Where It All Goes Down Wednesday

Where it all goes down . . . or up, depending on the day!   I have posted classroom pics before but they were in two different posts where I was all over the place.  Lots of this and that, plus a whole lot of randomness.  So I will just repost them all nice and organized here.  The way that I like things to be!  Awww.  I feel better already!

This is the view from my door.  It looks really big here.  I think I could say that it’s a big classroom but as soon as all 31 kiddos arrive, it’s not that big.  It has definitely shrunk over the last two years!

Cubbies!  It’s nice to have one left over for paperwork.  I hope it will stay that way!  🙂

Carpet area . . . pretty much of all my teaching happens here.  I use the pocket charts for all kinds of things but the one under the vowel stars used to be for center rotations.  SAD FACE.  

(How much do you love the TV?)

Calendar board – which I do not get to do this year.  So my Teacher’s Pet (helper of the day) tries to get it done on their own time.  This is a lot harder since we have never done it as a class.  I don’t know how many days we’ve been in school.  Weird.  The bear board is for some sponge painted bears we are going to make.  Don’t worry.  I won’t do it during the 

2 1/2 hour Language Arts block.  

View of the whiteboard and TODD (terribly old decrepit dinosaur, aka the overhead).  No technology over here.  Heaven forbid Todd has a light bulb moment and burns out one day.  Whatever will I do?   Not to mention, I just love cleaning off all of the transparencies.  It is just a joyous occasion every day.

Guided Reading  Semi-circle table.  No reading happens here whatsoever, I promise. I never sneak it or anything.  Cross my heart.  (sneaky smile here)  LOVE my windows and my curtains, thanks to my teammie and good friend, Heather!!!!!  SHOUT OUT!  And I love my water fountain thingy.  Peace.  Quiet.  Peace and quiet!

Library – an overhead light is burned out so it’s a little dark and cozy.  Because centers have become a bad word, I have my table groups come here depending on the day.  Red Table can come here on Mondays, Blue Table on Tuesdays, etc.  Whenever they’re finished with their work, they can mosey on over here.  I have clear tubs but all of YOUR blogs make me want colorful ones!  I see a change on the horizon!

Classroom door, my desk area.  My Teacher board.  The sink.  Nothing too special.  The fire extinguisher that I have no idea how to use.  And my filing cabinet that I want to put scrapbook paper all over now that I have seen YOUR crafty, creative ideas!!!!

This is my desk.  And I try really hard to keep it like this.  I can’t stand clutter.  The little drawer system on the left was a big purchase for me from Pier One Imports.  It was one of those things that I saw, had to have, but wouldn’t let myself spend the money.  And then I visited it a few times.  And then I couldn’t help it.  I broke down and bought it.  It houses my staples, paper clips, paper fasteners, rubber bands, etc.  It doesn’t have labels because the drawers are kind of “rock-like” but I know exactly where everything is.  I LOVE it.  

“First Grade Faces” bulletin board.  Our self portraits and some writing will go here.  The table in front of it is the Writing Center.

YES, I have stuff for my writing center!  The above picture makes it look a little sad, huh?  But I keep the stuff on the counter right behind it.  The kids can pull stuff down on the table at any time but then it’s got to go right back.  Tidy, tidy, tidy!  Right now, it’s a little bare because I like to build it as we get new materials to work with.     It will eventually be filled up with stickers, sequencing cards, picture cards, stationery, little blank books, big blank books, etc.

“School Rocks!” Bulletin Board.  We will have writing up here.

This is storage behind our whiteboard.  LOVE the storage.  This is how I organize all of my read alouds and non fiction books, etc.  THIS makes me SUPER HAPPY.  My heart SIIIINNNNNGGGS when I see this.  🙂  I have labels for each of those bins . . . and I have a system.  Be still my heart.

More storage behind the whiteboard.  This is craft stuff and odds and ends.  LOVE LOVE LOVE this.  One of my friends joked that it looked like a store back here.  Well, didn’t I just walk around BEAMING for the rest of the day????  🙂

Well, that’s where it all goes down!  I almost showed you pics of my room during Open House but I refrained.  I will have to wait . . . a long time, seeing as how Open House is in May this year but I will wait.  🙂

Now I have to go look around at all of YOUR classroom pics.  Be sure to link up with Blog Hoppin to share your classroom!