Back to School Tomorrow - Anxious and Excited!

So, the room is as ready as it is going to get!  Welcome 2nd graders!

Mrs. Cade's Superstars will enter through the VIP entrance!

Lesson Plans, laptop (with ghetto projector/sound set-up), new document cam, new student chairs, and clipboard -- Check!

Cute "Pinterest-Inspired" Clock display finally up, number line and calendar up  -- Check! 

Word Wall Ready, Library mostly ready, Safe Place ready, tables divided with work folders and caddies - Check!

Curtains hung, "Mrs. Cade Loves..." up, supply boxes ready for supplies, a somewhat-clear teacher/student area - Check!

Attendance/Lunch board ready, alphabet (and sign language alphabet) and pledges displayed - Check!

Super AWESOME Writing Center - CHECK!!

The view when the students walk in...I hope they love being here this year!

Welcome Back to School 2012-2013 everyone.  I will not lie - after 7 years of teaching 4th grade with the last 3 being departmentalized and only teaching LA, 2nd grade self-contained seems a bit scary.  I know we will have fun, and I will learn at least as much as my students do!  I pray you enjoy your new students and they are able to learn and have fun in all of the beautiful environments you have lovingly created for them.  Thank you for sharing the summer with me and inspiring me in more ways than I can say!

Going to bed RIGHT NOW to get a good night's sleep before the 1st day of school -- CHECK! =)

New Classroom '12-'13 is Coming Together

Many thanks to my sister, brother-in-law, niece, son, husband and daughter, for helping get my classroom moved and set up!  Setting up a classroom is a HUGE undertaking that most people outside the elementary education world do not have a grasp on.  Many hours are devoted to creating positive learning environments where children will want to come and learn.  Like many others, I find setting up my classroom fun in some ways, but I will not deny it is a LOT of work.  I am blessed to have help!

Though I am repeating pics from my previous blog, I will remind you of a few BEFORE pics:

Though I said I was reminding you, it is even more cool to remind myself what a ton of work has been accomplished!! :)

Lots of Pinterest projects are complete and have made it to school; however, the organizing of my "teacher area" (no desk in the room this year), continuing to organize my classroom library, my "files," and centers will be taken care of in the coming weeks before students arrive.

Thank you to ALL those out in Blogland/Pinterestland for all of your inspiration and your sharing attitudes!!  I know many of you can spot your ideas/work in my classroom -- much alike an "I Spy" game - ;)  I am looking forward to my first year teaching 2nd grade!  Here is the classroom so far...

 

Come on in to Mrs. Cade's 2nd Grade Classroom

My sweet husband and sister helping put up fabric - THANKS!

My brother-in-law putting up my ROCK STAR Word Wall (I thought I was a perfectionist - lol)

My niece, Bailey, in the "Safe Place" BEFORE...

My daughter, Kelsi, in a more comfy Safe Place (NO, her legs and feet are NOT that big - bad camera angle ;)

There is ALWAYS lamination to be cut before school starts...God loves a cheerful worker!!

The beginnings of a fun Writing Center!!! "Work on Writing" and "Word Work" will happen here.

YEA! for BRIGHT colors and cheerful workers!!!

Check out my AWESOME chart stand my hubby made me!! =)

Still work to be done on my classroom library, but it has come a LONG way.

 Thanks to my son, Kyle, for building my bookshelves!!

I almost didn't post this one because there is still so much to be done here, but then I saw the "before" shot - lol

They MADE me get in a pic - check out my new alphabet! LOVE IT :)

"How We Go Home," Some "Goodbye sayings," "Helper Chart," and the beginnings of "Listen to Reading"

My Alphabet Line is up!

I think it doesn't feel like a classroom until the alphabet is posted.  I know I'm not totally crazy, because my friend said, "I know!  That's always how I feel!"

Well...I posted my alphabet in my new 2nd grade classroom today!! YIPPEE!!  I purchased these at Teacher's Notebook from one of my FAVES:  Ladybug's Teacher Files :)  I cut them out, used my circle cutter to cut perfect circles from brightly colored paper, had my daughter and her roommate glue these on the circles, laminated them, and stuck them up with my favorite blue painter's tape! 
 

You can purchase your copy here for the low price of only $3.00!! 

**Note:  pics to come later, when there has been a bit more progress :)

It excited me so much, I could have stayed and worked until late into the night, but...I had my son with me, and I promised him after the 4 hours he'd toted stuff around the school for me, we would go home if I could just get my alphabet up.  He was patient, and oh so helpful today, so I had to leave.  Then we went to Sonic to "reward" ourselves.  I am so lucky to have a son who will help me with very, very little grumbling of any kind.  He has a servant's heart for sure!

There is still soooo much work to be done, but I feel I have at least started.  I don't see students for a month, though I have training and 7 days of staff development before then.  I want to start the school year feeling good about the space the students will learn in.  We all spend so much time there, I feel it deserves some time and effort (and yes, $$$) to make it a good learning environment, with a comfortable, yet fun feel (no pressure...).

Do you have your alphabet up??? 

New Room, New Grade Level ~ Need Your Help

Good morning,

I have made a concerted effort to stay away from school during the month of July.  Of course I have spent many hours on Pinterest, at Target, and at home planning, shopping, collecting, PRINTING (I have spent an undisclosed amount on printer ink :/), thinking, and creating, but NO SCHOOL ~ only the "fun stuff"!  I needed a break after such a challenging school year and the loss of our precious Daddy.

However, I just returned from a family reunion in West Texas, and although it is still July, I am ITCHING to get into my classroom.  I am not only changing rooms, but am making a change from 4th (after 7 years) to 2nd grade.  I am extremely excited for the new challenge, but I would love some advice from you expert teacher bloggers out there!

Basically, I have a mess of a junked up room right now.  It is not as large as many I see out there, and it has NO CORNERS to work with.  I will of course have a library, but I had just redone it by level for my 4th graders last year...  
What I need to know from you is:

What are the HAVE TO HAVES as far as bulletin boards? 
Do you think I should organize my library by level or by genre?
What advice to you have about seating for 2nd graders?

I'll just show you the space and the JUNK and you just let the advice flow =)

THANKS IN ADVANCE!

As you walk into the room, this is what you see (Back section = computer area)

Turn slightly to the left and this is a view of the back (sink in back corner).

Shot of side windowed wall - I need new curtains, but can't sew - HELP!

The back wall - class library will go there - thinking about some low bookcases?

Other side wall - 2 doors...one to hall, one to "2nd grade team pod" and those hooks take up the WHOLE WALL!!

Looking toward the front wall from the back

As you can see, we have tables instead of desks (hate it :/), and we have cubbies that can be moved.  I use primary colors (heavy on the red and blue).  I will have a "Superstar" theme.  Give me all the ideas and advice you can muster.

Have a Terrific Tuesday!

Slowly, But Surely My Classroom Takes Form...

As I continue to blog stalk hop, I am amazed at the creativity, energy, and SPEED with which you all put your rooms together!  There are so many beautiful classrooms in America being put together right now by dedicated teachers!  I just wish THAT kind of thing was what people thought about when they think of teachers -- dedicated teachers using their "time off" to create positive learning environments.  Let me be one who says, "I notice, I understand, I'm impressed, and THANK YOU!"

(This is me, stepping off my soap box now...)  Back to your "speed" -- I don't have that...  It seems to take me FOREVER to put a bulletin board together, much less my whole room - lol.  As usual, I have spent my summer "puttering" around town (and online), gathering supplies, dropping by the school to work in short bits (shorter because we don't have full "air" in the summer).  At least now I can say that some of my bulletin boards are up and ready to go and some of my "projects" are taking form.

My first few years of teaching were spent in Nebraska.  One of my team teachers, Mrs. Smith, had a section of her classroom wall with 20ish class pictures all hanging neatly and the title "Mrs. Smith's Reasons For Teaching."  I LOVED this and FINALLY have my own.  Mine are not as neatly placed, because they are not all the same size, but my husband (ladder helper) and I figured it out and I LOVE IT:

I have taught 6 years and the other frame is waiting for my current class.

Found these fun "frames" on sale at Michael's :)

Placed above our Helper Board and Family Board.

I've also gotten the "main idea" of my Student Writing board completed.  I'm sure this will need "tweeking" along the way, but it is presentable:  "Red Carpet Writing"

Placed above the Writing Center (not ready for photographing - lol)

I've updated my "Mrs. Cade Loves..." board - always a student favorite:

Here are just a few other parts of the room that are ready to go:

I'm going to try these for my daily materials this year.

We are departmentalized, so I color-code everything for my 3 classes:  Red is my color :)  This houses my birthday and celebration boxes (top rack), my baskets for turning in work (color coded, labeled baskets), and my tubs for "Friday Folders" and Materials to hand out (red bottom tubs, not yet labeled):

Finally, a "shout-out" to my beautiful, creative daughter who painted my teacher stool and author's chair (Love you, Sassy!):

More to come...Thanks again for all of your inspiration out there!  Happy Sunday!

Thank Goodness for the Help of Loved Ones!

When it comes to my classroom, I prefer to "putter."  I like to take little bits of time to get my classroom together and fortunately I am allowed in the building over the summer -- though heat can be a problem, depending on if the air is on.  I was also fortunate because our wonderful custodians cleaned the 4th grade rooms and carpets first. :)  So, I have been to my classroom several times over the summer to move furniture into its place, put up new borders on bulletin boards, do a little laminating, etc.  My husband and my teammate's husband even spent time in there doing the heavy lifting, hanging fishing line from the ceiling, etc.

My sister and great-niece are visiting this week and we pretty much had a "family afternoon" at the school - lol.  My sister helped organize my bulletin board letters, my niece helped organized some of my junk supplies, my husband and son hung stars from the ceiling and helped move heavy boxes or books from place to place, and my sweet daughter got my classroom library unboxed, organized, and on the bookshelves (this has been her job all 7 years of my teaching). 

So while my classroom is far from "finished," I wanted to share a few photos showing progress and giving a "shout out" to my wonderful family, who always pitches in to help.  I couldn't do it without them!

My sister, Annette, and my husband, Trey, hanging stars.

My sweet niece organizing that mess.  (Forgot the after picture :/)

My darling daughter trying to organize the library.

We need a few more baskets and I will label, but YEA!

Really, he DID work, but my son is taking a reading break :)

Job Board and Family Board are done!

Many more hours to spend, much more to do, but progress is taking place and we had a few laughs along the way.  Thank you to my amazing family!!