Monthly Archives: July 2009
Classroom Photos 2009-2010, Long Post! :)
I charged my batteries in the camera and took some pictures. I’ll take you on a tour and you can also check out my photos from last year here to see the differences.
Everything is mostly in the same place, but a few things were changed. First, I’ll start with some general views:
This is a look at my new computer area; last year the table was perpendicular to where it is now and there was a tall white cabinet in front of the back half of the blue bulletin board you see there.
Looking at my Listening Center Work Station (it’s on the backside of my writing station)
Library Work Station–I moved the book cases around and added my light up palm tree for some fun
Calendar area, bench where I sit, my Big Book teaching cart
The back of my big book cart, this is where Drama Work Station will go–tentatively, I may move it
A view of the mess that is my room! 🙂 The house, loft, my desk and a few tables
My desk, this year I stacked my filing cabinets and moved a table next to my desk.
We moved my son’s train table from home to school and it’s up in the loft now.
Here’s a view of the rest of the loft
My pocket chart stand my hubby built last year–I’ve come up with some new ideas how to use it! 🙂
I use this pencil pouch to store what ever the children are working on at Pocket Chart Work Station
Here’s the new part: I’m using the back of the chart for Magnetic Work Station during LWS. Below is an explanation…
Here’s an upclose view. I just hung it on the 2nd rung down with some of those metal binding rings.
I put magnetic letters in these pencil pouches and velcro-ed them to the stand…
Here’s the velcro
Sometimes, the children will not be using the board with the spaces I’ve defined. Instead, they will use these sheets I made last year.
I put magnetic strips on the back to hold them on.
Here’s the desk where my student teacher will sit–do you think she has enough prizes from me?!?!
Binders–waiting for my classlist to arrive so I can write names on them and put their sheet inside for practicing their name
I signed my classroom up through TerraCycle so we can recycle our snack and Capri Sun containers. These are some I purchased from Target to show my children.
After our first round of Getting to Know you, we will put beads into plastic water bottles with sand so the children can find the letters in their name.
This is how I’ve organized them.
Some birthday certificates I got from the Target dollar spot to recognize birthdays.
A game called Whiz Kids from Discovery Toys I will use with my kids this year. You pick a letter and a category and then get the number of points on the letter card if you can name something starting with that letter in that category.
This shelf sits next to my bench and will be home to several Literacy Work Stations.
My small group area, parent volunteer area, and where the wonderful, amazing Pam will work!! 🙂
Listening Work Station
The tape recorder sits on top of the cart and the tapes and head phones are stored in the drawers
My basket of things for Pam (yeah!! Pam!!) to copy and pass out to the kids for me.
There it is…I’m going back tomorrow to clean up some more and work on pulling things out for my Math Work Stations and figuring out where they will go! 🙂
Kristen 🙂
New Classroom Layout
I’ve updated my classroom layout for this year…of course, I took my camera with me to take pictures, and the batteries were dead! 🙂 So this picture will have to do for now. I’m including the layout from last year so that you can see what’s changed.
2009-2010 layout (click for a larger view)
2008-2009 layout (click for a larger view)
The biggest change I made was in the area where my storage cabinet used to be (dark blue area). I had that removed after getting rid of lots of stuff that was in it and then turned my computer table so that all the computer are flat against the wall (they were not this way last year despite what the old layout says!! 🙂 ). I also moved the volunteer table out a little and made it a round table instead of rectangle. Moving the cabinet opened the whole area up, so I can see all parts of the room at a time. The listening center is on the back side of the writing center, away from the Leap Pads and computers–they were all near each other causing a distraction and eating up much needed plug in space! 🙂 The Science table will be where my student teacher sits until October and then I’ll use it for Science again. I also angled the rug a little.
I’m going back in Monday, and I’ve charged the batteries, so I’ll take some pictures so you can compare them to last year’s photos! 😉
Kristen 🙂
Getting back in the swing of things…
Yes, so even though it’s still summer, I’ve spent the last two days in my classroom getting things somewhat back in order. Granted I’ve only been there 1/2 days, I’ve still gotten a lot accomplished! More than 60% of the big furniture is back where it belongs. Yesterday, I spent about an hour rearranging the place where my desk sits (4 different times) only to more it right back where it was to begin with–it’s most comfortable there!
When I go in tomorrow, I’ll try to remember to take my camera so I can show you some things I have changed–there were somethings that needed help last year and I just decided to wait it out until the summer to change! 🙂
I’ve also got some new pages for my binders on the way (for data keeping) as well as a few other things. I’m also starting to wrap my brain around lesson plans. We are now going to use the Phonemic Awareness portion of the Open Court program this year, so I had to work that into my new schedule. I’ll try to get that posted shortly.
I’m also going to start organizing materials for my first round of Math Work Stations! Did you see I posted those for sale yesterday?? I’m so excited about them–LOTS of hard work went into them and I can’t wait to put them into action! I’ll have to write a revised version next summer with what worked and what did not work!
Thanks to all of you who have purchased my Farmer’s Market handouts! I appreciate you looking them over and leaving some feedback for me, so I can continue to update and improve them.
All for now, my muscles are tired from moving furniture, so I’m off to take a nice hot bath!
Kristen 😉
Math Work Stations Now Available!
Math Work Stations Now Available!
I have just finished creating Math Work Stations and they are ready for purchase! The cost is $20.00 for the CD + $2.00 Shipping. I can ship anywhere in the U.S. These were designed with Kindergarten in mind. Included on the CD:
-more than 10 Math Work Station ideas for each content area (Shapes, Telling Time/Money, Patterning, Addition, Sorting, Graphing, Math Games, Measurement, Number Recognition, and Number Writing) -most have closer to 15 Station ideas
-Large room signs to label your Math Work Stations
-Small Pocket Chart signs to help manage your Math Work Stations
-management ideas, storage ideas
-a list of kid friendly web-sites, math trade book bibliography, graphing blackline master, and shopping information for materials I purchased and use in my classroom from Lakeshore
Please let me know if you have any questions! 🙂
The button has been posted at the top right of my Kristen’s Kindergarten Store. CD’s usually ship within 3 days of receiving payment.
Kristen 🙂
New Materials Available for purchase…
Hi Everyone!
Sorry that I have not posted in a LONG while…we went on vacation, my sister had a baby, and I’ve been taking classes!
In the few minutes I’ve had here and there, I was able to create a few more documents that I’ve posted on my Kristen’s Kindergarten Store blog.
Kristen 🙂