My room

I am linking up with Blog Hopper for Teacher Week!

I LOVE my school and my classroom! I wish I had better pictures of my room but all of my pictures were taken earlier this week (workdays) when things were a work in progress. Tomorrow is OPEN HOUSE for us...my FAVORITE day of the year!! I LOVE open house because I can see some of my old kiddos and meet my news ones. I already had an old student pop in earlier this week, she is going into the 5th grade, and she said, "Mrs. Clements, are you REALLY still teaching first grade!?!?" like I couldn't possibly still be there, and I'm NOT OLD!!! 29 to be exact. Then she proceeded to ask me how old I was again and gasp at my age...but no clue if she thought that was old or young.

ok, where I teach Wednesday...I really wish it was technology tip Tuesday--see my comments below my last post, as I love love love technology and can't imagine ever working without it.

My thematic bookshelf- all ready with back to school books.  I always have a thematic poster above the bookcase and books to go with our science/social studies unit on the bookcase. Students LOVE reading these books (or flipping through them at the beginning of the year) and I read them as shared reading books throught the day/week.  Also, a random football confiscated from a student of mine last year-- I've left it out for when he stops by my room this year to ensure he gets it back. Once he figured out I LOVE football season he brought in a football and just left it in his desk all year!!

My listening center.  I use Debbie Diller's book "Reading Workstations" and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. I am going to use the green and pink board (thank you Walmart for $1) to display "may dos" and "must dos".  I also have a lap desk for the person who doesn't get to sit on the beanbag chair. Students fill out a listening center form before leaving the center each week.

Maybe my favorite, or at least most Pinterest inspired, center!! I HANDPAINTED the table to match the safari theme in my classroom and I am using it as a handwriting center this year.  My kids will be able to sit on the crate seat and practice their handwriting and then file it away in the crate below. I love repurposed furniture!! I got this table for a colleague who was sending the table to Goodwill.

My morning work sign up board. Students can list on here things they are having "issues" with and we will discuss it as a class.  Students can also sign up to share and to give compliments and a cheer to a fellow student/classmate.  I use this form where they can sign up each morning. If you want the form post below in comments and I will post it.

And lastly is my classroom library. A teacher friend of mine left teaching and gave me all of her baskets so I inherited her organizational system...non-fiction and fiction. I go from hating it to loving it. The students find it super easy to keep books sorted because there are only two labels but I find it difficult to find books when I need them. Oh well..what's best for the students is best for all.

My desks are JEEPS because we are going on a First Grade Safari this year...my classroom theme!

Hope you enjoyed my classroom!!!! Happy Wednesday!!!