I promised updated pictures now that my classroom no longer looks like “a furniture truck threw up” in it. I would say it’s about 95% done. There are still labels, bulletin board titles and a few things to organize, and I still need to hang my icicle lights, but it’s good enough for the 1st day and I’m proud of the progress it’s made in the last week.
So here goes…
This is the view of my classroom from near the door. The tables all have numbered supply tubs on them – we share most supplies in our room like markers, crayons, glue, pencils and erasers. The white folders have a packet in them for the kids to work on as students arrive in the morning and during the first week. The table at the back left will be my guided reading table, but for now has all the forms and information that goes home on the first day. You can also see my math wall, but there’s more on that later. 😉
This is our Word Work Wall and it’s not quite put together yet, but it’s getting there. Let’s start from the bottom up, shall we? The table on the left is the Word Work Center – part of the Daily 5 Program. Materials can be changed out as needed in the tubs. The purple word wall above it is our class word wall and it’s magnetic!! Yes, magnetic! When I add words to the wall I put magnets on the back. Then the kids can take a word with them to where they’re working, use it, and replace it! A few of the Kindergarten teachers used this system last year, so the kids will be familiar with it and already know how to use it!! I’m so excited about making the words so accessible for them. Once I add words and the kids start to use them, I’ll post about it again!
The green board is for Words of the Week for vocabulary and phonics. These are the words they’ll also be using in the Word Work center….got it? Ahhhhh…:)
The orange board is for the vocabulary words we’ve already worked on to live so we can use them and refer to them when we want to use our “Million Dollar Words”!
This giant blue wall is our Literacy Wall! On the left is our Classroom Library which for now is small and it’s bothering me. I have a ton of books in the cabinets, but I thought it would be easier to only have 2 bookshelves. Now, I’m not so sure. I always love having so many books out for the kids and it just seems so limited now. We’ll see I guess.
The wall is used for posting big graphic organizers and charts we create together on the carpet during read alouds and shared reading. Then, the reading tree! I love this tree and it has moved with me and been a big part of my classroom every year! I think I may add branches and more leaves later to really make it come further out of the wall.
The computers are new this year and they’re touch-screen!! We have never had technology like this in our classrooms but our school got 140 new touch-screen computers this year for our classes! It’s awesome and I can’t wait for the kids to be able to use them. The Listen to Reading Center is another part of the Daily 5 and the kids will use the computers to listen to books being read aloud! Fun stuff!
Well, let me Welcome you to First Grade!! It’s going to be a great year!
-T
myskillsarehappy 
We need to find a cute red fabric and make you some valances for those windows. We could use those spring-loaded compression rods so you could move them easily. Sure would brighten up those winders. Love the tree!! PS – is it just me, or does your room look larger this year? Or is it just a different shape? Or an optical illusion?
Definitely! The windows do need some brightening!! My room is not larger this year, so I’m glad it appears that way. It’s probably because I have tables now instead of desks and I laid it out so there are 3 areas across the room making it seem larger and more open. Glad it seems to be working!!