The first days of school....I have survived so far

I know I know...I said I would post on Sunday night but time got away from me and the thought of being able to relax a few extra hours was too enticing to give up. Overall the first two days were SO MUCH better than last year's first two days. My kiddos are responding really well to the signal and yes I do have a turkey or two that I have to control but overall I am really looking forward to watching this year's class grow. We got class lists on Wednesday night (the evening BEFORE school started). It was a rush to get every one's names on stuff but it happened. The only glitch was making sure we had bus paperwork on every kid. After pulling the team together and figuring out who rode bus, we did it! Not an issue any longer which makes my life easier. I guess the best moment of the first day of school was when I was in the boy's bathroom explaining the rules and procedures for how to properly use the bathroom. I had a student who was jumping up and down while I was explaining where #1 goes and #2 goes. (I know it sounds gross but they are 5, I leave no stone unturned.) Well I asked the student if he could wait a few minutes until I finished, he said yes so I continued with my script. All of a sudden...he springs a leak and urine comes flying out of his pants. I quickly rush him into the stall and slam the door! We all walk out and return after I hear the flush and he comes out of the stall. I continue to use him as a model student while we show the rest of the boys how to use the sink and how to properly wash our hands. LOL!!! Great story that I will never forget.

This week has been great so far. I am up to 22 little angels. We have higher numbers than last year which is good in some ways. I always forget how needy Kindergartners can be but they love people who care about them. I truly care about each and every one of my students. I make sure they are comfortable and safe. I make sure they learn and get help when needed. It's been a BUSY first 4 days to the school year but I know the next 175 days will be amazing!

So here it is.....the moment you have ALL been waiting for........

MY CLASSROOM!

Tonight at parent orientation for 1st - 6th grade, I snapped some pictures to make sure I posted them. I am very proud of my classroom and my students really like it too. Enjoy!

These are birthday cupcakes I made for my birthdays throughout the year. I write their names and date on the "wrapper" part. I laminated them so I could erase the previous year's students with a magic eraser and write them on with Sharpie.

My calendar board. It is still a work in progress but as you can see it's bright, colorful and cheery!

This is my new calendar to go with the border. I also used the Cricut to make the apples, buses, and year. I did this last year but I thought it was a cute idea to share.

Here is a close up shot of my days of the week. I also used the Cricut to make all the signs except for "board". They are also colorful and the students respond well to both visuals.

Here is a picture of my rules, rewards and consequences board. We are doing a school wide behavior program which is meant to encourage good behavior. We call it PAWS here it is. I fell in love with the mini dog bones and bullet points. LOL!

Funny story about this picture, I have been a English Learning Development teacher for 4 years now and the state requires you to have a Grammar Wall posted in each ELD teacher. Well I went through the trouble to Cricut the names of each part of speech BUT since incoming Kinders tested proficient, we now only have 1 ELD class! Woohoo!! This means that the grammar wall almost doesn't need to happen but we shall see.

Here are what each student has. One summer, my best friend and I went to the Jr. high wood shop to use their tools so we could make crayon holders. These are a teachers dream! They are super organized and you can see what they are doing. My friend was the best at helping me.

I have gotten inspiration from another Pinterest guru and she suggested organizing the materials you need for the month in each cubby. I took it a step further and Cricut cut the letters and used the black and white background. GENIUS! All I can say is I LOVE THEM!!!\\\

My welcome back board with the kids first day of school drawing.

For the first time in 6 years, I have never had a desk. The reason why it's messy is because it's the beginning of the year and I have a million and one things to do. LOL!

Here is a close up of my organizers. I also have my write n wipe picture frame. So cute! Both Pinterest inspired ideas. All I can say is that Pinterest is a teachers dream and to all those who add their ideas, THANK YOU!

Last but not least, MY NEWEST ADDITION TO MY CLASSROOM IS MY CHAIR POCKETS!!! This was the first and it's a little lop sided but it goes with my black and white theme and they are ADORABLE! I hope to make them before I start grad school again. This is the cutest thing I have ever made!

So there you go! My classroom in a nutshell. I hope you enjoy! I am excited to share these pictures with you and show off my labor of love. I hope to inspire others to shoot for the stars OR call the looney bin for me. LOL! Nite!

Clarissa