Classroom Reveal

After moving all my things from Indiana to Chicago, taking all my things up three flights of stairs to my classroom, and working for a solid week - I finally finished my classroom!! Yay! I feel so relieved to have my room finished.  I am so proud of my classroom.  I worked really hard and even created new products to post in my classroom to make my theme complete.  I hope you check them out!

When you enter my classroom, you see the door first, and my hallway mailbox.  At my school we each have an outside mailbox where teachers can place things in during the day if I am teaching so that they do not have to interrupt me.  Pretty neat!  Then, I placed this "Where are we?" sign and my kids love to move the clip to tell people where we are during the day.  The crayon B was made by one of my students as a gift - I love it!

As you go in the door of my classroom, this is what you see straight ahead.  The blue tubs will not be staying on the floor- they are just there for students to place their school supplies in. They will go on top of the cabinet in the back of the room when we are done. 

This is to the left of my door.

This is the back corner of my room.

This is our cursive letters because I get to teach cursive in second grade!  I am so excited about this.  Handwriting is still part of the curriculum, and I think it is so important.

We also do the 7 Habits - Leader in Me program at my school.  These are the ocean display 7 Habits posters I made.  You can find them in my TPT store for just $1.50!  They definitely add to my ocean themed classroom.  This board will also include our class mission statement.  We will do that together as a class. Our school mission statement is already posted on the board.

We have our learning targets board because these are a HUGE part of our day.  Each subject has a learning target, and I was recently informed that learning targets are different than objectives.  (I originally had objectives written at the top, and I was told that they are not the same :/)  I guess objectives are more what the teacher is planning on doing and learning targets are statements that express what the students will learn during the lesson.  Who knew?!  You can find my schedule cards in my TPT store also!

I have my Beach Jobs posted at the front of the room.  I have them free in my TPT store.  Check back later to read my blog post about how I use jobs in my classroom and how I tie it in with our 7 Habits -Leader in Me program! :]

Underneath the Beach Jobs you can see my behavior flowers.  My husband made those for me!  Can you say talented?!  I am SO impressed.  However, at my school we use the color system.  If a student is placed on Blue it is a HUGE deal.  I also use Class Dojo for my behavior tracking, but I follow the color system for the special area classes.

Then, you can see the Treasure bucket and clipboards.

The blue pocket chart will have our morning prayer in it, I just haven't written it yet.

This is my math calendar wall.  I have the Ocean Place Value posters on the wall, as well as the calendar and the Today is poster.  You can find my months of the year, days of the week, place value posters, and today is poster in my TPT store.

At the front of the room I have my teaching table.  I place what I am doing for the day on the table, as well as my laptop that is connected to the Smartboard.  Check out my before and after picture of the table.  I just used contact paper and ordered it from Amazon!

Here is my library!!  The library is always my favorite part of my classroom!  We use Reading Workshop, so my library is leveled by guided reading letters.  I also have my look book baskets that include various genres for the kids to pick from.   I also have my basket of stuffed animals for them to read to!  This is their favorite. :]

Here is a close up of my guided reading labels.  You can find them in my TPT store - they are ocean themed!  I'm telling you, I went all out with my ocean themed classroom this year!

Here is my table numbers I made to go along with my Ocean classroom!   You can find them in my TPT store. :]

This is my Religion Board.  I will be adding prayers, saints, and other things we learn during Religion on the board as the year goes on.  This is also my prayer corner where kids can read from the Bible, pray using the rosary, or just simply have some time with God. I love hearing the kids talk about God, it is absolutely precious!

Here is my Dive into Math Board!  We will be adding posters as we work this year. I also have my Math center baskets, and my Math Workshop posted.  I will add names when the students come and I have time to evaluate them.  You can find my Ocean Themed Workshop Posters in my TPT store. 

This is my VOICES Writing wall.  I like using Kristina Smekens for teaching writing.  I will also use Lucy Caulkins this year to teach Writing Workshop.  This is my writing center table that has materials on it for independent writing time.  Check back later to learn how I teach VOICES in my classroom and learn about the Cereal traits - who doesn't like eating while writing?  This is also one of my favorite areas! :]

Here is my Hooked on Reading Wall.  We will post what we learn during Reading Workshop and our spelling words on the pocket charts.  I am also doing a Poetry Race this year, and students that complete the race each week will be placed on the Poet-Tree using a parrot.  They will work their way around the Poet-Tree to the end where they will earn a great reward if they make it!  Check back to read about our Poetry this year!

I also have my small group table here so we can practice skills and refer to the board when necessary.

Here is our board for our Class Data Goals and School Data Goals.  Check back later to see what we have planned! :]

This also has the students' red boxes for books, resources, and skill box work.  I love these - they are so durable and allow for my students to keep so many things in them.  I found these at Wal-Mart a couple of years ago.

Here is my Catch of the Week board - this is where I will post my student of the week's poster and any other fun facts.  As the year goes on, I will have students of the week but they will share about current events or give a book report.  Check back to see how I do this in my classroom.  You can find my student of the week forms in my TPT store!  I always like to make a big deal about my kids when it is their special week.

Here is my phonics station.  Students can sit at the stools and practice their fluency skills as well as the special sounds.  You can find my fluency pack in my TPT store.  I also have create packs for -ee/-ea, -ai/-ay, -ou/-ow, -igh/-y, and -au/-aw.  I am working on more currently so that I will have 12 different literacy packs that focus on the "special sounds" (digraphs, diphthongs, etc).  Check back to see how I have my students practice these skills and move up levels.

Here is my birthday wall!  I made these fun ocean themed birthday posters.  You can find them in my TPT store.  I love how they turned out!

Here is my area where I post a word each day.  It is part of my students' morning routine.  They come in, grab their card (they know based on their class number which card to pick - this way I can differentiate), and read the word to me.  I also have them spell the word.  There are other cards I use throughout the year.  You can find my Daily Morning Routine Cards in my TPT store. I also have a more Kindergarten/First grade focused set of Daily Morning Routine Cards.

Here is my wall where I will post my students' ice cream sundaes.  Each time they pass a math fact, they will receive a part to an ice cream sundae.

Here is my Pinterest find board!  When my students turn in assignments, they will place their work the file folder based on how well they understood the assignment.  If they thought they were experts, they would place it in the 4.  If they thought they were pretty good, but need a little more practice they will place it in the 3.  If they thought it was hard, but slightly understood, they would place it in the 2.  If they had no idea what was going on, they would place it in the 1. I am exciting about evaluating this way!

Here is my wall where I will post my students' family projects each month!  I love doing this in my classroom.

Here is my Caught Doing Homework area.  Students each have a fish.  If they complete their homework each night, they get to stay in the fishbowl.  If they do not complete their homework, they will be removed from the fishbowl.  At the end of the month, if they are still in the fishbowl they will receive a special reward.  It could be an extra recess, pizza party, free time, no homework one night, etc.

Here is my desk!  My friend Maja from Kooky Kinders made me this beautiful name banner.  :]

Here is my Word Wave (that's what the banner says, but you can't see it).  You can find my ABC ocean display cards in my TPT store.  This was one of my favorite ocean creations!

Here is my Surf's Up area  where students will get their notebooks and skill box activities from the file tub.  You can check out my Surf's Up skill box in my TPT store.  I am SO proud and excited for this.  Its really going to help my students practice each Common Core standard!

Here is my adorable class!  Have a happy 2014-2015 school year!

Please be sure to check back throughout the year to see what is going on in our classroom!