Extreme Makeover: Classroom Edition

Tuesday is the first day of school. I love September start up; new school supplies, new organization and new students. Although, I wouldn't be upset if they made the summer a little longer. It feels like we didn't get any warm weather here in Ontario!

I'm linking up with my good friend Amanda from The Primary Gal to bring you, Extreme Makeover: Classroom Edition. 

I have been lucky enough to be in the same classroom for the last five years. It's a nice room. Not overly big, and it doesn't have a lot of storage but it's my little home away from home. Each year, I slightly organize the room a little differently, but there are things that always stay the same.

a. my students desks are in groups

b. there is areas for small groups to work

c. there is an area for me to meet with small groups as well. 

d. there is place to play

Last year, I liked my set up but. I didn't love it! I was waiting for my district to mount my SMARTboard and then I was going to rearrange. This year I decided to stop waiting for them to mountthe board and organize my room as if it was mounted. This is how I organized my room last year.

This is what I came into last week!!!!!! HELP!!!!!

 Are you ready for the fun part? If you can't tell from looking at my blog, I love monsters! This year my room is totally monster themed and I love it!!!!

These are both views from the door. I have 20 students, so I have two groups with 6 desks. The desk in the middle is perfect for storing materials. Two groups have 5 desks. I'm really hoping I don't get 22 kids, but, I'm prepared just in case. 

I love these little monster from Scrappin Doodles! You will be able to see them throughout the room.  

Here is a view of my desk. This is probably the only time this year that you will be able to see the top of it.

However, Pinterest and my fellow bloggers inspired me to get a little more organized. I made myself a super cute Monster Teacher Tool Box.

I also labelled another bin to match.  I'm hoping this will help me become slightly more organized. I'm definitely a piler not a filer but I'm going to attempt to be this year.

This is a view from my desk. Next to the Creation Station, the shelf has paper, plasticene and there will be paint and other craft supplies. everything they need to create.

By the door is some bins to help keep the students organized.

I feel in love with these super cute leveled library labels. I made some dog themed ones for my teaching partner and decided to make some monster ones for me. I love the letters from Dancing Crayon Designs.

My word wall and number line. Pretty boring right now, and the only thing not monster themed. hmmm....? :)

 Can you believe that someone was throwing this baby out! I had a puppet theatre last year but the students really couldn't use it because it was to heavy to push out. I really like how the theatre defines the computer area as well. Anyone know where I can find some cute monster fabric to make new curtains? Those ones are pretty ugly.

This is my guided reading table. Notice the crate seats! I am so in love!!!!

This is the reading area.

And the math area. The shelf blocks my desk, so that I can quietly get some work done during my planning time, if need be.

 The view from the rainbow table. Notice my little helpers. They were so great for me this week!!! Not one complaint! Little teachers in 

the making???

This is the large group meeting area with the SMARTboard that hopefully will be mounted soon!

Another view from my desk and the Creation Station. 

I hope you enjoyed the tour of my room. If you stuck around this far, you might want to check out the great deal at Educents. Click HERE to take a closer look!

Even better, if you use the code Emmys10 you can get 10% off your purchase!!! That's anything in their store.

This bundle ends Monday! So get it soon.

If you want to check out my bloggy buddies' classroom, hop on over to The Primary Gal.

Grade 1 and 2 Bundle!!! Full Of Amazing Products From Some of My Fave's

I can't figure out where the summer has gone! It's just flown by. I went into school once this week. Looked around my classroom, took some before pictures, and went home. I keep telling myself I have lots of time to get ready...but really, I have about a week. We go back after labour day weekend. This year I am going to have two little helpers, "helping" me out next week. So, we will see how that goes!

I don't think I have been this excited in a while! I have teamed up with Educents to offer you some amazing instant downloads. This bundle is loaded with great literacy, math, and science activities that stretch throughout the year!

Honestly look at these products! They look amazing! 

I have two products included in this bundle! The First is my Monster Math Centres! If you haven't figured out yet, I have a slight teacher obsession with Monsters! I always do a monster unit in October! It is sooooo much fun, and the kids have a blast! There are so many great monster books and monster art activities out there! However, my favourite part of my Monster Unit are the Math Centres! My students love them!!!! 

While completing these six math centres, your students will have a monster of a time. Each centre focuses on a different strand or skill.

Monster Patterns: Students extend and create monster patterns, even a super long growing pattern.

Monster Parts: Students demonstrate the concept of one-to-one correspondence between numbers and objects by counting monster families, monster parts, and feeding a hungry monster.

GeoMonsters: Students identify common 2D shapes that make up a GeoMonster and create and describe their own Geo Monster.

Monster Sums: Students compose number up to twenty using monster parts (i.e. these 3 monsters have 12 arms altogether).

Monster Measurement: This centre includes two options.

1. Students measure the size of a variety of monsters using centicubes or other nonstandard units.

2. Students use a monster (nonstandard unit) to measure a variety of items around the classroom.

Monster Sorts: Students sort a variety of monsters and explain their sorting rule.

Also included in this set are:

• tracking sheets
• centre signs
• group member labels
• parent communication page
• an additional monster game

Please note: both American and Canadian spellings are included in this set!

The other product included in this bundle is my Animal Themed Problem Solving Strategies set! 

This is my all time FAVOURITE product in my store. This product took a lot of time and energy. Especially brainstorming the different animals. I started using Deanna Jump's Guided Reading Kit in my classroom, my students just loved the animal. It made it so much easier for them to remember the different strategies. So I decided to make my own version for Problem solving strategies. I chose animals that were different then Deanna's so that my students wouldn't get confused.  I don't know what else to say, other then I love it!

I also created posters to help my students when they are stuck. I originally intended for them to use them during problem solving. But, they could be used for any subject area!

For a limited time you can get these products as part of the bundle from Educents for $24.99! That's about 78% off! 24 products for literacy, math, and science - resources that will stretch you long into your year. Over 1200 pages of materials ready for you to use - there is sure to be tons you will love!

Do the math...24 products at $24.99! That's not even $1.05 a product. You can't beat that!

You can also take a peek at some of the other products included in the bundle at any of the links below!

An InLinkz Link-up

Falling in Love...The Last Chapter!

I can’t believe how late this post is! Time is just slipping away on me. There are now exactly two weeks until school starts again! I'm trying to live in denial! I went to write this post Saturday night, but my super sweet husband decided that we needed a date night! Supper, a movie, and the casino can't beat that. Well maybe if we had won something at the casino, it might have been better. LOL

It's hard to believe that we have gotten to the end of the Falling in Love Book Study! That's right, today I'm talking about Chapter 7!!!!

So this is where I, as a teacher, have to put it all together! AHHHHHH! This absolutely terrifies me. I get the concept, but now it's my job to take what I've learned and use it in my classroom! The examples they used were great, but not exactly relevant to first grade. As a Grade 1 teacher, I find it hard to visualize what close reading would look like in my classroom. 

This is what I've figured out. First, we are going to take it slooooow! There is so much that I want to incorporate into my classroom this year. The 100 minutes model, guided math, and now close reading! I don't want to sell myself short, because I have stretched myself too far. So I am going to take it super slow. I think my students will NEED me to take it slow too. 

I plan to teach close reading during my shared and guided reading lessons. During shared reading, I can model, and then, during guided reading lessons, I can focus on giving my students the tools they need to be effective.

Overall, I haven't decided if I have FALLEN IN LOVE with close reading. But I am very intrigued by the concept and in seeing what it would look like in first grade!

Thanks for sticking with me throughout this book study and reading my blog. We have an AMAZING giveaway for you this week! Not only can you win your own copy of the book, but you will win a $5 shopping spree from all of our stores! So make sure you enter.

Entry-Form

An InLinkz Link-up

Digging An Amazing Giveaway!!!

I am sad to see this blog hop end. I have had so much fun sharing with you some of the things that I do in my classroom and making some new bloggy friends. But it's not quite over yet!!!! We have worked together to create an amazing giveaway for you!

Are you ready???

Just in case you didn't hear these are our awesome prizes:

Come and join us, as our way to THANK YOU for all your support and friendship!

a Rafflecopter giveaway