape poem posters, and I just had to have them! I believe they are still a FREE download, but even if they are not, it would be well worth the purchase! I can't wait to use these during our geometry unit. :) I'll print off another set when it gets closer to learning about the shape attributes.

Last, but not least, my Whole Brain Teaching Rules. Now, I have a typo on one---I didn't mean to say "Make Your Teacher Happy" I meant to say "Keep Your Teacher Happy". I'll worry about this later :) But these rules, I actually made myself. If I can figure it out, I may choose to sell these on TPT as my FIRST item! OR I may just create a downloadable google doc. :)

Here is a video of my room with it all together. I'm really excited about my room :) After meeting my kids, I'm even more excited for the school year :) Hope I've given you some ideas and some good resources! If you can't tell--Teachers Pay Teachers is my go to place! I do as much as I can for free, but sometimes the purchase is just too good!

Until next time!
I hope you all have a magical weekend!

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The Last Weeks Before School

I think everyone is starting to feel the stress and anxiety of going back to school. Or maybe you felt those feelings a few weeks ago, as I know many of you have already gone back. Being only a 4th year teacher, I remember those first years and the excitement I felt of getting my first classroom. So, here are three tips that I can give the new teachers and maybe even some reassurance for the veteran teachers!

Tip #1:
Don't try to do it all!
Ok, the phrase I'm thinking of is "Pinterest Classroom". I'm sure many of you have seen the meme about those teachers who have the "Pinterest-ready classrooms" and I'm here to tell you that you will not make it there in your first year. I got close, I'm not going to lie, but I knew that I had minimal resources and had to work with what I was given. I had to remember that I had to relax and not stress out over my classroom. Start with the basics and then work up to your dream classroom--IT WILL HAPPEN! Those Pinterest-ready classrooms took years to create and years of collecting resources, not to mention $$$$.

Tip #2: 
Try not to spend all your money!
I'm just as guilty of going all out at the Dollar Store, Walmart, Target, Teacher Stores, etc. DON'T DO IT! :) I have to laugh as I write that because I know it is easier said than done. Just remember that the kids don't really care about the "stuff" in your room. They want a welcoming environment and an even more welcoming teacher. When you create that relationship with your students, you will have a great year! Of course, it takes a little bit of management skills as well, but that relationship is a close tie for first as to a smooth running classroom!

Tip #3: 
It's simple--BREATHE!
I know many of us have meetings and trainings right before the kids come. Some of us don't have support from significant others or parents because they have never put together a classroom before school starts. Emails are sent from principals about rules that teachers have to abide by. The list could go on and on. But you have to remember to breathe! It will be stressful--I cannot lie about that. You are going to feel frustrated and overwhelmed--again, I can't lie. Just remember that the most important things are your students. You are a teacher because of the kids--not all the extra mumbo-jumbo that happens behind the scenes. Everyone has those tough spots about their jobs, the behind the scenes is ours. Breathe and yes, it's ok to drink a bottle glass of wine!

I hope this helps you out just a little bit. There is so much that goes into the beginning of the year that it's hard to narrow it all down to what is the most important, but I like to think about what my English teacher taught me--KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). He had a tough sense of humor for a 9th grade teacher, haha! Always keep the kids in mind and you will be just fine! Enjoy your first days of school and I wish you all a great year!

Summer Reading!

Our local library promotes summer reading by doing a 100-hour tracker. What I love most is that they also encourage adults to participate as well. So this year, I decided to take the plunge! I’m only 21 hours in...I have a ways to go!

My goal was to try to blend pleasure reading with professional development reading to keep my interests going throughout the summer. I’ve always loved reading so I didn’t think it would be too difficult.

I’m nearly finished with my pleasure reading book, which I just so happened to get from the library for finishing the first 10 hours of reading. This book is called A Sudden Light by Garth Stein. When I opened this book, I could not put it down! Within three days I was three-quarters of the way through. It has definitely caught my interest, and I recommend the book if you are into a little bit of mystery.

Now for professional development, I’ve really pushed myself! My team and I decided that we were going to revamp our literacy block to incorporate more play, which meant that we had to run centers. I’ve done centers in the past, but felt that it wasn’t as cohesive as it could have been—I knew I was missing something but I couldn’t quite figure it out. I decided to pull one of my undergrad books out, The Daily 5 by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser (the sisters). I’m sure many of you have read this book as I did in my undergrad program, however at the time that I read it I didn’t have a classroom to implement it in. My first year of teaching, I attempted in implementing the Daily 5 but things kept changing throughout the year and I think I became that 1^st year teacher who wanted to try everything to see what fit, so in the end the Daily 5 didn’t work as well. The last two years, I’ve done a center rotation to the best of my ability while trying to implement new literacy programs. That in itself was a difficult task, so once again things didn’t work out as well as I would have hoped. Now that we have officially adopted a literacy program and I have a year of using the program under my belt, we decided as a team to take the plunge and make literacy more engaging for our students. I took a lot of pointers from reading The Daily 5 that I will use in my classroom this year to kick off the school year.

In June, my team and I attended a Reading Summit for struggling readers. We learned even more about play-based learning and incorporating centers into the day. This is what originally struck the idea to read The Daily 5. I chose to start with that book to get an idea on where and how to start. I’ve of coursed revamped the “sister’s” ideas a little to flow with my classroom schedule, but that’s what every teacher does right? I then wanted to get a little more understanding about the research behind play-based learning so I could defend it if I was ever questioned about my teaching methods. So I read Joyful Literacy Interventions by Janet Mort. Janet Mort is one of the speakers at the reading summit who I met last year when I attended my first reading summit. I loved the idea of play-based learning and saw the results right in front of me, but I couldn’t figure out how to incorporate this method into my classroom when I was being tied to a literacy program by the district. Janet Mort provided the research I needed to stick with the plan and go forth with this idea. If a Reading Summit ever comes to your area, I strongly recommend you attend! I’ve learned so much in the two times I’ve been able to go and I’m excited that I get to take another class in a couple weeks during our summer institute.

Speaking of summer institute, this year I decided to run a Book in a Day course with one of my teaching partners. We are currently reading Catching Readers Before They Fall: Supporting Readers Who Struggle K-4 by Pat Johnson and Katie Keier. I remember this text being a part of my Masters program and loved the pieces of it that I did read, so I knew this would be a great fit for me. So far, I’m thoroughly enjoying it! I don’t have much information on it quite yet as I’ve been so enthralled with my other book. But I can’t wait to share my findings after I teach the class.

Well, I’ll close my night by heading to bed to read a couple more chapters in my book. I hope I’ve inspired some of you to pick up one of these books. They are definitely worth your time! Happy Reading!

NYC Trip and First Projects

I've been a bit MIA lately, but I just got back from our trip to New York! We went for about a week and got to see Ken Griffey Jr. get inducted into the hall of fame with our cousin from Ohio. My husband and I then drove to the city and spent a few days there. Since traveling has become incredibly expensive, I chose to save space in my carry on by not bringing my computer. Hence the long wait for a second post!

While in New York City, I got to cross off a big item on my Bucket List: see a show on Broadway in NYC! This year for Valentine's Day, my husband bought tickets for us to go see Aladdin. Of course, it had to be a Disney show :) I also went into the Disney Store in Times Square, which just happens to be two stories--I was a kid in a candy store!! Of course, we did some main tourist locations: Niagra Falls, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, 9/11 Museum and Tribute Center, Central Park, and the Natural History Museum. All amazing, and educational, sites! Now, when I introduced myself I stated that my husband and I had a love of baseball. So naturally we needed to cross a stadium off of our list: Citi Field. What a beautiful home for the Mets. Sadly, they lost but getting to experience another stadium was exciting. Two years ago, I brought my husband back to Washington from Ohio and we made it a trip of baseball stadiums so it has become a tradition of ours. My husband even has a map that pins the stadiums we've been too. Next on our list is the AT&T Stadium in San Francisco which we get to visit in September.

                   
                 

Ok, back to the educational stuff! I've slowly been prepping things for my classroom. As I posted last time, I've changed the theme to a Disney theme so I've had to redo some bulletin pieces. Thankfully, I got into my classroom for a bit a few weeks ago and arranged my student desks and got some laminating done. These will turn into the pieces I need for my Word Wall and student jobs bulletin board.

Next on my list are call sticks. Now this isn't the only method I use for calling on students, but it works! I paint half of the stick one color and the other half another that way, I don't have to remove the stick once I've used it. After a few months, the kids catch on about the colors, but I mix it up and don't make a big deal about which color I choose which keeps the kids on their toes. I mostly use the call sticks for choosing students to go to the interactive white board. All of the kids of course want this opportunity, but know the fair choice is to pick a stick.
After this project, I have a few FUN projects for myself to do. First, I have a stool and rocking chair to paint to coordinate to Mickey and Minnie's outfits. Yes, this project isn't educational in any way, but for me it brings the room together and adds a little personalization. I've read a couple of articles about what to hang on classroom walls and classroom decorations and I have a principal who's not 100% about making the room cute--but I agree. I want my room to be welcoming and fun for the kids, but that doesn't mean my room is going to puke Disney. Anything I put on my walls is strictly useful for the students during their learning and is student work throughout the year.  Take a look at some of the articles and leave comments below about what you think! There are some points I agree with and some I disagree with, but I understand the point :)

Bare Walls Theory-NBC News
Pinterest Isn't Pedagogy-Texas Library Association

As we get closer to the school year, I can't wait to share more photos of what I've done and how my classroom is set up! I think the classroom reveal is one of my favorite parts about the beginning of the year! I'd love to hear about your favorite part about the beginning of year! Please share below as well as share pictures if you have any :)
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Welcome to my blog!

I've always talked about blogging about my experiences as a teacher and I feel like I finally have the guts to do it. I've just finished my 3rd year teaching--my first year I taught 2nd grade and the last two years I have taught 1st grade (my TRUE passion!).

So, since this is my first post, I'll explain a little about my intentions with the blog, tell you about myself, and tell you about my classroom!

First, I decided to finally do a blog because I feel that networking with other teachers is a great way to increase my skills as a teacher as well as help others with their classrooms. I follow many blogs (I will list my favorites later) and was inspired to share my knowledge and experiences. I've named my blog the Magical First Grade Kingdom because my classroom is Disney themed. I may be a little biased but I think First Grade is the most magical year. :)

Next, a little about me. Like I stated earlier, I've just finished my 3rd year teaching. I live in Washington State with my husband and my cat. I completed my Bachelors degree at Western Washington University with a major in Special Education. This last April, I finished my Masters degree in Reading Instruction at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon. My husband is also a teacher, although it wasn't his initial career choice. He teaches High School Biology and possibly a couple of other science courses this year--it hasn't been decided yet. We both enjoy traveling, sports, cooking, and of course our cat. Isn't she a cutie?!

Last, a little about my classroom. I am teaching in an IB Candidate School with hopes of becoming authorized this next school year; IB stands for International Baccalaureate. Here is a link to look into a little more if you are interested--www.ibo.org
I've just changed my classroom theme to Disney this year. I have had a jungle themed room for the past 3 years and I was just ready for a change. So be prepared for the classroom reveal pictures! I'm so excited to share my classroom with others and I hope you are inspired!

I hope you enjoyed getting to know me a little and I look forward to expanding my blog in the future!