So excited!!!

Yesterday my husband, who is also an educator (high school), was offered a job in my new district.  We are beyond excited.  It means we are now BOTH going to be teaching in the SAME city that we live in.  We are going to be saving in gas and tolls. 

We are so thankful!!! 

Now to find a new daycare that is on the way or closer than before... :(

BIG TIME GIVEAWAY!!!

Beg, Borrow, and Steal has reached 1,000 followers and is having a super duper giveaway!  Click on the link to head to her site.  Tons of great prizes could be yours.  Just enter and you could win!  GOOD LUCK!

Operation Organization: Classroom Library part 2

So I am still going through books in my garage.  It's hard finding time to work when you have a 20 month old.  My work times are during nap time (usually an hour or a little more) and when she goes to bed.  That being said - have have been going through books and taking ones I don't read out and putting them in my personal collection for my daughter.  I have also been setting aside books for a friend who is starting her first year teaching next year.   She just so happens to be taking my place at my old school.  So happy for her!

While blog stalking, I came across this.  Herding Kats has great book dividers for free.  Here is a pic of her tubs with the dividers.  Click on it to go get your dividers.  She has them in her TPT store. 

   

I will not be using tubs to organize my books, I luckily have a giant double bookshelf in my closet to use.  I wish I would have snapped a picture before I left, but we had already filled the shelf with all my junk.  I am going to use the dividers as tabs to separate my books into units/themes.   Then if ever I move again into crates/tubs they go already separated. 

I guess I could use baskets, lord knows I have tons of them...but for now this will work for me.  The dividers are also a good tool to store your books if you are putting them in tubs. 

Operation Organization: Classroom Library

My plan this summer is to get better organized and get rid of things I don't use...well ok, well maybe find a use for things that I don't use.  I am changing schools next year so most of my stuff is in boxes just waiting....waiting...waiting.  This is what I brought home to organize. YIKES!

step 1: organize and catalog classroom books.

This also includes getting rid of books that I don't use in the classroom.  :(
Some will be donated and others will be set aside for my daughter.  Ok, that done...now make a list of what I have...hmmm.

For cataloging I found this...

So far so good.  I started out just typing in the isbn's, but then I found there was an app for my phone.  So, I downloaded it and now I just scan the codes in.  Sometimes it won't recognize a code, then you have to type it in.   I haven't spent too much time playing with the website yet, but it appears you can also record which books your students have checked out.  Right now I am just using it for my own personal books so I am not playing with that part yet.  At least now I will know what books I have.  :)

A finished crate.

 

 

 

 

Reading Center

 

Ok, so I totally want to build one of these.  This one comes from Debra White's classroom.  Anyone out there have any tree house plans?  It looks easy enough -- yeah right!  I think I could plan it out my self from the picture, but if anyone already has the plans/directions that would be awesome.  I think this would be a great addition to my reading center in my new classroom.

What fun things do you have in your reading center?

Check out her teacher site here: http://www.whiteclassroom.com/

New room...

I snapped a few pics when I moved my things into my new classroom.  I finally have a sink and lots of storage space.  There is even a huge closet off to the side.  The furniture in the pictures is obviously not kinder.  That will be moved this summer.  (as long as they still need me for kinder - numbers can always change)  So many possibilities.  I plan to cover one of the chalkboards.  Maybe make it a word wall.  As for the other...I am hoping the summer work fairy can turn it into a white board...but I could be dreaming.  Guess I'll be using a lot of chart paper and a teaching easel.

Until August/late July - see ya classroom.

New school

OK blogging world, I am embarking on a new adventure.  I am leaving my current school district for another closer to my home.  I am sad about leaving but super excited about being closer (now 5 minutes away) and starting anew. 

Look for posts about my new start this summer and in the fall.   I recently packed up all my stuff from my old school.  I didn't realize just how much that I had.  Man is it a lot.  We moved it all to my new school...we finished today.  WOW is all I can say.

Yeah...that's all my stuff.

I was at my last school for nine years and now I will be the newbie on the block.   I was comfortable where I was and now I am starting over.  It is scary and exciting all at the same time.

Any advise for me?  Anyone else been in my shoes?

Who loves Pete?

While searching for videos to play for my 19 month old, I stumbled across this little treat.  She loves the video and is now a Pete the cat fan like her mom. 

At the end of the school year - which for me was last week, we reread all our favorite books. -- All our Pete the Cat books and some others as well.  My kids were so cute reading with me.  I am gonna miss that bunch, but hey..."It's all good!"