Currently Classroom Reveal 2013 and Back to School Goals

Whoop whoop!!

I am ready to go! I AM READY... for my sweet babies to walk through the door for Open House!

Can you believe it? On August 1st? Whew...not me, but I am pretty stoked!

Before I "reveal" this year's classroom...I am hooking up with Farley for another "Currently." Wow...I cannot believe it is August!

I am also hooking up with I {Heart} Recess for her Back-to-School Goals linky! I never really put down July's goals on paper, so I hope this keeps me motivated and headed in the right direction.

Now on to my classroom....

I am very happy with it this year. I have said it before, and I will say it again...I am a creature of habit. I usually only manage one or two small changes here and there each year....but this year...well, my mentor text library takes center stage, baby! Hahaha...I am one proud teacher, but I figure if my kiddos and I have to spend so much time in that room, it might as well be as homey and comfortable as I can make it.

So hold on to your seats...TONS of pics in this one, and I hope you like it half as much as I do.

First here are the crazy, messy, and overwhelming before pics...

 

 

Well after WAY too much of my summertime...lol...

Welcome to room 506...the BEST fourth grade class ever ;)

 

The view just as you walk in the door...

Looking to the right....my desk and small group area

A closer look at my desk...
it is usually never this clean...

Small bulletin board behind my desk...
look at that collection of butterflies that
kiddos have given me over the years :)
...my place for current newsletters and lunch menus

Looking straight back to the library.

This is my whole group area...
love bringing my kiddos to the carpet.
My FAVORITE place in the room!

Our mentor text library! Have I mentioned how much
I LOVE my new shelving?!

Books are alphabetized by author...

 

Just below the mentor texts are
a few writing resources for the kiddos...

Looking to the right from my desk...
small group library in the back

This is our small group/ teacher recommendation library..

This is an older pic, but I wanted to show you a close up
of the string and clips across the small group library...
this will be used to hang anchor charts throughout
the year...it sure hurts my soul a little every year
to cover such a pretty shelf with anchors but
with limited wall space...you do what you have to LOL 

Again...another old pic..but
I wanted to show  you a close up...
when it is time to rotate anchors...
this is perfect for storing my extras or out
of date anchors that I can't bear to throw out

Looking back towards the library
from my desk...

The student cubbies along the back wall...
you can see my favorite Chris Van Allsburg prints along the top...
the cubbies are usually never this clean either LOL :)

Close up of some of my favorite prints...
from The Mysteries of Harris Burdick

Looking at the front of the room from directly in
front of student cubbies..

A student work display area...

Students turn in take-home folders and
homework in the black box and important
parent notes that need to be seen
immediately in the red box

This is our "Book Nook" schedule...
students that do not have an assigned
"nook" can stay at their tables or find a
comfy spot on the floor to relax and read..

 

Our nonfiction library...
I am still working on adding lots of nonfiction

There are 7 teams in our room...
each team table has a small book basket like this.

I try to put lots of nonfiction in each basket..
I also include easy reads and some reference materials...
if students find themselves with a few spare moments
or without a book...reading materials are always close by

 

Flamingos and Butterflies <3

Our largest student library...
Caldecott picture book library in front

Each basket is labeled by genre, subject, or author

Each book has a basket
number written on the
inside of the back cover

The large baskets are for our collection of picture books!

Our futon, pillows, and bean bag make up some of our "nooks"

Small camping chairs stored
behind the futon also make great
nooks

Because we do not have desks, each student gets
 a canvas bag to decorate... all personal items
go into the bag and can be carried back and forth
from one class to another ~ This one was decorated
by my sweet friend Vicki!

Bags can be stored in the crates under the table or taken to
their "book nooks" as they read so that all needed items are handy.

Our Class "Book Worm"
for every book recommendation card that students fill out...
they get a ticket to put in the book worm jar for a chance
to win a free book of their choice. 

This is where book recommendation cards will be displayed.
this board is located just outside of our classroom.

A cute idea I found on Pinterest...**
(please see below)

Another Pinterest find...
our daily objectives board **

I saw this online a number of years ago...
before the days of Pinterest LOL...
we have used it successfully for many years now!**

Another area for us to display our awesome work!

This display was inspired by Hannah at Cute in the Classroom and Michelle at Mrs. White's 5th Grade Class. I really liked both of their doors/ boards, and that inspired me to give it a try...this is what I came up with.

I pulled out my phone and
used the mobile app as
further inspiration...

Well...that's it! I guess I am ready for my new group of kiddos! What do you think?

The sweet ladies at A Class*y Collaboration have started a "Class*y Cruise!" If you want to see more classrooms...be sure to stop by and check out all the fun links in this Cruise around the Classroom!

Whoo hoo...it's Teacher Week at Blog Hoppin'! Don't forget to stop by these blogs to check out EVEN more great classrooms! 

Courtney at Swimming into Second is having a Show Off Your Space linky! Check out MORE great rooms there! :) I just love peeking into everyone's rooms!

Jessica at Tales of a First Grade Teacher is having a Beautiful Classroom linky party! She is so right...there are so mnay beautiful spaces out there! Be sure to link up and show yours off! :)

**I could not find the original source for the gumball machine idea (the link only went to a picture) or the objectives board (I guess I forgot to even pin that one :/...Still, I would love to give credit where credit is due, so if you know who originally posted these ideas, please let me know!

I could say the same for the hand sanitizer, but as I stated, I came across that idea years ago before the days of Pinterest on a teacher's classroom website. LOL...However, if you know of the original source, I would love to know that as well.