Classroom Reveal!

Aaah! I have been a little MIA on the blog. So sorry! Have been SUPER busy with getting the classroom ready and everything. Work officially started on Wednesday with two full days of meetings/workshops and a "full day" of classroom prep (which was really occasionally interrupted with one to two hour long meetings). Thankfully, we were able to get in to the school for a couple hours yesterday and since students officially come back tomorrow, now I have no choice to say that I am now as ready as I can be! Time for the classroom reveal!

(By the way, if you haven't seen my before/after post of the classroom from two weeks ago, I recommend you do so that you can see the true transformation of this classroom!)

Hallway bulletin. Thanks to my colleague for making the tree!

Door bulletin

View of the classroom from the library. My SMART board has been installed! Unfortunately, it's not working correctly (The mouse is not functional when the computer is connected to the SMART board. Anyone know how to fix this?) Got the fabric book covers again as chair pockets. I put a clipboard and a white board in each one. I plan to use both sides of the classroom during instruction so the clipboard will come in handy when the kids don't have a hard surface to right on when they are facing a different direction during instruction. 

The "back" of the classroom. All the pencil boxes and other packets that are sent home on the first day are on the small group table.

Calendar area (Everyday Math)

This will be the bulletin board and book holder for our thematic units. Books displayed right now are school books and community building books. The shelf is all resource books for the kids. Don't have a purpose for the table to the left yet besides for the computer when I use the SMART board. Thinking of moving the listening center to the table. 

One side of the classroom library. Bins labeled with post-its for now. 

Other side of the classroom library and my piano. I am going to Ikea later today to get the cardboard magazine holders for book bins to put on the ledge about the library.

Computer area and listening center. I'm thinking of moving the listening center somewhere else.

Back bulletin and sink area. There used to be a paper towel dispenser (which you can see next to the fridge) and a soap dispenser mounted on the bulletin. You should've seen the trouble I had putting the bulletin paper up and around the stuff! My colleague's mom finally removed the dispensers (which aren't even used) which made it so much easier! Now, the get rid of that random thermostat sticking out in the middle....

Our cubbies area with the remainder of my recycling and our lunch bins.

My teacher area. Still have to go through all the instructional resources that the retired teacher left behind!

 As you can see, I still have some work to do in the classroom, but at least it's ready for the first week of school! I'm just finishing up my first day plans right now. I can't even describe how I'm feeling about the first day of school tomorrow. But I am definitely excited about having some of my old students again! I've already received messages from parents of three of my former students and those kids are excited to be back with me again. Makes me feel good. :)

For those who start tomorrow like me, good luck! Hopefully I'll have the energy to post about the first day when I get home tomorrow. We shall see! :)