Apology, My First Currently, Classroom Updates

I'm sorry...I guess I kind of suck at blogging.  It's been *gulp* more than a week since my last post.  Two excuses...I'm new to it (that counts, right?) and I've been so busy with work stuff and life stuff.  I'll try to do better :D

I have my first Currently! Yay! Farley over at Oh'Boy Fourth Grade is doing the Currently for August :)

So, last week I went into my classroom to begin the saga.  Even though I leave it very organized and cleared out and cleaned up, I never know how it will look after not having been there for all that time.  There's more cleaning and movement while I'm gone.  But I fret for nothing every.single.time.  Must stop that.  The custodial staff always does a great job!

So, here is Day 1.  Love newly waxed floors and clean carpet!  Room in very good shape! I must leave my room in ready-to-start-anew condition at the end of the year so I have less stress when I come in for the beginning.  Like everyone else, yes, I wanna get out of there and start my vay-cay but doing that, getting fairly reorganized and such then is so worth it. It REALLY pays off.

So, here is Day 1...

This is before I even started anything.  When I came in, some of the furniture arrangement was a bit off from how I left it but that didn't matter since I knew I was going to completely revamp it anyway.

I have 2 doors - one on either side of my classroom.

This view is from one door across the room to my teacher desk area in far left corner

*note to self..don't forget to rehang fallen displays

View from opposite door

Kidney table in the far back of the pic

Rug area, library, word wall to the toppish right

From back of room to front

Library/Possibly listening area

Books are "organized" but not in bins/tubs how I want

Kids did a great job by keeping them organized!

My teacher desk area.

I really don't like that arrangement/look anymore.

My goals on this day were to rearrange room and get my library book resorted for book bins. I had concerns that the room arrangement wasn't going to work in real life as well as I had it planned in my head.  I was also dreading resorting books since it took me FOR.EV.ER. to do it from scratch last year.  I didn't have my system completely in place but they were sorted and divided.  I felt good about starting. And so it began...

After Day 1...

Yay! My room arrangement plan worked! So far so good.

Rug/teaching area in center of room - I HATED where it was before

Student desks around the rug

Centers tables in the back/right by the window

Library far left/back - The kids from last year actually did a very good job about keeping books in their right places, especially since I didn't have labels or other markings (bad teacher!)

I'm crossing my fingers  it works once my kiddos are in there.  I'm not used to teaching with the rug in the center but I want to break out of my own box and do it as there are more pros this way for me.  Now my concern is with my Elmo projector use and the ease of that since I always had a mini teacher desk before...I'll make it work darn it!

New front of classroom :)

From the front to the back

My Word Wall...looking forward to changing my letters :)

Bookshelf will also go under that

computer area next to kidney table

bookshelf on right is moving

My desk area...I like this arrangement better

Not sure about that trapezoid table being there in front of my desk

yet but something will be there

Still so bare but decor/new borders are coming...that's the fun part!

After Day 2...

I didn't last as long mentally/physically on day 2 but I got some cleaning done (gets very dusty, y'know) and  my library into bins...all the SAME kind!  They are the clear Sterlite bins (shoebox size) for .97 each! I bought 25.  That was fine but now I also had to take 25 LIDS with me, too.  But my library looks way better!  Just need my labels now :)

My better-looking library :)

So there ya have it. My progress thusfar.  The "hardest" part is done.  The details are next...more tedious but fun.  That's this week.  I'm trying not to think too much about the timing...teacher only day a week from tomorrow and I get my kids a week from Tuesday and MUCH to do before then. :D  Fun. Deep breaths, please.