Classroom Tour!

I now have two days in third grade under my belt! On the first day before the students arrived I snapped some pictures of the room while it was nice and tidy. Check out the before and many after photos!

Here is my classroom before I started unpacking. I ended up getting rid of the teacher desk you see, and having only a table for both my “desk” and guided reading.

And here is the after!

  

           Class library and “meeting place”                             My area/guided reading table

           Student  Mailboxes                             Class Job Chart                         Center Area

          Math Wall                                 Clip Chart and Lunch Check in        Hallway Bulletin Board

There she is! My new room! I hope my kiddos are starting to feel at home. They think I am totally obsessed with dogs. LOL!

Monday Made It- DIY Lunch Count Magnets

Well today is my last Monday of summer. Next Monday I will be meeting 29 third graders for the first time, and teaching in my new room for the first time. Oh boy, so much to do until then. Anyway, here is my Monday Made It. I needed some magnets for lunch/attendance check in. I went to Staples and Target looking for some that were all the same that I could just write numbers on with a Sharpie. I was going to have to cough up about $20 to get enough that were the same size. So I decided to make my own. I wanted this project to be simple, though. I have seen a lot of very cool DIY magnets using clear stones and scrapbook paper, but I knew I didn’t have much time to give on this project. So I headed to Hobby Lobby and found everything I needed.

I got a pack of 50 magnets for $6.99, Gorilla Glue for $4.99, white spray paint for $3.27, and wooden buttons for $1.47 a pack. I got two packs, but now I have to go get another one because I’m now at 29 kiddos. Ok- so I spent the $20 that I didn’t want to spend at Staples, but at least I have extra magnets, and spray paint and gorilla glue for future projects.

Making these magnets was pretty simple. First, I spray painted the wooden buttons all white.

After they dried, I started gluing the magnets to the wooden buttons. Make sure you get glue that works for metal and wood, and read the directions on how to use it. If you get Gorilla Glue, you have to wet the surface first. So I used a sponge and got the button a little damp before applying a small amount of glue.

Then I put the magnet on, and carefully placed it somewhere to dry. You have to keep all the magnets spread out or they will start attaching to each other and cause a mess. I also had to put a heavy book on top of them and let them sit for 1-2 hours.

After they were completely dry, I used a black Sharpie and wrote the classroom numbers on them. Pretty easy! Here is how they look on the board.

August “Currently”

Alright, this is my first time linking up with Farley for a “Currently”. I love reading them, so I gave it a shot. Here it is, and just a short post because like I say below I need to get busy on my Monday Made it! Enjoy your Sunday!

First 20 Days of Reader’s Workshop

Officially one week until I report back to duty! I am actually getting really excited. I don’t know very much of what to expect being in a new school, and in a new grade, but I’m not the only one. The rest of the third grade teachers will be learning with me. That is very comforting! Anyway, I know I post A LOT about Reader’s Workshop. I guess that’s because it’s one of the only things I get to keep (mostly) the same in my transition to third grade. I am using the same back-to-school lesson plans this year that I used the last 2 years in first grade. That’s because the first 20 days or so are all about teaching procedures. The kids will learn how I run my Reader’s Workshop, what they will be expected to do, and we will talk a lot about reading and what good readers do. So even though the rest of my day is completely unprepared right now, I am good to go for Reader’s Workshop. I revamped my lessons plans and now have all 20 lesson plans in one product at my TpT store. It’s only $3…Check it out!

I have been posting these lessons week-by-week for awhile, so if you have already purchased one of the weeks, you do not need to purchase the 20 days packet. You will want to keep buying the weekly packets. There are 4 weekly packets. The first packet is my free download if you want to take a peek!