Yay! New blog design!

I am so excited that I have a new blog design! I don't know about all of you but I am still clueless about how to make these things look pretty. Thank goodness for Becca Paro over at Jumping Jax designs! I checked out Sarah Cooley's blog and LOVED it! I am telling you she is a dream to work with and amazing at what she does I am so happy with how it looks!

No new news as of right now in teacher land, I am deep in grad school classes right now! :( I am learning a lot though so that's always a good thing!

Hope everyone is enjoying what is left of our summer!

First Day Organizing of all those goodies!

The first day is always hectic because NEVER does just one kid at a time walk in so you can neatly label their supplies! Our kids are mostly bus riders and come in like a mob, so I made up a new plan last year. I let them pick their desk in a lottery system the first day. They pick a number then match it with a number on a desk. This makes them feel at ease. I then take their supplies to my back table. I put all the paper, and community products in one pile. Their personal supplies such as crayons, pencils, erasers, scissors, etc. I put in this shoe organizer I bought at target!

This was my 1st classroom!

The green shoe organizer in the picture has pockets for each child's materials! I print out sticker labels with their names on it and slap it on there! It makes it so easy so I don't even have to worry about writing their name on EVERYTHING! I just go back and do that later when it is not so crazy.

As for checking off what they have that can be tricky, our school is Title 1 so I try not to worry about what every kid brings. Some kids really don't have the means to buy supplies. I usually head up to Office Depot for their sales and buy those children some crayons and scissors. Although, last year we had a Back to School Bash where parents could come and drop everything off early and meet the teacher. I had a supply list then for the parents to check off what they brought and then turn into me.

I hope this helps some people! I know that day will be fast approaching and I am SO not ready yet!

-Ms. Thomas :)

Fonts...my weakness!

Mrs. Bates over at Finally in First is hosting a linky party for us bloggers biggest temptation! FONTS! I already see a few that I need to get pretty soon! Go and check out her blog and link up! 

Here are my favorites to use in things I make:

-Ms. Thomas :)

The corner in my apartment...and other things!

I just started grad school for the summer(class was delayed and cannot decide if that is good or bad yet) and I can tell that I will be so busy because I already have to have TWO books read by Wednesday. yuck! But, I am really excited because the class is about writing which I need some help with! I cannot wait to be done! MAY 2012! woohoo!

I just bought Lucy Calkins' books about Launching a Writing Workshop. I cannot wait to get started with it. Our writing curriculum with our Reading is not bueno. I bought these two:

 

I am currently on the HUNT for the seven units that go with it...only it is hard since the pack is like 200 dollars! I am having a hard time finding all of them. Any hints let me know!

Also the corner in my apartment is currently looking like this:

It is not as bad as last year :( We have to pack up our ENTIRE room. It is awful, so this year I made a change to lock everything up. I had to bring the easel home though, I got it through a donors choose project and I love it so much I had to keep it safe! :) Also, notice how lakeshore has currently affected my credit card bill. I got the teacher's organizer and then also some pocket charts for reader response and a phonemic awareness game! 

I pity my roommates but I told them we could always write the menu for the 4th on the dry erase part! 

I just bought Babbling Abby's first grade beginning of the year unit! Go and get it, I cannot wait to use this and my Scaredy unit too!

Have a good fourth!

-Ms. Thomas :)