Things Change Like The Tides

Anyone in education knows that things change often. For me, this year has had some of the biggest changes in my entire life- all at once! My husband and I have dreamed of living in Hawaii since we got married, and suddenly out of the blue, that opportunity came knocking this school year.
Since I have been teaching, I have never quit in the middle of a school year and I have never started in the middle of a school year. I haven't taught in a lot of places, only two elementary schools and one college. I don't think you have to teach in a lot of places to be well rounded. I taught in a huge inner city district for my first 6 years of elementary teaching.
This year I went from teaching 2nd grade to being a reading specialist, which I was very nervous about the idea of leaving the classroom. I didn't really want to leave the classroom but I know that in life we have to get outside our comfort zone in order to grow and I knew that I needed to give the experience a try. If I had not done that, I would not be blogging from Hawaii right now.
My Principal talked me into taking a reading specialist position this year. What that did for me was give me practical experience in the degree I had just spent two years pursuing in grad school and it also unbound me from the responsibility of a classroom of students. I still had students but when the opportunity came up to change jobs in the middle of the school year, not leaving a room full of students made the decision easier. I would never leave a classroom of children in the middle of a school year unless circumstances were beyond my control. However, now I am also in the position of beginning the school year in the middle of a school year with a classroom full of children who now have a new teacher the last half of the year.
I feel blessed to have the chance to do what I love in a place I have dreamed of living. It has been a difficult transition because my husband is not here with me yet, he is still selling our home back in Oklahoma. We had hoped it will sell more quickly and we would be making this transition together but it didn't so we have making the transition in stages.
So, here I am, in my version of paradise and I have a room to get together and that brought me to my blog because up to this point, most of my blog has been all teacher room stuff. I don't honestly think anyone reads it, but who knows, and if one person finds something that might be helpful then I have accomplished what I set out to do. I read lots of teacher blogs and get lots of ideas from them so I know how useful they can be. I unfortunately have not had the time to dedicate to being a daily blogger, perhaps that will change. I also have not had a multitude of ideas that I could share that were of my own venture and not borrowed from someone else. The stuff that I have been able to share then is more real teacher room stuff. I see some really cool stuff out there, but honestly, I have spent most of my time learning to fin for myself in a huge district that leaves teachers to their own devices, so to speak. I have spent most of my time surviving.
One thing I love to do, is create a fun learning environment for kids. That is very important to me as a teacher. School must be a fun, engaging, warm and inviting place to be so that children will want to be there and feel safe there. When all those needs are met, they engage in learning. That is the end goal.
So, with the new room, I have photos of the current room with no changes made at this point. This is the room I am inheriting in the middle of the year. One of the most difficult things about moving to Hawaii is that I had to give up almost everything I had teacher wise and I had years of stuff. I figured starting over wouldn't be that hard, but I am finding out that in a place like Hawaii, teacher stores don't exist and having thing shipped here has it's challenges. All that being said, revamping this room is a challenge, but very doable. So without further waiting, here is the current room.

The room is missing a word wall and focus wall, which I will be adding. All the bulletin
boards have to be recovered and redone. 

Lots of holiday stuff to come down next week. 

One of the great features is the outdoorsy feeling from the open doos and windows.
There is no a/c in the rooms. The schools can't really afford high electric and the
entire state is very green and tried to be eco-friendly. 

One thing I am going to work on is clearing desk space. Previously the kids just have
all their stuff on their desk which is messy. We are going to work on learning
to put things in a place. 

Another thing that bothers me in the Promethien board is not mounted in a central location.
This presents a challenge if you are using your curriculum tools, so I am planning on
creating an additional carpet space in front of the board for reading. 

I think many teachers would cringe at the use of space here, I know I did. The plan is to
get rid of all these tables, except for one which will become a "reading bar" with stools.
Book boxes will be relocated to the desktop next to name plates. 

This is unfinished hodge podge of stuff here and layers that need to come down. The
alphabet cards up are supposed to be used with the reading curriculum and not
designed for posting as alphabet, so that is being replaced. A cohesive theme
will be put in place and all the bulletin boards and things will all match. 

All the blue paper and make shift stuff is out the door. All newly made and laminated
coordinating jobs, calendars etc will be put up. 

The overall set up for seating isn't bad and works for the rest of this year. Some
tweaking will be done with shifting it back more and closing some of the gaps.
More floor space will be created for reading areas to cultivate a better daily
5 environment. 

The outdoors coming in is part of the charm here. Removal and disposal of various unrelated
items will be handled. Organization of supplies in coordinating bins, buckets or baskets
will create a more cohesive looking space. 

All center items have to be gone through. It must be determined that how center items are
used is educational and not "playing". Although some social time is important for this
age group, they don't need to be spending gross amount of time playing. Center
stuff will be organized, repackaged in matching and labeled containers. The
bookshelves are going to be moved, they are taking up needed space. 

Please feel free to comment or share ideas! I love this space but I don't love what is visually going on in this room. It needs cohesiveness to it. I am a firm believer that a cohesive space has a calming effect on children. Children need focus and when a space is not conducive to organization both visually and functionally, it will impact the learning. The teacher/sub that was here had consistent routines for the kids and that shows in what they have learned. However, lots of gaps are to be filled with missing curriculum goals and improving the classroom space so that children not only have number lines and alphabet strips that help them, but they must have a purpose to use them. An updated space and narrowed focus will improve the learning environment as a whole.

New School Year, New Position and New Theme!

This school year for 2017-2018 has brought on many changes! The first big change is that I finally graduated with my Master's Degree in Reading and added my Reading Specialist certification! Yay! Then I was unexpectedly offered a Reading Specialist position at our school. I say unexpected because our district has eliminated most of these positions due to budget constraints over the past few years. So with a new position comes lots of new ideas and revised thinking! Our school wide theme this year changed to "Camping" so here we go! I was very sad to let go of Alice in Wonderland and it was even harder to think about not having my own classroom to decorate this year or my own set of students but I did get a book room the size of a regular classroom! So here we go! I don't have the entire room completed but I do have a few things to share! First on the list is the camping scene.

Here is what I started with...but it just wasn't working. As you can see those bookshelves were not working as a backdrop.

I looked around on Google images and on Pinterest and finally came up with an idea that would take this scene to the next level! This is how I began the conversion. I started with a simple box that I cut in half and trimmed to tape to the ends. 

From this point I just used brown paper to cover the entire thing.

Then I decided where the door would be and added a two design stripes across the bottom skipping where the door would be. I went back and then added the door. Then I cut windows, flower boxes, and flowers and glued them on. WaaLa! A camper! It completely changed the scene! The Tree came from Oriental Trading, which honestly was overpriced. I bought for the Alice in Wonderland Theme, you can make this cheaper on your own. It is metal poles that go into a wood base, the poles are covered (trunk) with fabric and the branches are just wire that is covered with foam (you could use spray foam or pool noodles) and then wrapped in black guaze. I added the ivy leaves myself. Chairs were on sale at Walmart $5. The fake rock was a photography prop, its made of hard styrofoam. You could make this too.

Now, lets talk about that amazing fire! 

I started with an idea I found on Pinterest! I took two pool noodles and cut them to make the logs. Then I bought two cans of spray paint. One can was a dark color the other was a light tan color. I also bought one in a glossy and one in a matte finish. You can decide which one, but mixing it up gives more texture and lighting effects. I used a dark base on some logs and a light base on the others then I would highlight with the opposite. So if the log had a light base, I used a dark brown on top for detailing and vice versa. I would have sprinkled some gold glitter if I would of had some while it was wet for a glistening effect, but I didn't have any handy at the time. Then I took 4 colors of tissue paper, yellow, orange, red and another reddish orange that was in the pack of multicolors at Walmart for $4. I used 2 of each color so I had a lot. I used hot glue to glue the logs around the tissue to get the desired effect.  I just twisted at bottom and folded so there is some at the bottom you can see under the log (usually you can see some fire embers under the logs in a fire) and I added the battery operated fairy lights which really was the cherry on top! You can buy these actually at Hobby Lobby for about $5. That was it! 

Let's talk about accents! In the book room there will be two meeting areas, my small office area and what I like to call my kitchen area. I found several accents to start with that goes with the whole camping theme! Bears! Bears! Bears!

These little guys I pulled out of my sons closet! I have seen several different displays like this, most were much larger. Since I was working with only two small bears and didn't want to invest in any additional bears, I decided to make mine a table accent piece. I found this cute tin bucket at Hobby Lobby for $4.99 and the wood sign for $3.99. 

What camping retreat would be complete without a latern? These little gems were a Walmart find for only $6. Perfect for our meeting tables. 

I have more to come!!

It's a new school year and I haven't posted! My room this year was over the top! Alice in Wonderland!

Over the summer I was inspired. I am currently in college to earn my Master's Degree in Reading and I have fallen even more deeply in love with children's books! The new Alice in Wonderland movie came out over the summer and I found myself inspired by the entire Alice in Wonderland concept. I wanted to create a wonderland that my students would want to find a place where they could sit under a tree or sprawl out in the forest and get lost in reading. So after planning and planning and collecting all kinds of stuff, things started to come together. I enlisted the help of my mom too! I even decided to take on creating fake cakes and cupcakes for an intricate tea table scene to be the central point of the room. The BIG idea underneath it all....alternative seating! Yes, underneath all the ideas of reading was the birth of getting rid of traditional desks and finding a way to design a classroom that would be functional yet fun and engaging for the kids. This was a challenge I will be honest. Many people had doubt about how this was going to work. I felt really good about it and when the kids came....they were stunned, amazed and bedazzled! So without further delay, here is the room!  

 



                   



                      



                  
     

                      
  
                      


                       


  Since the beginning of the year there have been some changes made to the layout as needed for functionality. Two of the bookcases and carts were relocated to open up the space around the smart board. The area around the smart board and on the carpet is where we have whole group instruction meetings for math with clip boards. We use this area for read alouds and for technology instruction when I teach them new apps or computer skills on the chrome books.

The box seats were an excellent purchase! I had a friend give me about 8 and then I bought the rest on amazon! They were $14 each. The best part is they are sturdy and they have storage inside. The kids can sit on them or they can use them as desks. They move around easily.

The knee table with the pillows is very popular! Next year I might have two! The other biggest draw for the students has been the tea table. This is more of a novelty they say but they love sitting there (boys and girls!).

The third most popular spot, although easily this would be on the list for first if there was enough, is the bean bags. The green blow up seats the kids loved but a couple of rough boys popped them within the first week and at $20 each, I wasn't happy, and the kids were really unhappy with them because they loved the green blow up chairs. I replaced them with bean bag chairs, which are just as popular.

The box seats the kids love, love, love when we meet for whole group. The one thing I have found myself NOT saying this year as much.... sit down in your seat right! I never have to say that. The kids have free choice every day all day of where they get to sit. If anything I sometimes have to settle disputes over someone taking someone else's seat. I can tell you that I have several ADHD kids in my class and I have a lot of energetic boys. All my second graders will miss the alternative seating next year in third grade. I am really hoping to inspire many teachers this year in the hopes that more teachers at my school will go with alternative seating! I can tell you when I started this during the summer, I had several that decided to go ahead and try some seating and now are adding a little more. Alternative seating is a good thing. What I will say is that it takes structure like anything else. You must lay down some ground rules. I stress a lot everyday walking and taking turns in our room. The kids keep all their supplies in cubby boxes that I found on amazon that fit inside the cubbies. We use a hanging file folder on the wood cabinet doors for take home folders and a few other incidental folders. As for working around the room, we use clipboards.
       

My Superhero Classroom 2015 and Ready For Meet The Teacher Night!

I found some awesome ideas on Pintrest/a blog for meet the teacher night! It really helped me get organized! Here we go! 

During Meet The Teacher Night, I had my class web page up on the smart board to show the kids and parents what was there. It was nice to show the kids while parents were filling out paperwork.

I am really happy with the way my room arrangement worked out. Every year my co-workers come into my room and they swear it is bigger than the rest but it isn't. It is just the way I lay out the room. The rugs help with creating 'areas' which makes the room seem bigger than it is. 

 Station 1 was where the kids would pick either a pink (girl) or blue (boy) sticky note where they wanted to sit and write their name on it. There was a info sheet on the students desk for the parents to fill out. Then I took them to Station 2 while mom and dad filled out the info sheet. 

I got the idea for the 3 drawer caddies on Pintrest! I loved the idea of having materials for math, spelling and other activities put away so they couldn't play with them, yet close enough to pass out quickly. 

My spelling word wall is my biggest project this year. I am using a new teaching method in spelling I learned in PD, which focuses on sounds. My word wall is by sounds and patterns instead of the alphabet. It is taking some getting used to for me!

Station 2 was on the table with the lamps. On this station I let the kids pick out a name badge (which has their name, emergency contact info and if they were bus, daycare or parent pick up) I use these for the first few weeks of school until I get it all down. 

Station 3 was along the wall I had paper grocer bags with a supply list stapled to it. The list was a custom list for my class the eliminated some unnecessary items from the district list and added more frequently used items in our classroom. 

One of my favorite things about this new arrangement is that somehow I have this huge area for my "mini kitchen" that I never used to have before. Its behind the chart, but it's nice. After all we need a mini fridge, microwave and plenty of teacher snacks!

Here is a closer shot of the desk caddies! Love this idea! 

Station 4 was on the round table. It had a packet with student names on them. Inside was a laminated business card with my class website, and all contact info, and a two page note explaining homework and expectations etc. This was a take home packet for parents to read since most parents have multiple teachers to visit they are short on time. 

Another School Year Another Room

It has proven difficult to keep up with this blog, my school website and school. Now I am adding graduate school this fall to the mix! I am excited to learn more, I love college! I am returning to grad school for my second master's degree, this one in reading. Looking forward I am considering a reading specialist position and who knows what lies ahead of that! I did not manage to post much at all this past school year except my room! I am not one of those bloggers who is coming up with new games or activities, not yet. I am a hard core pinner though and I get most of my ideas from Pintrest! Who doesn't love Pintrest! My room is my own creation inspired by others! So as we approach the new school year, which is weeks away, we have yet another theme this year! There is always something to keep us on our toes! This years theme is Superheros! I have big plans! I have learned so much each year about classroom design that you can see my room getting better every year and maybe a little more organized. This year will be no exception. Right now all I have is plans so I will share as things begin to be put together. A lot of new stuff is going on this year, new curriculum in some areas, new team members, new theme and we are starting interactive notebooks this year! I attended three workshops that have me ready to tackle word walls, interactive journals and spelling this year! More to come!

Summer is almost here!

Keeping up with a blog has proven to be difficult and almost impossible! This school year has been very challenging and there has been no time for new ideas. This summer I will have more time to blog and will be adding ideas for the new classroom theme for the next school year! The countdown to summer is on! Six weeks left!

Hello Cold Weather!

I have to admit that I am finding it challenging to keep up with this blog, my class webpage with all the other things I have to do on a daily basis. I think I need an app on my phone! I haven't created anything new to share but recently I did purchase a great journal writing set on www.teacherpayteachers.com! The set includes all four seasons of journal jar writing prompts! Very cute! I grabbed some vintage style mason jars at Wal-mart to put them in!

Here in Oklahoma we have had our first snow for the season! With that snow school was cancelled tomorrow due to icy roads, that is just the way it goes around here in Oklahoma. This school year so far has been mostly awesome! I have a great bunch of students this year! I had to change rooms before school started and I was so stoked about having a window in my room, but apparently the trade off was I have no working smart board! Thanksgiving is upon us and still now smart board! I am surviving but it is a bit frustrating knowing I am missing out on so many technological opportunities so far this year. I am crossing my fingers and praying that Santa brings me a working smart board installed and ready to use by January 2nd! 

I have had to make a few changes to my room, one that left me sad but I am in the process of compromising with myself. I had to take down my 3-D alphabet that I had strung across my room because it was apparently causing a problem with some motion sensors?? The alphabet will be relocating to the wall soon. :0) I have also recently added a second listening center! I will post pics soon!

Stay warm!