Teaching With Haley O'Connor

Let's build a better world together-one classroom at a time!

ALMOST Ready For My Firsties!

 

First things first…setting up a classroom is SERIOUSLY hazardous to your health. 🙂 I have only been back for 3 days and I managed to fall, get like 4 bruises, and yesterday, totally skinned my ankle using a rolling chair. I thought I was dying…I told my team leader to take me to the hospital so I could get stitches. Hahaha…I MAY be a little dramatic. 🙂 Fortunately, she is a little more level headed than me and understands my extreme hypochondria. 🙂 But really…I should probably wear a football uniform next year. 🙂

I can’t wait to show you my classroom! It is definitely nothing spectacular, and I dream of having as cute a classroom as my favorite teacher bloggers. BUT, it’s the most prepared I have felt, and I actually feel pretty stinkin’ organized. At least with their materials…my closet is organized, but I have a feeling that is not gonna last. 🙂 As you are looking through the pictures, I hope you find a few things you could use! If you do, you can head over to my TPT store and almost all of the printables I’m gonna show you. 🙂 And of course, it’s free. I wouldn’t have it any other way! 🙂 Just click HERE! It doesn’t have a product preview, because all of the pictures are on here. 🙂

We start off the year with blank walls, and in the past, I have covered the walls with paper first. But this year, I just decided to stick with the cork board walls. I don’t have any fancy reason, just thought it worked the same and required WAY less prep time. 🙂 Which meant, more time to plan and organize for my babies!

First up, my small group/teacher desk/guided reading/hod podge/guided math/teacher relaxation area. 🙂 It kind of serves quadruple duty, which made me even more determined to get it set up nicely. Those pink boxes just hold all of my supplies…magnets, clothespins, push pins, sharpies, etc.

Our birthday balloons and my days of the week folders go here. I want them to SEE the balloons, but not have access to them, haha. I’m sure all you understand that. 🙂

Right here, you can see our whisper phones, and my letter tiles for making words during guided reading. 🙂

Here, we have highlighting tape (one of my FAVORITE things to use in Guided Reading, and down there are our fun reading glasses, pointers (aka…pencils with fun erasers…don’t tell!:), and dry erase boards.

Next up…my word wall. Can not WAIT to start adding our sight words on the first day of school. 🙂 We really only focus on a few a week, but I will introduce at least one a day at the beginning so that they can practice using the word wall with a few of the most common words.

How I love Zebra! 🙂 Here is my classroom library, complete with a sweet little Ninja Turtle lovin’ helper!
I chose not to seperate my library this year, and will just rotate them out monthly. 🙂 The bookcase holds read alouds that I have used. They are just there for display, and won’t actually be added until we read them together. Firsties can read these books in the library, or at their tables, but they can’t add them to their book bags. They have always been very respectful of special read alouds. 🙂 Plus, they know if they are treated nicely, we can read them over and over!! Above the library is my WOW work wall.

You can see their book boxes on the left…here they are. I stinkin’ love these babies that I found at Dollar Tree (of course)…add a label, and they are ready!

Okay…this is an idea I can actually take credit for, and I love it soooo much. It’s probably one of my favorite tools to use. 🙂 We call it “Fresh Start Spray.” The spray bottle is full of magical air that wipes away our rough day, and gives us a fresh start! We can use it when we are feeling really overwhelmed, or frustrated, or when we have to move our clip. 🙁 Sad day. I’m telling you though…it works! Of course, some of my littles look at me like I am crazy and totally see right through it. But SOME of them really believe there is magical air in there. And, I’m pretty sure there is. 🙂 We all need a fresh start sometimes!

And of course, my clipchart…just needs clips!

That bucket will hold pre-made notes for firsties that make it all the way to marvelous monkey (ya!!). 🙂 I also have notes where they fill out with words and pictures why they are on Sad Sheep. But those will stay with me so I can talk with them about it. 🙂 When they get to Marvelous Monkey, they get to add a sticker to their chart on THIS genius idea…(thanks Pinterest!!)

The stickers are actually hanging in that little purple basket. 🙂 Perfect for little hands to grab and add at the end of the day! And right beside it is our Sweet Things chart. 🙂 The cupcakes are also in the purple basket.

Here are some of my workstation areas. Pocket chart (the actual stations will go in the Zipper Pouches), and the bins will hold word work activities.
Here are the bins for our notebooks. 🙂 Science, Math, Poetry, and Word Study. They will have matching labels on their notebooks…those are in my packet too! Print them off on Avery 5160, and you’re ready to go! I separated them by boys and girls, because I have a boy and a girl passer. It just makes things a little easier.
And our writing notebooks 🙂

Here is our signing out board…super cute, and SO simple. 🙂 I loved all the magnetic ones I saw floating around, but I had all of these materials in my classroom so decided to just go for it. 🙂

Here is the pocket chart that will hold our literacy workstations, and, of course, the date.

And my math tubs area…their pictures and tub # will go in the purple pocket chart. See those binders beside the pocket chart? Those are our STRIPE binders, and I just finished putting them all together. I will be posting about those ASAP.

 

Table points will be under the numbers, and I will post the activity for fast finishers right there. The morning work poster is really for my benefit…so I remember. 🙂
My Book Bag Monday
Think Outside the Box Tuesday
Word Fun Wednesday
Thinking Map Thursday
Fun Friday
As the year progresses, of course I will be posting some activities for each. 🙂

Our voice level chart…I’m so in love with that thing. I can’t wait to hear their examples of times to use each! 🙂 AND to see how many actually know what a sloth is, ha! 🙂

Have you met chunky monkey? We will meet him the first few days of school, and add picture and word clues to each chunk. 🙂 And finally, my whole group area. 🙂 Our clipboards, post its, and chart markers are under the easel for easy access. 🙂

I PROMISE…my walls will be FULL of sweet first grade work, and anchor charts VERY soon. But of course, I can’t hang them up until we make them together. 🙂 Enough about me…show me YOUR classroom! 🙂

Comments

  3. I would love to learn more about your morning work activities, including what each "day" means :o) I've never seen it done that way before!! I love reading your blog!

    Reply

  4. I love how you organize your room! Thanks for sharing all the different parts. I switched grades & schools a week before school started this year so organizing my very newly inhabited space is one of my current obsessions. I found your blog through your TPT store where I downloaded your awesome monthly poems and sight words freebie!! And I've just spent the past half hour scrolling through your blog which I am loving! Very happy to have found it 🙂

    ❤ -Stephanie
    Falling Into First

    Reply

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