Ready or Not Here They Come!!

 I think the title of this post says it all! The first day of school is Monday and whatever is left undone at this point will have to wait until after my Buckaroos walk out the door to go home! That is, anything in the actual classroom because I am currently finishing up some computer work this weekend. I think most teachers would agree with the statement below, and not just on the first day of school either! Let's face it, some of the best lessons happen because of this:

      I have stated in a previous post (or two) that one of my goals for the school year is to post at least once a week on my blog when the KRAZINESS of the school year begins! Well, it's here and I've quickly realized just how KRAZY my life gets once I head back into my classroom each year. Not only do I have a MILLION things to do in the classroom, but it seems like everyday after work there is something else scheduled. It's like this every year, but I seem to forget just how busy I really get!Please don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I just can't figure out how so many bloggers out there can post daily when life gets so busy! Maybe one day soon I will figure out their tips and tricks. (Which are welcomed!) I'm sure it doesn't help when you're a Virgo with a perfectionist attitude! LOL! I will not post something unless I think it's perfect. It's a blessing and a curse in all areas of my life, just ask my husband! That's enough of my babbling for today, let's move on to the real reason I brought you here. At the end of July, I posted some classroom pictures from previous years. Some things are the same, but as usual I have changed some things too!

Here's a peek into my classroom for the 2012-13 school year!!



Howdy Buckaroos! All the bandannas and horse shoes have the students names on them.



A peek into the classroom from my doorway.

New classroom displays... Hundreds Board Whole Class Incentive chart on the back of the door, classroom behavior chart (which I am so excited about!) and the "Back to School" bulletin board. The "Back to School" bulletin board will change approximately once a month to go along with our new Reading series called Imagine It! They call it a question/concept board and we build it with our students at the beginning of each unit (that's why it looks unfinished).

My new classroom behavior chart up close! Thank you to Cindy Cortez over at Teaming Up To Teach. She created this particular behavior chart and I found it via Pinterest. If you like it, and would like to use it too, click here!

The blue bookshelf is a home to an extra papers bin, a clear plastic bin where my students turn in completed assignments (there's a hanging folder for each subject area), orange Imagine It student materials, green Writing notebooks and blue Center folders. This bookshelf also helps hide the cords to my document camera and projector located on the other side of the shelf.

My new Word Wall! If you look closely you can see Miss Johnson's table with the fabric skirt around it and the Common Core posters hanging on the ribbon to the left of the Word Wall. Miss Johnson is my student teacher from Appalachian State University.

Here is the Word Wall again. Thanks for helping me put it up Miss Johnson!

Miss Johnson and I right before Open House!  I would like to say a HUGE Thank You to both Miss Johnson and Mrs. Estes, my wonderful assistant, for all their help! (Mrs. Estes is taking the picture for us!)

Writing Center

A different view of the Writing Center. The bookshelf houses dictionaries, highlighters, student offices, and baskets for sharpened and broken pencils. Cowboy Woody is sitting on the white shelves keeping an eye on our Class Cash!

Our  Creation Station... too bad it usually doesn't stay this neat and clean! Under the table we store classroom supplies like glue sticks, pencils, erasers, markers and crayons.

 

 

Buckaroo Birthdays! I found the cupcakes last year via Pinterest and they were created by Kathryn over at www.kindergartenkindergarten.com  and can be found here! I made the cute sign out of a place mat and a free font I found on the computer called "DRIFTTY PE". Isn't it cute?!

 

This is how we display student work in the hall. Yes, the glitter clothespins made their way into the hallway too! I just couldn't help myself!!

 

My area of the classroom!

Remember, the table is my Guided Reading area and my desk too!

You can see my new table with the printer and my lesson plan book on top of it; under the table you can see plastic drawers for storage and my monthly storage bin. The book shelf houses some of my most frequently used teacher resource books for Language Arts and Math and my laptop is hooked up on a student desk so it does not have to sit on my Guided reading table.

My new table up close! The pink cowboy (or in this case, cowgirl) hat that you see hanging on the wall is what I wear so that students know when they can't bother me. I usually wear it while doing Running Records or other assessments and during most Guided Reading groups.

Filing cabinet and Monday through Friday lesson plan drawers. I house everything I need for my lessons in these clear drawers each week. If you look closely, all the cards from Imagine It have been turned backwards until they are introduced.

 

Thanks for stopping by my classroom, I hope you really enjoyed it!

 

 

I also joined a linky party about Classroom Photos over at Teaching Blog Addict! If you are curious about other classrooms, click on the picture below.

 

 



Pinterest Linky Party!!!

Two posts in one day! Unheard of for this lady, but you know I HAD to post when I saw this Linky party/ Blog Hop!!

I love the idea! Check it out and link up!

Back from my "Stay"cation and linking up with...

This week I have been M.I.A. on my blog due to painting and planning for Baby Girl's nursery! It has been so much fun and now the painting is FINALLY finished! The crib and changing table/dresser combo should be here any day now! I get more and more excited as the days go by and I can hardly believe that we are 22 weeks (almost 23 weeks) into this 40 week adventure! I am also quickly learning that when I move at my normal, fast paced speed while 22 weeks pregnant, it catches up to me VERY quickly!

Me and Baby Girl at 20 weeks :)

But in true Holly fashion, I always have a million (yes, a bit of an exaggeration) things on my mind! I jump around from baby planning, to meal planning, to teaching ideas, to updating old documents to new Common Core and Imagine It programs... my mind NEVER takes a break! However, when I do take a moment to relax, I of course find myself on Pinterest. Shocker, I know! You know you wanna see all my great finds and follow me on Pinterest... So, click the red Pinterest button on the right side bar and start Pinning!!

On my latest Pinterest adventure I found a great Western themed Super Improvers bulletin board for the Whole Brain teaching concept, which I am very interested in!

(Cute, isn't it?!)

So, of course I clicked on the link to find out more about it, and I found this fabulous blog, which just happens to have the same classroom theme as me! (Their blog button is linked up, and to grab their button simply copy and paste the blue link below!)

<img src=”http://2busybrunettes.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/tbb-buttona.jpg” alt=”2 busy brunettes” style=”border:none;” />

I am linking up with 2 Busy Brunettes to show off my Wild West classroom ideas from my post on July 20th! I hope you will check it out if you haven't done so already!

Other Linky Parties I've joined...

Calling All Teaching Blog Addicts...

Teaching Blog Addict, or TBA, is an amazing website and resource for all teachers out there! This blog (along with many other teaching blogs that I've found via TBA) have inspired me to create my very own blog to join in all the fun!  I am totally addicted! Thank you for all of your inspiration! If you haven't checked out TBA yet, you better go! I bet you will be addicted too! One of my favorite things about their website is how they have everything organized by topics and how the blogs are organized by grade levels! Awesome! Don't forget to grab their button while you're there!

If you are new to my website, become a follower and grab my button! I would love to have you follow me!

Did You Say Linky Party?!?

I have joined another Linky Party! I'm begining to fall in love with these! I first saw a list of linky parties on Yearn to Learn's blog. There is a grade level linky party that was created by Kim over at The Teacher's Lane! Thanks to you both! You are very organized and this is a great idea!

                                                                                                                                          

                                                

New Blogger Linky Party!!

In exploring different blogs, I read on First Grade Glitter and Giggles that there is a Linky Party going on at Yearn to Learn's blog. This is my very first Linky Party that I am actually posting to. Here's how it works!

In your link up find the following:

1. A blogger who is a "New Kid on the Blog"
(Let's say someone who has blogged 2 months or less and has less than 200 followers)

2. Post a blogger in your same grade level

3. Post a blogger in a different grade level

4. It's all about the button. Find a cute blog button and post it.


So I hope I'm doing this right! Here goes nothing...

1. "A New Kid on the Blog" would be... First Grade Glitter and Giggles!

2. A Blogger at my grade level would be... Hello Literacy!

3. A Blogger at a differnt grade level would be... Ladybug's Teacher Files!

4. Really cute button...