"Last Day of Freedom"

     This afternoon, I received a text from a teacher on the 2nd grade team that told us to enjoy our last day of freedom until June 5th.

YIKES!

     So what did I do on my final day? Endless possibilities awaited me, and I spent 7 hours in the very place in which I will spend nearly all of my time for the next 10 1/2 months. Although I still have a few tiny finishing touches to add, my room is basically ready! After the carpets were finally  cleaned last week, I was able to set up my desk formations and get everything where I wanted it. 

     

Here's a tour!

     This first picture nearly captures the view from the front door. I grouped my desks into 4 groups of 6, leaving my environment open to lots of group work. I chose an even number, so the students could easily partner up with the person right across the way! 

Directly to the left of the front door is this nifty corner wall. Each of the classrooms at my school has this wall, upon which the projector...projects! Behind the wall is TONS of cabinet storage, as well as small areas for baskets --see below. **Pre-organization picture--it's all neatly stacked and labeled now.

At the bottom of the wall is my morning routine area. We will quickly cover calendar and practice regrouping   across the room in my Math section. 

Math: I have a few charts here that cover ideas such as fact families, money, regrouping, and thinking patterns. It was important to me to leave S P A C E to add new topic charts AS we learn them. 

This is the top shelf of my bookshelf, where I put a few pictures of important people in my life--If you don't see yourself here, it's likely because you're in a stack of pictures in a drawer waiting to be framed (sorry!). Target's instant photo printing received a lot of business from me, as I went crazy printing pictures this week.  

I also have a cross-stitched pillow that my grandmother sent me a while back. It reads "Teaching is a work of heart"  : ) How sweet! 

This is on my very limited ELA wall. Each section has small pieces of velcro, so each student can move his/her name as they move along the writing process. I can, therefore, quickly look at the chart to better organize my own conferencing time, as well as monitor the progress of individuals and the class as a whole. 

I love that I was able to bring a couch from home! I have yet to decide whether the couch will be part of a learning center or a special privilege for certain helpers each day. 

     Last but not least, is my teacher desk area. I have my mini-filing cabinet right next to my desk, where I will keep my lessons plans and all papers that I need. It is organized with hanging file folders, first by unit, then by week, then by day. 

     As I mentioned, I have just a few more finishing touches to add (like moving that bulky white basket), but overall, the space is nearly ready to go. I start new teacher training at 7:45 am tomorrow morning. That will last until two weeks from today--the very first day of 2nd grade! 

  

xoxo, 

Ms. L