Currently Classroom Reveal 2014

Well ladies and gents, it's that time of year again...time for our newest class tour.

Before we get started with our tour...I thought we would join Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for another Currently.  I haven't managed to join my favorite linky party for a few months now, so I am ready to join in all the fun again.

Don't forget to stop by and check out all the amazing bloggers out there!

Whoohoo.....this teacher is done with her classroom. Well...as much as I can be done without an official schedule and class list. Until I can start putting names and times on anything...I am at a standstill. But that is ok...

I am super excited 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 all the same, I am one proud teacher. I love spending time in our room, and I hope the kiddos do, too. 

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

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

The view just as you walk in the door.

Looking to the right towards my desk

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

 

Small student work display area

  

Looking from the front of the room towards the back

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!

Our student library...I have worked very hard to add as many titles as I can.

Lots of great pillows and bean bags to use around the room during reading workshop.

Flamingos and Butterflies <3

 

Looking from my desk towards the library.

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this is perfect for storing my extras or out
of date anchors that I can't bear to throw out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 from the back of the room towards the front

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

 

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

Books are alphabetized by author...

 

 

This is where book recommendation cards will be displayed.

this board is located just outside of our classroom.

Another area for us to display our awesome work!

Well...that's it! Was that picture heavy or what? Whew!

I am also joining the Blog Hoppin linky... (only a day late...as usual ;) Stop by to check out all the amazing spaces out there!

I am ready for my new group of kiddos, and I can't wait to see what they think of their new classroom home! What do you think?

Happy Reading, friends!

Author's Fair Catch Up

Oh my...look at those sweet babies! I miss them so much! I cannot believe this sweet group of kiddos will be heading into 5th grade in just a few short weeks. Would it be horrible of me to say I secretly wish I could have retained them all? LOVE them!

The end of the school year was a mad rush, and this summer has not slowed down much.

But here are my sweet researchers and their Author's Fair projects.

Just a warning...this is very picture heavy, but I had to share. Just trying to get all caught up on blogging. (And enjoying reminiscing with these cutie patooties!)

 

 

We wrapped up our school year taking the time to research and reach out to some of our favorite authors. 

 

 

We then invite our parents and families to check out all our hard work.

 

We also invite all the lower grade levels to come and learn about all the cool authors and books out there!

 

Some of our authors had cool apps we could show off.

Sometimes we had to just hang out and wait for a new group to roll in.

  

We tried really hard to look professional!

  

A few of us were even lucky enough to visit with our younger siblings...

 

Presentations were so good...we even had a line here and there. :)

The kiddos love that their previous teachers and even our principal came to learn all about our favorite authors. 

Every year, the amount of work involved totally wears me out, and I always have a few scattered thoughts of, "Why...or whew...or not next year." Then I see my kiddos shine and have fun showing off all their hard work, and of course...we will be doing this again next year!

More posts to come soon....

Happy reading!

Totally Missing You

Whew.... don't look now, but I think summer has totally slipped by me. I cannot believe this is my first post in FOREVER.

The thought has crossed my mind many times, "Oh...you need to blog that!"

But did I do that?

Well, no...I didn't.

So I must start with I have missed all my blogging friends, and I am so glad to carve out a few minutes of this crazy busy summer to say hello.

Much of my time has been spent in tons of great professional development. This is the super fun workshop that I went to today. Just how can you go wrong with So Many Books, So Little Time?

I'll tell you....you CAN"T!

Earlier this summer, Mrs. Hitchcock and I made it to So Many Picture Books, So Little Time as well....and oh my, will I have some great picture book recommendations for you soon!

Joshua and I have spent much of our time trying to reclaim our yard from the amazingly aggressive trumpet and wisteria vines. There have been times I haven't been able to move for a couple of days after putting up a valiant fight, but slowly we have taken back some of my favorite places. It's not much but this little corner of the world makes me happy...and I could sit here for hours.

And while I am sitting there, I have plenty of time to enjoy the sounds of all the chimes I had to remove from my classroom...darn fire marshall...

I am sure my neighbors are wondering about my sudden infatuation with wind-chimes, but I had to find new homes for the dozens (upon dozens ;) of beautiful and sweet chimes given to me over the last nine years or so. As much as I moaned about removing them from my room, I must admit that I have thoroughly enjoyed them outside where they belong.

There have been a few interruptions to our yard work these past few weeks... this little fellow put a break on things for a bit. When we're not watching our steps for random venomous creatures, we are corralling this crazy fence climber....

Last week a pretty strong storm rolled through Vilonia, and I am pretty sure my beautiful River Birch trees were still tired from the last round of tornadoes that plowed through our little town. One of them just couldn't take the heavy storm a moment longer and gave up the good fight. I walked out after the storm to see it perched upon our neighbors fence and just barely tipping their roof. After my heart jumped in my throat for a second, I could see there was very little damage, and our sweet neighbors were very understanding. 

Joshua got out there and brought it the rest of the way down.... and we ended the whole event with an epic bonfire.

Well...ladies and gents...I do believe that catches me up, just a tiny bit.

I will have much more to post soon...including this year's class tour! (Minus chimes of course ;)

Oh...and of course I will have to share some of the great reading I have done this summer! 

Until my next post...happy reading yourselves!