Teacher Week 2013 - Day 2

Today for Teacher Week - we are going on Classroom Tours!  If you still want to join, it's not too late!!  Check out the list for every day this week.

Classroom tours!  I know that it's tough to find a lot of Middle School classrooms, so I'm happy to share mine.  This is so exciting too.... because I'll quickly remind you at what I started with:

Gross - right?  I'm pretty horrified still and I had to clean up all this crap the other teacher left behind.  (And the teacher before him and the teacher before THAT!)

Pictures of my overall room.  I know a lot of people commented on my high ceilings - which are very nice and create an open space.  However, I wish my room was a little bigger.  I have 39 students in my second period and it's a PACKED HOUSE.

I place my students into groups because I manage behavior by using table points with Class Dojo.  It helps and leaves me the option of going into rows when I'm super angry!!

My fun tree that I made after seeing a few posts on Pinterest.  It was really easy to make and I was pretty impressed with myself. (haha)

I spend 98% of my life talking about Plot Charts in my first semester, so I figured I would put one up!

I liked keeping the STAR theme together here.  The table below is where my students turn in papers, staple, sharpen all that good stuff!

My library is there in the corner.  Its a close fit next to table #4, but remember 39 kids in second period. There's no where else to go. :(

My KINGS corner!  My desk is next to the microwave/fridge.

My sentence frames on the board.  I used magnetic dots to attach EVERYTHING this year.  Just a great deal at Lakeshore.

Stick them on the back of your border and make your OWN magnetic borders!

Table Numbers!

Finally, the view from my desk.  That's my smart podium cart that I WILL NEVER PART WITH.  They were on our "Surplus" broken furniture website through our district and I cannot believe someone wanted to get rid of it.  It's the best invention EVER.

Thanks for taking my room tour...  I might have missed a few areas, but that's pretty much the whole thing.

Tales of a Classroom Move - Part 1

Three weeks ago, I was finally told by my Principal what classroom I would be moving to for next year.  We had a few options that I was mulling over and I especially wanted to go back to the room next to Ms. OCD.

Unfortunately, I was not going to be next to Ms. OCD, I'd be a little further away in a different quad.  The teacher had just recently vacated that room due to internal disputes and a sub was finishing out the year with his kids.  You can draw your own conclusions about this situation.  I'm sure you'll arrive at the correct one. ;)

So, that teacher bailed and I had this feeling that I was in for some trouble.  I moseyed over to the room on my lunch and peeked behind the cabinets.

OH BOY!  Miss Cleo has nothing on me because....  I CAN TELL THE FUTURE!  That room was a disaster.

There was literally stuff crammed into any open space.  The closet was filled to the top with garbage, like all of the cabinets.  I honestly wish I had the foresight to take some pictures because it was that horrid.

Some highlights?

• Grade reports.... from 2003!
• Textbooks... from the early 1990's!
• An emergency bin... from 2000!  That no one even knew about!  Good thing we haven't had a giant earthquake.  Or that the kids never found the rope and duct tape!
• Unopened Math Manipulatives from Lakeshore.  Good stuff too... no one knew about it.
• About 100 yearbooks from all over Southern California!

I had some students help me throughout the last weeks of school.  We took out 9 large trashbags and took 5 trips to the library with old, outdated textbooks.  

So, today I took some pictures.  I've made progress and I've finally been able to bring over MY things into the room.

Here's just a general view of my new home.

This is ONE cabinet after I had taken a lot of stuff out of it, but still not done.  None of this stuff is mine.

Another general view of the room.

This is just some of the junk left in the closet.  That shelving unit obviously had to go because you can see it's broken and leaning on the door jam to stay upright.

So, I move that shelf and THIS IS WHAT I FOUND!  GAG!  BARF!  I mean, seriously.  WTF.  Ms. OCD was hiding in the hallway at this nonsense because it was really disgusting.

Sorry.  I just had to had this.  Because this is what was going through my head.

I'm pretty sure that these are remnants of the bugs that died in that closet, circa 2006.

Another messy cabinet.  This one housed the math manipulatives.  Everything in these cabinets are covered with a thick layer of dust.

Seriously!  Junk is just overflowing out of this room.

So - enough complaining and here is a bit of my progress. I'm not even close to putting my own stuff away.

More to come tomorrow!  I will be spending another day in my classroom getting it ready for when I head back in July.

2012-2013 Classroom Pics

One week down... only 35 to go, right?!

Actually, for all intents and purposes - I had a really great week.  My elective kids seem to be good kids, enjoying my wacky ways of doing things and being able to roll with the punches.  It's nice to have kids repeat back my super chipper "Good Mooorning!" at the door. Last year, they sneered at me as they dragged themselves into my room.  Not a good way to start off your day.

Too bad I only had one problem boy this afternoon.  He told me that learning about the Olympics in the computer class was "Stupid and he knows everything about computers anyway" and then stomped from the room as I explained that I didn't really think he knew everything and it was only the first week of school...  Oh well.  Tough cookies for him.  He can transfer out or whatever.  Don't care.  He's not ruining my happiness of the computer lab and wonderful students.

On to my classroom!  Remember back in June - this is what my room looked like:

I'm proud to present my room as it stands now!  I know that it's not super fancy like many a elementary room, but the computers take up most of the space.  Plus, I need open project space for photography, video shots, etc.

My teaching station.  Every period, I display the date and our Daily Objective that they copy down into their Reminder Binder.  I always thank them for being here!

My All About Me board - Yes, kids your teacher has a life outside of school!  I'll fill it up with more things as the year progresses!

My all black background with fun borders to make it pop!

Classroom Computer Lab Guidelines...  I'm going to add more computer info graphics to this board when I find them.  Surprisingly, there's not a whole lot of computer poster stuff at Lakeshore.  Also, not a lot of computer graphics online either.

The wall behind the paper was so torn up and ugly.  Had to cover it up!

One section of blue to contrast against the black.  Really makes it POP!  This is where all the school announcement stuff will go.

And finally... this is stupid, but I'm so proud of my ugly switch solution.  I bemoaned a while back about the paper and having the cut around the outlets.  I put up my paper and cut out the holes for the outlets, not worrying too much about cutting them close, but keeping clean edges.  Then I bought the cheap borderette at Lakeshore and cut that to match the edges.  It almost looks like it's peeling up the sides and I like the change in texture.  Yes, this is dorky, but I liked how it came out!

First Day of School, Internet Woes and a Linky!

(Note:  I wrote this post yesterday before my internet suddenly disappeared.  Since then, I've spend hours on the phone with Verizon, threatened to cancel my services three times and still don't have any internet.  UGH.  So, if things are behind... just know that I'm battling over here to get the services I should have.)

Today was my first day back at school, but I’m going to hold that off for a post tomorrow! 

I’ve been thinking about how much time and effort everyone at my school and all schools put into their classrooms.  I mean, I spend the time and effort papering, printing, arranging pleasing colors and my middle school kids don’t really appreciate all the time I put into it.  Also, I know that I always feel like I learn SO much by looking at other teacher’s décor and styles.

Did you take your classroom from drab to fab?  Show it off!

So, I wanted to host a linky party that allowed everyone to share their classrooms for the 2012-2013 school year!  Hooray!  Please join up!

Here are the rules:

1.  Write a blog post about your classroom!   How did you decorate?  Any fabulous pinterest ideas?  Pictures are encouraged!

2.  Link up to the party!

3.  Share the graphic on your post and encourage people to join in!

4.  After you join, please follow the Rule of 3 (copyright Farley!).  Please comment on the 2 people in front of you and 1 person behind!  That way everyone gets a lot of blogging love and new visitors to different sites!

I can’t wait to see what everyone did for this new school year!  I’ll post my link in here too.  (I didn’t want it to clutter up this info post!)

Made it Monday #2

Classroom Made It:

I've been meaning to get to this little project for my classroom for awhile now...  I found the original idea on Pinterest!

I mean, brilliant, right?!  I usually mutiliate my students papers that are up on the wall because I just pull them from the bottom and rip them a little at the staple.  (Don't feel too bad, most of my middle schoolers just throw ALL their graded papers away.  I haven't heard any complaints about my paper rips.)

I headed out to the local Dollar Tree to pick up the clothespins and Staples to grab the thumbtacks.  I was hoping that Dollar Tree would have them both, but nope.  I spent a total of $5.00 on my supplies since I already have my trusty hot glue gun!

It was a very easy process.  I left the clothespins on the rack that they're clipped to and just moved across the back side.  Easy peasy.  I've only done a few so far because I'm debating about painting the clothespins white.  Yeah, it's just my own OCD issues about having them white but I'm sure no one will even notice them.  Is it worth my time?

Again, just keeping them all together and moving straight down the line was the easiest to get everything glued and in order.

I'm excited to get these finished, however.  It feels good to cross one more thing off my list! :)  My first day back is August 3rd as a work day AND then the BIG DAY August 6th as the first day with kids.  Eeek!  Where did summer go?  It feels so good to just sit around somedays, right?

What's to come?!  Tomorrow (maybe even tonight) is the end of the 100 Follower Giveaway!  I'm so excited and thankful for everyone who has entered and I can't wait to pull out the winners! :)