When Do You Go Back Linky

So my school is getting a new principal this year. We just found out who our new principal will be two weeks ago and met him yesterday. I got the keys to my new classroom today and spent around 5 hours cleaning out cabinets and organizing furniture. I guess it's almost back to school time so it only fits that I join Literacy Spark's When Do You Go Back linky party!

I officially start work on August 21st. We have two days of PD, one on-site and one off. Then we have one day to work on our classrooms before the students arrive on August 26th. Not much time, especially when I am moving into a "new" classroom. The quotation marks are there because it was the classroom of our retired teacher last year. She had been at the school for many many years so definitely collected a lot of stuff. Thankfully, she took a lot with her so I don't have as much work as I was expecting. But I still have quite a bit! Pictures don't really do it justice right now since it just looks like I didn't get anything accomplished. So pictures of the classroom will just have to wait! :)

Giveaway Winner & Linky Party

Congratulations Andrea L.! You won my 100 BlogLovin' Followers Giveaway! Check your email (hotmail) to collect your winnings! Yay! :)

For today's post, I am linking up with The Teacher's Chair to share my favorite back to school read alouds.

Also linking up with First Grade and Fabulous for her Picture Book Linky Party!

Seeing how my year in second grade hasn't exactly started yet, I'm going to share my favorite read-alouds from first grade (some of which I will use again for second).

First, we have The Night Before First Grade .

This is a great book that helps start a conversation about how the students were feeling the night before the first day of school. We have a short discussion about feeling words and I have them to a quick writing and drawing activity on how they felt the night before. Too bad there isn't one titled The Night Before Second Grade!

Next, I like to read David Goes To School.

All the David books are quite funny and your students will love them! This one talks specifically about school and is a perfect way to introduce classroom and school rules. 

And of course, there's a little crafting too. We make our own Davids!

Craft template is from I Love 1st Grade.

After that, we will read First Grade Stinks!

The kids absolutely LOVE this book because it's probably the only time they will be allowed to say "first grade stinks!" without getting into trouble. :) This also leads into a conversation about kindergarten versus first grade and the similarities and differences.

Double bubble map if you do thinking maps. Sorry for the poor picture quality!

Those are the three main books I read during the first week of school. Obviously, two of them don't REALLY work for second grade so I have to try some other books out. So this year, I bought First Day Jitters.

To tell you the truth, I've wanted to buy this book and read it during the first week of school but just never got to it. But with two of my usual choices out of the running, it was time to commit! :) I might make some jitter juice to go along with this read aloud. :)

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to link up too! Can't wait to see what other read alouds others have to share. I'm currently in need of some ideas for my first week! :)

 

Let's Get Acquainted Linky - Upcoming School Year Goals

I'm linking up with Latoya's Let's Get Acquainted Linky Party to share my upcoming school year goals!

1. Common Core Implementation - So I don't know about you, but my district hasn't been very helpful with educating us on the Common Core. All I really know is that teachers have to create their own lessons as opposed to following a set curriculum. Great. Well, as a third year teacher who is still learning about creating lessons and developing her teaching skills, this is a bit intimidating. But I've been reading up on the Common Core so hopefully I'll be okay! :)

2. Reading Workshop Implementation - One of my first goals in common core implementation is doing reading workshop this year. I've been reading up on it. I did Daily 5 in my classroom last year so I'm somewhat familiar with a workshop format and teaching students how to be independent workers. 

3. Change, But Stay Cool - I'm moving up to second from first grade this year. This also means that I'm looping with around 1/3 of my former students. Call me crazy, but as much as I like how my classroom management works, I don't want it to be the same this year just because I am looping. So I am finding ways to slightly change how I do things in the classroom so that it isn't the same for them.

4. Stay Organized - Along with changing grades, I'm also moving classrooms. I have never started with a completely empty classroom (which can be a good or bad thing) so I want to make sure I stay organized so that I know where everything is. Of course, this also includes cleaning out the classroom so that it works for me. :)

That's all for now! Can't wait to read what others have to share! :)

By the way, if you haven't yet, don't forget to enter my 100 BlogLovin' Follower Giveaway. The giveaway ends at midnight! 

100 BlogLovin' Followers Giveaway!

Guess what??? I've finally reached 100 follows on Bloglovin'! Woohoo! So exciting! :)

As promised, a giveaway! Yay!

And the winnings are...

Thank you for all the donations! :)

While I was creating the rafflecopter, I decided to add in a gift card to Starbucks. After all, what teacher doesn't like Starbucks? (I don't drink coffee, but I love their passion fruit tea lemonade!)

Enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win! You have two days before it closes! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Liebster Award (Again)!

So, I've been nominated for the Liebster Award again! I was nominated for the award way back in November last year but I guess I'm still eligible since I'm still under 200 followers. Plus, the design of the award this time is different so I'm still pretty honored! Thank you Sliding into Second Grade for the nomination! :)

In order to accept this award I need to do the following:
1. Link back to the blog(s) that nominated me
2. Nominate 5-11 blogs that have fewer than 200 followers
3. Answer the questions posted by my nominator
4. Create 11 questions for my nominees
5. Share 11 random facts about myself
6. Contact my nominees and let them know I nominated them

Questions from my Nominator:
1. If you could teach ANY grade level (Pre-K - college) besides the one you teach now, which grade would it be?
Uhoh, second grade IS the level I want to teach! At least, I think it is (this is my first in second). I had the best experience ever student teaching second grade so I can't imagine it being horrible. But I also really enjoyed my two year teaching first grade so I probably wouldn't mind going back to it again. :)

2. What's your favorite way to unwind at the end of a long work day?
Sit on the couch, turn on the tv, and just go brain dead. 

3. If you could retreat anywhere for a weekend where would you go?
Hm, that's a tough one. I want to say Hawaii but that's not really a place I can get to easily and quickly enough for a weekend trip. I've been wanting to go to Disneyland recently so I guess that's closer. 

4. If you could spend $1,000 at any 1 store, what store would it be and what would you buy?
Target always seems to be my go to store. I would buy a little from every section (including the dollar section, of course!). 

5. What's your favorite season?
Summer! Absolutely love the heat! :)

6. What's your guilty pleasure(s)?
On Fridays, I try to stay up as late as I can, just because I can. :)

7. What organizational advice do you have for veteran/new teachers?
Start early! Decide on how you want to organize your materials (by month or by unit). Keep them stored away in boxes or binders and ONLY pull them out for that month or unit, especially the books. That way, they are always where they need to be and you don't have to spend the end of the school year re-sorting your books.

8. What is the most recent Pin (or idea if you're not on Pinterest) for your classroom are you most excited about doing/trying?
Turning a straw dispenser into a pencil dispenser! 

9. Which childhood book was your favorite growing up?
Does the BFG count as a childhood book? I remember my elementary teacher reading it to us as a read aloud when I was in school. This, of course, meant that I had to read it to my class too. 

10. What is your teaching goal this school year?
Try implementing reading workshop in my classroom this year. 

11. What is your greatest teaching accomplishment?
This is more general, but when parents send me emails and notes thanking me for everything I've done for their kid. Kids will love you no matter what. But when you get the love and support of parents, it really is something else.

11 Random Facts About Me:
1. I have two younger brothers. One is 6 years younger. The other is 12 years younger.
2. My favorite color is blue.
3. I've always been a blogger of some sort, even when I was younger. I've had blogs on Xanga, Live Journal, Blogger, Wordpress. So, of course, it only makes sense for me to have a teaching blog once I become a teacher. :)
4. I watch probably waaaaay too many tv shows. If you were to categorize them, I would say crime shows (NCIS, Law and Order, CSI, etc.), medical shows (Grey's Anatomy, House, etc.), and reality shows (Master Chef, Kitchen Nightmares, etc.).
5. I actually hated being a student. But I love being a teacher!
6. I also speak Mandarin. Sometimes I think about getting certified to teach Chinese. But I doubt my Chinese is good enough.
7. I was born in Taiwan but moved to the US when I was only six months old. Despite that, I still consider Taiwan as my second home and go back very often.
8. Caffeine does crazy things to me. Coffee will make me jittery. Highly caffeinated tea will keep me up all night so I can't drink it in the afternoon.
9. I REALLY want to have two dogs. One big and one small. I keep telling myself that I will get a dog. But I still haven't gotten to it yet.
10. I'm actually a night owl and NOT a morning person.
11. I don't really like chocolate. I like fruit-flavored candy much better.

My Leibster Nominees:
1. The 85 Commute
2. Oodles of Fun Teaching
3. Ms. Lua's 2nd Grade Learners
4. Hooo-Ray for Teaching!
5. Fun in ECSE
6. Karmen's Kinders

Questions for My Nominees:
1. Why did you decide to start a teaching blog?
2. Where do you teach?
3. What's your favorite subject to teach?
4. Who is your teaching role model?
5. Do you use a classroom theme? What is it this year?
6. Where do you buy most of your teaching materials?
7. What's one piece of advice on classroom management you would give to other teachers?
8. How do you usually spend your summers?
9. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
10. What's a quote that inspires you?
11. What's your favorite movie?

Whew. I'm finally done! Hope you all enjoyed reading! By the way, Oodles of Teaching Fun is having a 150 Awesome Followers Giveaway! You can win my newest product, Get to Know You - Owl Glyph, if you win the giveaway! Go check it out!

P.S. Speaking of giveaways...make sure to check back here tomorrow for a special giveaway! Super excited! :D

Throwback Thursday - Homework/Communication Folder

Today, I'm linking up with First Grade Parade's Throwback Thursday! (My first one!)

With more followers thanks to Bloglovin (just one more to reach 100!) I thought it would be a good idea to re-visit an old post made on September 26, 2012 that relates to back to school prep, the homework/communication folder. My classroom theme last year was monkeys so the folders were called the M.O.N.K.E.Y. folders. Keep reading to find out more about them! :)

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M.O.N.K.E.Y. Folder

So I said I wanted to blog about my homework/communication folder but never got to it. I'm finally getting to it! :D

Before I begin, I must give all credit to the original idea to, Ms. Stienstra, my Master Teacher in second grade. She taught me well and really prepared me for my first year of teaching.

Last year, we were the first grade Superstars so we had S.T.A.R. folders. This year, we are the first grade Marvelous Monkeys so of course we need M.O.N.K.E.Y. folders this year!

I know some teachers use binders and other use folders. My master teacher (the Outstanding Owls) used those poly three-prong folders (the plastic kind). I really like them because they are very durable and don't get destroyed easily so I definitely wanted to use it for my own classroom. They definitely survived the entire year of first grade last year!

Here is the cover to our M.O.N.K.E.Y. folders:

The blocked out part is the student's first and last name.

Personalized by and for each student! This was one of the first things the students saw when they reached their desks on the first day of school. They got to color this along with their name card that I use for attendance. I collected them, laminated them, and then taped them onto the covers of each folder. In case you were wondering, the students don't receive their MONKEY folders until the second week of school (since I need to you know...apply their personalized cover). During the first week we used first week folders which I collected the second week of school to never be seen again until the first week of the next school year.

And now...inside the folder! (in order)

1. empty page protector - for decodables and anything small that might get lost easily.

2. M.O.N.K.E.Y. Rules - picture below

3. Monthly progressing monitoring calendar picture below. I use a clip chart in my classroom and at the end of the day the kids color the color their clip is on in the corresponding day on the calendar. This template was taken from a third grade teacher at my school and then revised for my own classroom.

4. A list of sight words, divided into three sections (we test the kids on sight words every trimester for report cards).
5. A page with all the OCR sound/spelling cards on it which I received at my district's new teacher OCR training. The purpose is for the students to refer to them for spelling help once we have flipped all the cards (around mid-year).
6. Penmanship Chart of uppercase and lowercase letters.
7. The 100 number chart - Mainly for students to use at home when completing their homework but some students like to use this during math lessons.
8. Book Bingo - An optional reading "program". Students get prizes for completing different parts of the bingo card. They have a whole year to complete the card if they want to. And they get a new card once they complete one.
9. Binder paper - Parent communication section if parents want to write notes to me.

The pockets in the folder are also labeled "Return to School" and "Leave at Home".

And that's my class's MONKEY folder! I really love using this sort of homework/communication folder because it really instills a sense of responsibility in my students. Plus I also like how each one is personalized for its owner. When I passed these folders out I pointed out to my students that their names are on the folder and emphasized how the folder belongs to them and not their parents so it is their job to be responsible of it.  During the first couple of weeks when a student doesn't bring his/her MONKEY folder to school and comes to me and tells me their parent forgot it, all I need to do is ask them if the folder belongs to their parent. That's all the reminder they need. And they have been doing a wonderful job being responsible with their MONKEY folder so far!

Quick story to share. One of my five year olds forgot her MONKEY folder at home which also happened to be the same day homework was due. She came to me and took full responsibility and told me that she forgot her folder at home. Her mom emailed me later that morning telling me that she had taken the folder out to sign the homework packet but forgot to put it back into her daughter's backpack.  So even though technically it wasn't my student's fault for not having her MONKEY folder, she still took full responsibility of it because, as she told her mom, the homework and folder belong to her! I think they really get it! :)

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Thanks for reading! Hope this was helpful information. Of course, I'm doing folders again this year (already bought them!). They are yellow this year. And since my classroom theme this year is going to be owls I'm going to call them the H.O.O.T. folders! (Helping Organize Ourselves Together) Some of the pages inside might change due to the new grade level. Will definitely have to post a new entry when that stuff gets done! :)

P.S. I'm still looking for donations for my 100 follower giveaway (only 1 more follower to go!) Please fill out the survey below if you would like to help out! Thank you to the friends who have already signed up to help out! :)

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Back to School Shopping Spree! (And help with a giveaway!)

So I've finally created a new product, just in time for the back to school shopping spree at Common to the Core! Click on the image below to check it out in my TpT store! :)

If you are looking for some more back to school products (free and paid), go check them out by clicking below!

And last but not least...I'm very close to 100 followers on Bloglovin and can't wait to host my first giveway when that happens. But I need some help! I don't have a lot of products to give and would really appreciate if you could help me out! Please complete the survey below if you would like to help out! Thanks! :)

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Help Wanted!

Okay fellow bloggers, I have two "problems" that need some fixing. Hopefully all you brilliant people out there can help me out.

First off...I am changing classrooms this year and am excited/nervous about setting up in my new classroom. What I'm really wondering is the teacher (retired) has left behind for me to deal with in the classroom. Unfortunately, I won't be able to get into the classroom for another two weeks but I did take some pictures of the classroom before summer hit so I could start thinking about it!

And now comes the first dilemma. This is what the classroom library looks like:

Colorful boxes are nice and all, but I would REALLY like to put some shelves in there so that the books are more accessible. Unfortunately, that lone shelf there cannot be removed and is at a weird height that not many book shelves will fit. Any suggestions?

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I absolutely LOVE Bloglovin! Not only do I use it to catch up on my blog reading, but it also seems to be helping me get followers much faster than Google Friend Connect ever did. I'm at 98 followers, folks! Only two more to reach 100! Maybe I'll have my first giveaway if I reach 100? :)

Which brings me to dilemma number two. I've been working on a new product (been a loong time) but am hitting a roadblock. So everything is basically done. I made the whole thing on Word and then saved it as a secured pdf document. The problem is, I can no longer annotate and save the annotations on the pdf because it is secured. I don't have any of the fancy Adobe programs, just my simple free Adobe reader. Is there any way I can fix this?

Thanks! Looking forward to reading your responses! :)

10 Things I've Learned From Teaching

It only makes sense for blog posts at this time of the year are either about back to school shopping/crafting or teaching advice, which is exactly what I have been blogging about recently. Today, I'm linky up with Miss Kindergarten to share 10 things I've learned from teaching!

1. Always starts your day with a smile and greet the students at the door when they enter. This helps develop a relationship with your students and also shows the parents that you care. 

2. Routines, routines, routines! Children (and adults) NEED structure! As long as there's a routine and procedure for everything in the classroom, the class will run smoothly, even with a substitute!

3. Give students responsibilities! We are not just teaching them academics, we are also preparing them for success in life! That includes learning how to be responsible. Make sure to hold the kids to it too! Remind them often of their responsibilities as a learner in the classroom! During the first month of school at least one student will come up and tell me that their parent forgot their homework folder. After a couple of reminders about whose homework folder it is and whose responsibility it is to make sure it is packed away, I never hear it again!

4. Sometimes a quick dance break is necessary! When you see that your students have been overworking their brains and are getting a little restless, turn on some music and let them just wiggle it out! Make sure you wiggle it out too!

5. This is mainly for the younger grades (I think) - understand that some parents are first time parents. Just as you are learning to be a teacher, they are also learning to be parents. So when they are questioning your teaching or management style, they aren't necessarily questioning you, but is really trying to find a balance with their child's home and school life. On the other hand...

6. Realize that for some students, what you do in school is not always transferred at home. There might not be a lot of structure or parental involvement at home. And in most cases, there is nothing you can do about it. So it is important that you create a safe and structured environment for your students in the classroom for them to thrive in. 

7. Children are so forgiving and love their teacher no matter what! A student can never stay mad at their teacher for long. In fact, children love their teacher so much, they may unknowingly call you mom or dad! I still remember the first time I was called mom by a student. We all had a good laugh.

8. Integrate the arts! I think childhood is really the time when EVERYONE has artistic ability. (Hey, I won third place in an drawing competition when I was a kid. Now, I can only draw stick figures.) Utilize it! Expose kids to different artists and styles of art. Include some sort of space for a craft or artwork to go along with writing. Give students as many opportunities to create art as you can! Make sure to include a field trip to an art museum to teach them how to appreciate art. 

9. Music is SO important in education! Classical music helps stimulate the brain or as I tell my students, helps turn your brain on so that you can really think. I loved the day when a student came up to me while the class was working on a writing assignment and asked me if I could put some classical music on so that it could help her brain think more. Create and sing songs! Songs will help kids remember things faster and store it in their long-term memory. This year, I will be part of the SF Opera program where my class will be creating a short Aria to perform to their parents. I'm pretty excited about it because we get to create music! I can't wait!

10. Always end your day be dismissing your students at the door with a "Have a great day!" or "Have a wonderful weekend!" As a first grade teacher for two years, I also would always ask the student where they are going so we both know where they will be in case an adult comes looking once the classroom is empty. If students don't know, they stay in the classroom until someone comes and gets them. Saying goodbye continues building the relationship with your student and asking them where they are going shows parents that you care about their safety even when school is over. 

Thanks for reading! Be sure to link up too! I can't wait to read what others have to share! :)

Also, check out this giveaway that The Teaching Tribune is hosting! Freebies included too! :)

Linky Parties: New Teacher Advice!

So..it just so happens that two different blogs are hosting linky parties for giving new teachers advice! I was a new teacher two years ago so I definitely know how it feels to just be entering into the teaching world and taking on a classroom on your own! I had approximately two weeks to get myself and my classroom ready before school started! I'm on my third year teaching now so hopefully I can pass along some knowledge to my fellow new teachers!

First off!

Topic: New Teacher Advice

BUY - I highly recommend you invest in a laminator. We have a cold and hot laminator at school but the lamination from my own laminator is much much sturdier. Plus, having a laminator at home also allows me to work on putting things together on my own time and allows me to utilize my prep time and time after school for other classroom purposes. I also suggest getting a paper cutter too simply because it makes the whole process of cutting things for centers so much faster. :)

Below are links to the laminator and paper cutter I have. You can get them at Amazon or Costco for a relatively decent price. 

                                            

ALWAYS - Make lesson plans and be prepared! No, it's not necessary to make super detailed plans like you probably had to do in your credential program. But you should know what your daily plan is before the week starts. As creative as teachers are, it's actually incredibly hard to come up with a lesson on the fly simply because it usually requires some sort of materials pre-prepped which is usually not the case! It is also a good idea to always have all the materials needed for the day prepared and ready before the day starts. Technically, it's an even better idea to have things for the week ready before the week starts but I haven't been able to accomplish that yet so just start with the day! :)

NEVER - doubt yourself. I'm not going to lie, first year teaching will be hard. What really makes it hard sort of depends on many different factors. You may have a really rough class which is hard to manage. You might have some difficult parents who doubt your skills as a newbie (which definitely happened with me). You might have a lesson that didn't go as planned. Believe me, there are plenty of things that you may feel is going wrong during your first year of teaching. But no matter what it is, never let it make you doubt yourself. I know that you chose this career to make a difference in young people's lives so keep doing it! Every challenge you face (and you will face them) will all be worth it when you reach the end of the school year and see how much your students grew under your guidance. It is all worth it in the end, I swear! :)

FIND - balance (in your work and personal life). This is one that I am still working on myself. I live by myself so it's very easy for me to have no reason to need to go home "early" which means I typically don't leave school until around 6pm. I used to also take work home with me and keep working (with the tv on, of course!) once I got home which meant I was basically working during all my waking hours. But I'm learning! I was able to stop bringing work home during my second year of teaching. I even managed to leave the classroom at around 5pm on most days! See! I'm getting better! :)

MAKE - This is an ABSOLUTE MUST. I have found that it is hard for anyone who is not a teacher to really understand what teachers do and go through. People don't understand how much time and effort we put into collecting supplies and organizing our classrooms. They definitely don't realize that our summer break is unpaid but we still spend a chunk of it preparing and getting ready for the school year. So it is VERY important that you make some teacher friends so that you will have someone who understands to talk to when you need to complain, vent, rant, or just get advice. I don't think I would've survived my second year of teaching if I had not become good friends with a colleague at work (we had a LOT of school drama going on that year). 

BE - honest. When people ask for advice about teaching, the first thing I tell them is, the best way to develop a relationship with your students is to be honest with them. Maybe a better term is to be transparent?  If you don't know the answer to a question, be honest and tell them. If something suddenly came up which changes your class schedule, be honest, and tell your students what happened not just that the schedule got changed. If you know you're going to be absent, be honest and tell your students ahead of time. If you made a mistake, be honest. Admit to your students that you made a mistake and apologize for it. When you are honest with your students and explain to them the reasons for whatever is going on, they will see that you are human too and understand when things don't always go the way they want. I don't think I really did a good job explaining this but seriously, give it a shot. 

And the second linky...hosted by Fabulously First!

In loving wisdom, what advice would you give to a new teacher just starting out?

In addition to the advice given above...

Whew! Long post! And it is waaaay past my bedtime! That's all for now, folks! Be sure to link up and pass some of your teaching wisdom along to others! I can definitely use some advice as a third year teacher, too! :)

Back to School Shopping: Vistaprint Goodies!

Okay, so I already showed you all the classroom decor I bought for my owl theme this year. Now, it's time to shower the things I "made" for my owl theme this year. So I thought I would link up for Monday Made it with 4th Grade Frolics!

I always need to have a teacher's notebook and tote bag to go along with the theme. (Notice how I said NEED and not have) Now, where do you go for that for a relatively decent price? The answer is....Vistaprint!

If you have not discovered Vistaprint yet, then you definitely have to! It's great for creating some customized stuff to use in the classroom. Livingsocial AND Groupon also currently have great deals for Vistaprint right now. I already bought vouchers from both! They also tempt you more by giving you free shipping if you order $25 past your voucher amount (which I did, of course).

And here is my first order (using my groupon voucher):

Notebook for me

Tote bag for me!

30 cards for V-Day

A pen just because I needed to get to $25!

30 holiday cards

So excited! I've already started creating things for my next order using my livingsocial voucher. 

Do you use Vistaprint for school stuff? What have you made? I would love to see them! :)

Want Some 2nd Grade Freebies???

Sorry, I don't have any to give yet, BUT, some awesome second grade bloggers do! Go check out Tori's Teacher's Tip's facebook to participate in the Second Grade Facebook Hop! Not only do you get to collect 20+ freebies, you can also get introduced to some of the second grade blogs out there! This was perfect for me since I just moved up to second grade so am looking for second grade blogs to follow. Why are you still reading? Go check it out! :)

P.S. There's also a rafflecopter giveaway at the end! :)

Back to School Shopping: Classroom Decor!

*EDIT* Just found a linky party to add this post to so I'm linky up! :)

So, I have a problem. I must have a classroom theme every year and MUST have theme-related stuff in the classroom. Yea, totally necessary, right? Of course it is!

Can you guess what my theme will be this year??

Not theme-related, but awesome for our dinosaur unit!

Did you guess it? We're going to be the outstanding owls this year!!! Are you as excited as I am??? :D

If you're doing a classroom theme, leave a comment and share what your classroom theme is! I would love to hear it! :)