Halfway Through Summer! WHAT?!

Okay, so I feel like I've been a bit of a slacker here.  I started posting and then just stopped.  I've had good intentions to post each week, but there has also been that summer lethargy and it's won out for the past few weeks.  Getting up and running seemed like such an accomplishment, that the rest of my day was a wash. 


No worries, though.  I have been working on some different things here and there over the last few weeks too.  I haven't been a complete slacker, just a little bit of one.  My teacher binder is coming along and I have started filling in my calendar with important dates.  I've also filled up the Notes Section pretty well with ideas. 

In addition, I've been adding more and more to my Reader's Notebook, which is really a binder.  I might have to start calling it a Reader's Binder or else my parents will ask what I'm talking about when their kid told them they didn't have a notebook for my class. 

I've also worked on a few rubrics that I will use throughout the year for weekly and quarterly grades.  There are a few that I can't make yet because it requires the students to become involved in process.  I'm also working on my letter home to parents.


On an exciting note, I got into school today!  My classroom was all clean and tidy and waiting for me.  I've already moved a few things around, but haven't gotten much further than that.  I always feel extremely overwhelmed the first few days I get back into my room.  So many possibilities and so much to do!  Here are some pictures from the before.

This will be my library area.  I have a rug to put in there and on the left I have a "Reach for the Stars" reading wall that I'll be using this year.  Every five-ten books they read, they move their name up the string towards the shooting star.

 This is my teacher area.  The table to the right is both extra work space for me as well as a meeting place for individual or small conferences.  Oh yes, and it can be used as "extra special seating" for those who are in need of such a thing.    (Take at lot at the bulletin board.  It's a mess.  My file cabinet and mailboxes hide a section of it and it just looked stupid, so I moved the border over a tad and recentered the calender.  It looks a little odd, but whatever!)

Yes, the desks are all turned upside down.  I have no idea why they do this, but they do.  I hate these desks, by the way.  I wish I had tables or bigger desks.  These are awful!   Anyways, that corner back there will be an area for literature circles to meet, or a small group to meet and read together.  I have some crate seats I'll be working on this week when my mom comes over to help me out! 

Not sure what to do with that big old bulletin board.  Notice that the background doesn't touch the ceiling.  It's weird.  Maybe I'll use it as a station to pick up work or something of the kind.  It was my "extra credit" area last year. 

 The great big giant closet full of junk!!  You can't see the top of the closet, which is also full of junk.  During the school year, most of that is out in the room somewhere.  Lots to do!

Most of my time at school was spent moving things around and then moving them back.  I might even move those sames things again.  Ehh.  Whatever.  It's how I work.  While I was there, someone brought me the things that I ordered with my classroom allowance.  One of those things was a cardboard mailbox system.  I already have two very nice sets of mailboxes, but it's still not a sufficient amount (even with what I have now) for my classes.  I see over a hundred kids each day.   So I allocated some of my money to this:

 It took me at least 15 minutes to figure out this first part of the assembly process because there were no directions.  None.  I was even thinking that maybe they sent me the wrong thing because there is no way that those pieces will make a mailbox.

After 15 more minutes of searching the internet, I found the instructions and was able to win!  My new set of mailboxes.  I wish it was another color and considered taking the whole thing home and painting it black.  But that seems like a lot more work because I'll have to take it apart again and it took me over 30 minutes to figure this sucker out.   No way is it coming apart right now.  Maybe next summer.  

I promise to take some more pictures as I finish up the space.  I might not get too much more finished in there.  In fact I'm always afraid that as soon as I have everything up, I'll be told that I'm moving rooms.  So the walls will stay bare for awhile still.  So will the bulletin boards. 

Tomorrow I'll post about some of my reading adventures from the past few weeks.  I want to get myself into the habit of posting at least three times a week.