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Friday, August 5, 2011

Before Meets After

Today was my official first day back to work…the students report on Wednesday.
I’ve been working for the last couple of weeks to get my room ready…it’s not quite done yet. I still have a few things to finish, but it’s getting there.
Here is how my room looked on the first day I walked into it. Well not quite…picture everything pushed in the middle of the room…after the custodians finished waxing. My niece decided to help me that day. God bless her.
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Slowly but surly things started to take shape. Here's a little of what I accomplished.
Before, this bookshelf served as a semi storage in the front and a place to hang pocket charts during word work. I loathe this shelf…but I needed it.
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Here is  the after. Now it’s part of my Work on Words Station. There is a place to put our spelling chunks and sight words for the week, and mini pocket charts for sorting.
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Here is a picture of the top of the shelf. BTW I decoupaged over the top…but forgot to take a picture. I will store my weekly sight word activities in the purple baskets. More about my sight words on another post.
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More storage for Work on Words activities.
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On one side of my file cabinet is where I’ll keep our word work (spelling chunks) for use during Reading Workshop. I decided to break Work on Words up into four different areas.
Spectacular Spelling (activities using our weekly spelling words).
Wonderful Words (Fry Words activities).
Family Affair (activities that review past spelling chunks and word families)
Fry Masters (fluency activities using Fry words)
If you’d like a copy of the organization cards  click here.
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Here is the Word Families Board. The little poster on the left is where I’ll post our objectives in Language Arts for the week. If you’d like a copy of the word family cards click here and here.
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Last year I had to take down my line I used to hang student’s work…so this year I had to maximize all the display space I could. The back of these bookshelves were covered in apple themed contact paper…and it was not current…think 1970.
Here is the after.
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I’m using the bottom of this door as my Reading Workshop Organization board. In the mornings the students will pick where they’ll go for each round during Reading Workshop. I forgot to bring the pocket chart to hang on the door. I’ll take another picture of it on Monday.
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Here is my Math Board. This is where I’ll place my Math Stations organization board. I’ll take another pic of this when it’s completed.
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This board used to be a catch all for important announcements, reminders, pictures my students drew for me. But I decided to turn it into an abbreviated calendar board. This year I’ve decided to have my calendar on the Promethean board, but I still wanted a monthly calendar my students could refer to.
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Here is the whole group area.
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This door will serve as a display space for my Super Sundae Ice Cream words. I’m working on this post…so I’ll tell you more about that later.
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Here are my Ocean themed numbers.
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I’m going to put our short vowel words on this board…not actually a board, just paper taped to the huge blank wall above one of my bulletin boards.
If you’d like a copy of the short vowel pictures click here.
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Sorry for the long post…but I still have more things to share next week!
So…what do ya think!

32 comments:

  1. Wow! Looks great! Thanks for sharing the download of the word practice...I will definitely be using it and sharing it with my team!

    Mrs. Wheeler
    www.mrswheelerfirst.blogspot.com

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  2. Your classroom looks fantastic! I love the word families bulletin board, your ocean numbers, and your short vowel wall! I am also making all my bulletin boards have a black background. I was nervous at first how it might look (too dark, not friendly) but it looks clean and makes the colors pop. Thanks for posting so I could see how wonderful it looks and get some inspiration from your freebies. You've done a great job with your room! Good luck on your first day! :)
    Rambling About Reading

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  3. Looks great!
    Thanks for sharing the word family cards! I can definitely put them to use!

    ❤Mrs. McKown
    Little Literacy Learners

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  4. LOVE the word family cards!! Thank you for sharing!! :)

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  5. Everything looks fantastsic! :) Great job!

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  6. You are so creative! I love your room and all of your ideas! Good luck with the upcoming school year!

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  7. I love your room! Thanks so much for the freebie! :o)

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  8. To adorable, thanks for all the freebies and wonderful ideas. I am new to 1st grade and to the ocean theme..... I'm totally excited now seeing all the blogs.
    Where do you get your borders?

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  9. I love how you use the same color background paper on all your bulletin boards, really ties it all together.
    Flamingo Fabulous in Second Grade

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  10. I love how you have your curtains hanging mid window. How did you mount them?

    Tammi
    Having Fun K-1

    TammiL(dot)13(at)gmail(dot)com

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  11. Great use of space! I love your ideas and organization:) BTW---I heart hearing nice music when I am reading your blogs:) THanks!

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  12. Looks great. I went back today and kids start Wed too (Tucson). My room is way behind yours! Thanks for sharing. You inspired me.

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  13. Great progress! I love the way you are doing spelling/sight words/word families! I have been searching for a way to put these activities together, but still have them separate. Your idea inspired me!

    Christine

    http://hoppingintofirstgrade.blogspot.com/

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  14. Thanks everyone! I'm posting more pics next week, there are some things I forgot to take a picture of.

    Cheyenne, I used ribbon for most of my borders and the polka dot border came from my local teacher supply store.

    Tammi, I used regular old tension rods to hang my curtains.

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  15. I love how your room is looking. Black paper is MY FAVORITE..I love your colorful vowel pockets. They are a work of art. Do you just stare at them and smile??? :) Cuz I do! Hey I am hosting my first linky party about going back to school. I need someone to try it! I am nervous it won't work!!! If you have a minute during the 234,543,789,654, things you are doing...wanna link up?
    Thanks!!!
    Reagan
    Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits

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  16. Hey Reagan! Your post is cracking me up! I would love to link up with you!

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  17. Thanks for sharing your wondeful classroom and activities!

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  18. Your boards look so fantastic! This past year I put up a few "bulletin boards" on wall space as well. I had a few problems making it stick to the wall, especially once it started getting a little heavier! I saw you even have pocket charts on yours... what on earth did you use to stick the base layer to the wall? Please, PLEASE share... it will save me several headaches this year!

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  19. I used lots and lots of packing tape on the board on my wall and a tiny bit of hot glue...only on the back of the bookcase. I don't plan on hanging anything too heavy on the ones on my walls...and it will probably be things that will stay up all year...like the vowel board.
    Hope that helps!

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  20. We have glossy painted cinder block walls at my school and I use hot glue to stick butcher paper and laminated posters to them all the time. It works very well! The longer it stays there the more it cures and the easier it is to peel it off at the end of the year. If you try to peel it off within a few days the glue will still be very soft and pliable and won't come off in one piece. I don't know if it will work on other types of walls.

    Tammi
    Having Fun K-1

    TammiL(dot)13(at)gmail(dot)com

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  21. Your room and ideas are a work of art!! Thank you for sharing the great ideas.

    Mary

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  22. I love this post. You are so creative. My daughter will be starting 1st grade in Sept, and I can only hope that she gets a teacher who really gets it and loves to teach as much as you do. Thank you for posting printables, I am a tutor for grades K-3 and you help me so much, thanks.

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  23. Your room is ADORABLE!! Love the black background with bright borders!! Too cute!!
    Kerri B
    teacherbitsandbobs.blogspot.com

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  24. Thank you so much for posting your awesome ideas! I LOVE your short vowel posters! Do you happen to have long vowel posters that you use too? The font and graphics you use are too cute!

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  25. I sooo love your word family pockets! I'm going to make some for my classroom. It was pure GENIUS!!!
    Best wishes for a great year.
    Carmela

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  26. You've done it again! Thanks so much for all your wonderful shares. As already stated in previous posts- love all your super fabulous wonderful creative shares. I especially love the word family bb as well. May sound like a dumb question, but how are you planning on using it? Is it going to be a center/station or a teacher led activity? Also, will the kiddos write on the cards with dry erase markers or how will the cards be utilized? Just trying to see what your thinking is for using this awesome resource. Love your room, and can't wait to see more images. Thanks again!

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  27. I just have to say WOW!! I am new to first grade and new to blogging too! I am super excited to be following you this year! I have found so many great resources on your site! Thank you so much for all the hard work you do, I GREATLY appreciate it!

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Kind words are appreciated here.