A stampede of fun with back to school time!

It's almost time for the first day of school and I feel like I am anticipating Christmas!  I love, love, love the excitement of a new year and meeting all of my sweet, new kiddos and seeing their smiling faces, well, hopefully they're smiling. 

This year I moved back home to the Ft. Worth, TX, area and was blessed to get hired in Aledo ISD teaching kindergarten.  Before this new adventure of setting up a new classroom started, I went to Zambia (Africa) to work on a medical mission trip.  There were over 250 members on our team from Zambia and the US combined.  Together we served over 14,000 Zambian people in medical care in the areas of dental, optometry, lab testing, wound care, gynecology, and diagnosing illnesses and proving medicine. Our team also enjoyed a safari on one of our last two days in Africa.  Look how close I got to the elelphants and giraffes!

Victoria Falls was another site we were able to enjoy!

As soon as I returned from Africa, I immediately started working on my classroom for my new busy bees.  Buzz on in and check it out!

 The view from the front of the classroom

 Our turn-in basket with some literacy friends

This is our "Happy BEE-day!" wall.  I created little cupcakes for each month.  The students' pictures go under their cupcake month.

 My  document camera and laptop are housed here so I added a little Coder Elementary spirit.

 Our little tables are color coded.  This is the red table all set for Meet the Teacher.

Each table has a bee basket for materials with a matching color bow, a trash bucket that matches, and I include scissors of the same color.  I hot glue google eyes onto the scissors so that students learn how to cut correctly.  The eyes should always be looking at you if they're being help the correct way.

 For Meet the Teacher, I place an information sheet, our class handbook, the ABC's of Kindergarten, a parent check-list to make sure they see everything they need to see or fill out all that needs to be filled out, and a bag of pretzels that say "Thanks for "bee"ing here!"

  

Here is where our Math Tubs materials are stored.

I love these cabinets!  I store all of my literacy materials in them and below are my cuties' cubbies, backpack hooks, and book boxes for Daily Five.

I love my little Beanie Baby strategies.  Last year's class really embraced these strategies so I am definitely using them again.  These are in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

 This is an art area with our art supplies, marker caddy, and paint drying rack.  To the right is the writing area where Writer's Workshop materials are stored and Daily Five Work on Writing materials are stored.  I love, love, love, Daily Five and Writer's Workshop.  I have written many posts about each of these.  Click below to learn more!

Writer's Workshop

Daily Five

Balanced Literacy

 This is my small group area.  I teach reading, math, and writing in a small group setting.  It makes me more aware of what each student knows and allows me to differentiate my instruction for them.  I got this awesome tabletop easel funded through Donors Choose.  I have had over 30 projects funded through them.  My stools open up for storage.  They're from IKEA.  

Behind my table you can find all of the organization for my small group instruction.  I keep my group's materials stored in the drawers numbered 1-6.

I collect data in my Student Data binder and write my plans for small groups in there.  My Lesson Plans are kept in this binder.  I keep supplies in this little organized drawer shelf.

This shelf holds my guided reading books that I use for reading groups, my Sub Tub for emergency plans, and my baskets to hold assessment paper work for reading, math, and report cards.

I stay organized for each day with my daily cart.  At the end of each week I place all of the materials needed for the next week in the correct drawer.

My Word Wall ~ I use Phonics Dance to learn letters and these are the matching signs for each letter's dance.

My whole group area

My Math Stations check in area ~ You can find these for free on my website.

My library area

 My Listen to Reading area for Daily Five includes a CD player in the bee hive for two children to listen to and the little baskets will store my TAG readers that were funded through Donors Choose. 

Our picture books are sorted by theme and labeled in baskets that have matching stickers that are on the back of each book for that basket.

I also have leveled readers in our library.

 Puppies and kittens!

My Working on Words cart for Daily Five

Our Smart Board

Thanks for taking a look!  Buzz back soon!!