Target's in Canada and an Interlude with Power Tools

   This weekend I decided to build the fence we've been needing for 2 years to keep my little rugrats in the yard. The guys I hired to extend the ramp on our deck so that my husband could use it with his walker and wheelchair finished their job on Wednesday. I was inspired to pick up my own power tools and tackle the fence on my own (with my sister's help!) We had a lot of fun figuring out how to start and cobbling together the tools we needed. We used a hand saw at first and dug the holes with a shovel-we felt so Little House on the Prairie! So the fence is looking good and tomorrow I will build the gate and hopefully finish up. I have got to back into my classroom and finish my set up.

     I did however spend some time getting some packages together and one of the the things I did was assemble Rise and Shine binders courtesy of Reagan Tunstall ( tunstalltimes.blogspot.ca.) I am so happy with them. I struggled through calendar binders last year because the abilities in my class were so varied. Some students finished writing their numbers and recording their date in the calendar and even did some morning work while others struggled just to add a picture to the ones card and change the numbers as we counted up to one hundred. This year I cut out all of the cards so we won't be hampered by fine motor issues during this crucial time. I want the learning to be about noticing the patterns we see as the numbers get larger and establishing a good understanding of place value. We'll see how year 2 goes with the calendar binder.

That's it for this weekend. Only 3 days until I get to go to Edmonton and shop at Target. That's right, we finally get Target in Canada and I am ready  to see what all the fuss is about. I have to admit that I am pretty excited. I really love school supplies. Like I REALLY LOVE school supplies.WhooHoo...Target!

Classroom Set-up:Take 1

Classroom set-up is underway as I slowly wade through all of the papers I stuffed here, there and everywhere over the last year.  Really, I long to be organized and tidy. I see other classrooms and sigh, wishing I could see that much space on my desk. I feel like I am always tidying and never getting ahead. I know that Kindergarten and grade one teachers have a lot of  stuff. We just do. We have to change activities every 20 minutes(sometimes more often when we have THOSE classes). I just cannot keep up. But each year I streamline my systems and plan how I will transform into a neat and organized teacher.

   This year is no different. I have binders ready for each student so I can wrangle their papers and hopefully keep up with all of the home/school communication. I have files for writing and book boxes that cannot be torn apart or chewed up by hungry little readers(don't ask). I have committed to never leaving school until I can see my desk. YIPES!

   So here I am in the process:

Disaster

Disaster

AHHHHHH...My Rockin' Welcome Board. There are a few spaces just in case. I wised up last year when I got 6 new registrations on the first day of school. Yep, that's right!

I love these cute guitars that I got from Etsy and the backround paper from Lettering Delights.

My daughter's sign. She can't wait to start Kindergarten and have Mommy for her teacher(she'll soon learn...)

Once my Welcome board was done, I stepped over the piles of stuff on the floor and finished up my CAFE and BUILD boards.

CAFE board with titles thanks to Ladybug Teacher's Files. I LOVE her stuff!

BUILD boxes for math. I customized these posters that I got from Lyndsey at A Year Of Many Firsts in her Chalk it to me pack.

More goodness from Ladybug Teacher Files. I made each branch hold letter teams that follow the same rule. My favourite is Huh?. That branch is for those letter teams that you just cannot explain to a 6-year-old!

Ladybug Teacher Files again. I was thinking I could keep this up from last year but the wrinkly paper could drive me batty so...

And that's it for now. The piles remain on the floor but my walls are looking good-so there!

Chicka Chicka letter Exchange

I am really looking forward to joining the letter exchange with a group of wonderful teachers. I think my students will love collecting the letters and keeping track of the different places they come from. The button below takes you to the letter exchange.

I've been spending mornings in my classroom and it is starting to come together. It always looks way worse as I move towards a clean and organized space. I really hope that I can maintain my organization systems this year. They are all good ideas but they need consistency and last year was so difficult that maintaining my systems had to be one of the things I let go of.

I have been decorating with all the wonderful chalkboard-inspired decor out there. I love how it adds visual stimulation to my space and information that I need posted but it doesn't compete for the attention of my students. If I could figure out how to post links to the products I have purchased, I would. I really need to do some blogger research so that I can keep up.

Here's to prepping for next year. I actually secretly love it...crazy I know!