AND OFF THEY GO!!

I am SUPER behind on blogging, but I couldn't wait to post this news!  About three weeks ago I started using AR in my first grade classroom.  I tried AR for a brief time last year and quickly gave up. (Not what I usually do!)  So I have had lots of time to think about ways to get the kids excited about AR and train them on using the program.  My first priority was getting an organized system!  Here is our AR Library.

Each team has a bucket of leveled AR books to choose from.  Each student also has an AR log located in the red bucket to the right.  I require the students to read the book at least two times.   Then they fill out a sheet on the book. (Located in the fiction and nonfiction buckets on top)  The students also record the book in their log before testing on the computer. Here are the forms we are using in our logs. If you would like a free download, click here. 

I also include a laminated card with the student's log in information inside each reading log folder.  The first week of implementation basically consisted of learning where to get and store the materials, and how to fill out the forms before testing.  However, I noticed some students needed a little more motivation to get on the AR bandwagon!  I decided I needed some sort of visual to help the students see their progress.  My wonderful assistant came up with the perfect idea!

It is hard to see in this picture, but each student has a pirate with their name.  As they earn AR points, their pirate moves down the number line.  As soon as I got this board up and explained the concept, OFF THEY WENT!  I'm so excited to announce that after two and a half weeks our class total of AR points is .......

WOW!!  I'm so proud of all of my boys and girls!!  I can't wait to share this news with them on Monday!  Most of the books they read are worth 0.5 AR points.  This is one happy teacher!!  I can't wait to see where they go with AR this year!

I would love to hear if and how you use this program or a similar program in your school! I love new ideas!!

New Writing Center!

With a brand new year comes new ideas and improvements. This is my first year to be in the same grade level and classroom as the year before. I am SO EXCITED! I feel like for the first time in I can actually improve on what I did last year!

Last year I started incorporating centers into my daily ELA routine. One of my centers is a writing center. I knew it needed an overhaul this year, but once again I wasn't completely sure what I wanted to do. I knew the kids needed some privacy, so I bought some trifold boards and cut them in half. I found this great download from TPT (A Cupcake for the Teacher) to give the students important info to remember when writing. Our district is using Saxon Phonics this year, so my kids also have a great spelling dictionary with them at the writing center. LOVE IT!

On Friday we did a sentence scramble with our journals in the writing center. Here is a view of one of the writing boards.

I found this great find a Books-a-Million last weekend! I used the words to make a sentence scramble for each writing center. Inside the "I Can Write a" folder, I put a Ziploc bag with the sentence scramble, as well as the date for their journal. They had to unscramble the sentence, record the sentence in their journal, and illustrate it!

For now we are primarily writing in our journals, but as the year goes on we will create books. Each day the kids will file their work in the "author box" using our number system. At the end of the week there work from each day will be stapled together as a book! They love some filing!

I would love to hear your ideas!! I'm always looking for new things to try! :)

I'm Done Jar

I think it is safe to say that most of my teacher friends spent the summer on Pinterest. I LOVE IT! This summer I found the "I'm Done" jar, and I immediately knew I had to make one for my early finishers. I just needed some time to process HOW to use it effectively. Here is the result of my efforts! :)

My "I'm Done" jar comes with its own cart full of activities based on skills we are currently covering. I bought this cart for $15.00 at Walmart. The top drawer contain various writing paper for rainbow writing, story writing, letter writing, iPad writing, etc.

The second drawer has math practice. For now we have a 100's chart here.

The third drawer has flash cards and journal cards.

The fourth drawer has games!

Today was our first day to implement this new system and the kids LOVED IT!

Other activities they may pull include: computer center, read a book, and clean pouch. :)

If you would like the labels for the jar or organizer click HERE!

Birthday Balloons

Pinterest strikes again! Don't you just love it! I see things and think "Why didn't I think of that!" This was one of those projects! Such a cute idea. I always find myself struggling on the morning of a student's birthday to fill out their certificate and make sure I have some kind of happy in the treasure box and check folders and take attendance and check morning work and parents bringing cupcakes and the list goes on and on!!! The life a a first grade teacher can be tiresome but always rewarding!

I started with a box of giant Pixy Stix from Sam's Club.

I took the top of of the box as directed and used wrapping paper to cover the bottom half and top half of the box. I used the small top half to hold my birthday certificates and birthday stickers, and I used the large bottom piece of the box to hold by birthday balloons. I ran off and taped the balloons to the pixy stix, tied some string, and SHAAZAM! We have a cute birthday corner! Yay! No more crazy birthday mornings!!

If you would like this FREEBIE click HERE!

Back to School

It's official! School starts Monday..... Ready or not here they come! We had a great turn out at our open house last night, and I'm already in love with my new babies. I have such high expectations for this group! I have slaved away in my room for the past two weeks getting things organized for that start of school. Last year was my first year teaching first grade in a new school, so this year I'm ready to rock and roll!

Here is a view of my room from the doorway.

We use this board for bus and car notes each day.

I found this great idea on Pinterest! (I'm obsessed!) Each table is marked by the number and color. The number marks their "Home Table" and the color marks their "Reading Table."

I made these labels to organize the student supply table.

Here is the view of the front of the classroom. We LOVE our Mimio time!

I HAD to make some ordinal Owls for math this year! :)

I made a new behavior chart. I haven't put the clothespin on yet. (Add that to the list for Monday morning!) If you would like this chart click here.

I also have a Behavior Log to go with the chart. Click here.


I found this great genre posters on TPT. I have them on a magnetic strip so I can transfer to the book nook when I need them. We are going to put book titles under the genres as we read new books throughout the year.

So excited about our new "Book Nook!" This board is magnetic and will be used to discuss books each week.

DRUMROLL PLEASE...............

My new reading corner!! SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS! I organized our tiny classroom library over the summer by topic. I'm hoping for some great Scholastic orders this year to help build up our library. I had this old yellow chair from ages ago and saw a cute canopy on Pinterest and the wheels started to turn.... Our leader for the day will get some special time in the reading corner! :)

This is also a new addition to my room. A neighbor was cleaning out, and I got LUCKY! The back piece was missing so I added my pocket chart and writing paper. I WILL LOVE THIS FOR SMALL GROUP!

This was a great idea for open house. Another teacher suggested making supply boxes so the kids could help sort their supplies while the parents filled out paper work. It was great! We will be thankful we did this come Monday morning! I am looking forward to a great year!

If you would like more organizational labels click here!

Classroom Tour...

Welcome to first grade!  I have enjoyed getting my room together this first nine weeks!  I seem to think of more and more things I need everyday.  This summer I walked into a completely empty classroom with NO first grade supplies AT ALL!  Needless to say I worried all summer long, but thankfully things are beginning to fall into place.  Some days I feel like we are doing great and other days we tread water!  Please share any great ideas you have to help me get my classroom up to par! 

I had to go against the grain and get rid of those BIG BULKY desks!  I am LOVING our new tables!  (The kids like them too!)  Mom mom helped me make our fabulous seat covers to hold their supplies.  Thanks Mom!  :)

Here is the view from the other side of the classroom.  Once again, Mom made some fabulous curtains to hide all that ugly stuff no one wants to see!  Needless to say, Mom is teaching me how to sew!

So maybe I went dumpster diving at our church for this fabulous tree....  And then MAYBE I spray painted it purple...  LOVE IT!  The plan is to decorate the tree for every season.  We used empty crayon boxes for August/September!

I use Sound Town my Mrs. Sandra Norris to teach phonics, and the kids LOVE it!  This week we are singing "Hey Goodlooking" and learning our "r" clusters... SO FUN!

If only we could all follow these everyday...

Mountain Language and Mountain Math are up!  I waited for these for a while.  We haven't started using them yet, but the time is near!

I hope you enjoyed looking around our classroom!