Classroom Tour

I just wanted to share some pictures from my classroom with you.  I know how much I enjoy looking at your rooms and getting fresh new ideas.  I hope you enjoy this little tour.

This is as soon as you walk in the door.  This is our writing center

 

This is the view as you walk in the door.

Another view of our writing center.

This is our seat work area.  I used crates to create cubbies for the kids to keep their supplies in this year.  They have really enjoyed having the extra storage.

This is our guided reading and small group instruction space.

This is next to our carpet and smart board.  Blocks and building manipulative are in this area as well as group games for fine motor development/problem solving and social interaction.  Many of our science materials are in this area.

Dramatic play for math, writing, reading and social skills.

Our reading area.  I love our ship full of characters hanging from the ceiling.

Math and manipulative to support our math curriculum.

A better shot of our reading area.

Close up of the student tables and open house packets.

Technology area with internet!  Whoot whoot!

Student area for hanging up back packs and coats.

 

Sink and art supplies.

My desk.  Each child has a "paw" with his/her name on it to place on the blue board if they leave the room for any reason.

Another view of the classroom.

My big bulletin board outside of the classroom where we display the student's work.

Another view of the classroom.

Outside of my room with our PBIS reminders to Be Safe, Be Responsible and Be Respectful.

 

I hope you enjoyed the tour of my classroom.  I would love you to become a follower of my blog if you wouldn't mind taking a moment to do so.  I will put my TPT store on sale when I get to 100.  Thanks for taking a moment to stop by.  Leave a comment and a link so I can come visit your blog.  I love to visit and get knew ideas!  Have a great Kindergarten Year!

 

Carole Dawn Arrendale

 

Kindergarten Orientation and Classroom Pictures

Oh, I got to meet my Kinder Kiddos and their families today.  I was so excited!   The kids loved the classroom and cleaned up everything they explored!  They came to carpet when called, TWICE.  We are going to have an amazing year.  Here are some photos of my set up for orientation.  I am so excited for the school year to start.  I got lots of hugs today and I came home just smiling ear to ear.  My sweet George was so excited for me and the kids.  He said he wished he could have been there to see the kids reactions when they walked into the world.  He is so vested into the whole process.  How did I ever get so lucky?  Anyway, here are some pictures.  Can't wait to see your photos of your rooms!

View from the front of the classroom.  The pods are Team Whale, Team Sea Horse and Team Frog.  See the beach balls above the tables?  The kids sure did!

Dramatic Play Area.  There is a book shelf for cook books, write on wipe off board on the back of the library shelves for writing grocery lists, shortened table for the kids and the kitchen set we made out of an old TV stand.

The classroom library.  The kids are going to help me sort the books by category next week.  I wish you could see the shelves and pillows.  I will try to update it soon and post pictures when the kids are done with it.

My pirate word wall.  I love it.  We can write words on it as we learn them.  I am loving the shower board George put on the back of all of my shelving units to increase writing space in the classroom.

All set up with files for the parents, 1st homework assignment (which you can find in my TPT store) and the mouse from If You Take A Mouse To School all ready for next weeks lesson!

Our Writing Station.

Our Pocket Chart Station.  I currently have our Common Core Standards, sight words and basic shapes and vocabulary up and ready to use next week for some assessment work.

I love the shoe holders to hold extra supplies so the kids can get what they need and reduce interruptions during writing and reading workshop time.  The kids brought all of the supplies in today and we are going to organize them next week.  Many teachers do this themselves but I want the kids to have ownership in the classroom so they are going to help me while learning classroom procedures.  I hope it works!

Here is our small group table for conferring with students for reading and writing workshop and for guided reading.

This is my Parent Information Center.  On the back side is our word wall. 

View from the back of the classroom looking toward our carpet area and the front door.

Our BIG bulletin board outside of our classroom.  The kids loved finding their "little person" on the board.

I had a great time, got lots of hugs and I am so ready for school to start.  Let me know if you have any ideas to add to or improve the classroom.  Remember, this is my first year as a Kindergarten Teacher (not as a teacher, but new to Kinder) so I am open to all constructive comments.  Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their summer.  I can't believe it is over already.

Making a Dramatic Play area for my classroom

When I realized we didn't get a kitchen set for Dramatic Play in my new classroom I told my George.  We went on Pinterest and found an idea to make one out of old upcycled furniture.  He said we could do this no problem.  We learned a lot during the process, but it was well worth it!

The old entertainment center.

Repainted, step one.

George decided it needed a real stove.  He even installed a plexiglass front so the kids could "see" what they were cooking.

He has a steadier hand than I do so he painted on the burners.

Almost done.

We still needed to put on the knobs for the stove but this is it almost finished.  The glass on the doors was painted over with chalk board paint.  We added a beach theme for the kids to see out the window!

Here it is all done and in the classroom!

Summer Reading

So, the summer reading has begun.  These are the first three on my list.  I just started this one and I love it.  I am dreaming about the I CAN charts I want to make to help me and the student's use the work stations more effectively.  Good thing my new classroom has 975 square feet because I am going to need every foot to cram full of great learning stations!  I will post the I CAN posters after I make them.

I devoured this book as soon as I got it!  Love, Love, Love some of the ideas.  I started raiding the dollar stores, Hobby Lobby, Jo Ann Fabric and Michael's after I looked through this book.  Garage sales aren't safe either this summer.  This really got my creative juices flowing, although the bank account is not very happy about it.  I find myself dreaming about all the neat things I can do to create learning spaces for the next school year.  I will take pictures of what I come up with in August.  Wish I could get into my classroom now.

I haven't started this one yet.  Hopefully next week.  I have about eight books I want to get through this summer.  This one looks very interesting.  I am really having to think about how to go from learning centers to literacy centers.  I love learning but my brain is going into over drive.  Wonder which books I will end up taking to the beach in two weeks?  I know, I am a dork and should leave the books at home and take something not school related!