This Should Be Fun...

The pile of stuff that has to go to my classroom is growing. Yikes! It is currently taking up a large portion of my dining room. Should be fun to move all of this! I also have stuff in the attic and at my Mom's that has to go to my classroom too. This is certainly take more than one trip. Great. hahaha!

I am really excited that about half of these boxes are books. I really want to provide the kids with an awesome classroom library. The tiny desk is for our bunny (that is yet to be named) who will go home with a student each weekend and they will write a journal entry about the bunny's weekend and take a few pictures. During the week, the bunny will sit in the desk that will be located in our classroom library. 

Group Numbers

Ok, last night I made group number signs at my Mom's house on my Cricut. I really enjoyed it because I got to spend time with my Mom and my friend, Katie. They are both teachers and Katie made some things for her classroom as well. She also brought over some awesome Mailbox books and I am thinking I MUST HAVE a subscription to that! So great!
Anyhow, look at these group numbers. Aren't they just so stinkin' cute?!

Book Check Out

Alright. I have been researching how to best have my students check out books in our classroom library. There are soooo many different ways. What I decided to do, was to take clothes pins and write their number on the clothes pin, then when they take a book from a basket they will put their clothes pin on the basket. This helps them to know where they got the book from as well as me to know who has out a book. They will each get two books at a time. I haven't decided if they get to take the books from the classroom yet or not. I'll decide that soon. If they do, I'll need to figure out a system for that as well.

When I told my Mom about this idea she came up with the idea of putting these cute shapes on the clothes pins. She purchased the materials (thanks, Mom!) and I hot glued the wooden shapes on to the wooden clothes pins. I think they turned out sooooo cute!!

Lots of Shopping

Holy Cow! I have purchased (I say "I", but what I mean is my Mom) so much for my classroom. I found a TON of great deals at Walmart and Target. Target had some great stuff on their "Dollar Spot". I was able to get dry erase boards for $1 each. I found flash cards, dry erase (educational) games to use at stations, and dice. I found folders and notebooks for 15 cents each, and glue and  scissors for 50 cents each. I also found some cute calculators and boxes of markers for $1 each. I was so excited! I feel like I have pretty much everything I need to start the school year. These purchases along with the many books, baskets, and other things I have already bought have prepared my room. Now, all I need to do is get to thinking on some activities and lessons! lol


Thanks Mom!!


I am planning to go next week (I hope) and move the boxes into the classroom. I'm not moving everything in yet, but if I can just get these boxes there it would really help me out. This mess is taking over my dining room and I have to start packing up my own house soon so we can move.

It's The Little Things

It's the little things I'm stuck on. I know that's dumb. I know there are a bazillion (yes, that's a real number) things I should be worrying over... and yet I'm sitting here thinking about what quote to put over the mirror in the back of the classroom. lol I need to get a grip.


Grip or no grip, I have decided on one. I found it on someone's blog (and I am so sorry I cannot remember who's blog it was)...

"Before you put on a frown, make absolutely sure there are no smiles available." 

-Jim Beggs

Another Project

These are for my cabinet doors. Each of the kids will have their name assigned under them to a "center" and this is how they will know where to go each day. Super cute!!

I say the 123 part and they say the 321 part. Wonder if this will actually work??? Who knows.

Turned Out Pretty Cute

I spent the day at my Mom's using her Cricut. I really have to get one of those things! It is awesome. Anyhow, the other week I bought a calendar. When I bought it I went the cheap way and bought a poster with the days of the week at the top and it has a grid pattern on it for the days of the month. However, it did not come with months. So, I made my own today! I am going to place this on the board over the calendar. I think it will look really good. I am pretty excited about our "craftiness" today. 

Thanks, Mom!!

Books Galore

Ok. I have been reading tons of forums and "googling" tons of ideas, etc. I have found that most teachers say that the best way to spend your money is to buy books and organizational tools. So, I have been buying books for some time now. I started buying books for my classroom sophomore year of college. I also kept tons of my own personal books. I also asked for them for Christmas and my birthday, etc. I have gone to yard sales, Goodwill, the ReStore... etc. I have found tons of great deals and have been able to build up my own classroom library of around 300 books. (My last count had over 200 and I gave up on counting. lol) 

Here's the stack of stuff taking over my dining room. Can't wait to move it in to my classroom!!

I just need to work on getting some more organizational stuff like baskets for the books, etc. I'm planning a trip with my Mom to Dollar Tree, Big Lots, etc. I am sooooo excited!!