Classroom Tour

I intended to post photos of my classroom last week, but life got in the way...

Now my daughter is settled in college,

Back to School night has come and gone,

and I finally have a chance to catch up!

I wish I had taken photos before school started when everything was "just so," but here's how it really looks after nine days of school....  Note:  there will be no photos of my desk :)

I am very happy with my new student book boxes (on the top of the library shelf).  I got the idea from PreKPages.  They were plastic ice containers (about two dollars a piece) at Walmart. The clipchart is from Mrs. Ricca's Kindergarten.

The photo doesn't really show my interlocking foam squares from Five Below:

They do tend to "scoot around" on the carpet during center time, but I am still happy with them.  Today a student had a nosebleed and I was able to quickly remove the individual square for cleaning.  

I borrowed the book cover banner idea from KinderCraze.  

I recovered my two crates and added two more.  Lowe's cuts the lumber to size for free with purchase of the lumber. They serve as student seats for the guided reading table and puppet storage.

The upper cubbies are too high for the kids to use, so I put these cloth drawers from Target in them.  I use them to store all the school supplies. (The number posters are from Mrs. Ricca's Kindergarten.)

I LOVE the new tables in my room.  I splurged on the chair pockets from Really Good Stuff.  The kids keep their consumable reading texts and math notebooks in them.  They have two pencils and a pink eraser in the green zipper bag (which is attached with Velcro). There is also a slot for student name plates.  We also have table caddies that match the colors around the tables (for crayons, glue, scissors, etc.).

Here's my alphabet banner upclose again.  It makes me happy.

This is our prayer table.  The Jesus Loves You bulletin board is left over from last year.  Each child cut out a heart and wrote his/her name on it.  The laminated tissue paper cross is my example of the ones we made last Easter.  

Blessings,

Eilis

Classroom 2014-15

All my classroom "Pinning" is starting to become a reality....

I made this alphabet banner by cutting card stock into triangles with a paper cutter, gluing on letters, and then laminating.  I used a two hole punch before stringing the pendants.  These pictures don't really show how much this banner cheered up my plain windows.

I used the 4 inch Sorbet Letters

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And these are the numbers that I cut out by tracing around an old set of numbers...Literally "Old School," but kind of fun to create.

Stay tuned for a complete tour of my classroom next week.

Hugs,

Eilis

Back to School Sale at TPT and My New Portfolio

I am participating in the Back to School Sale at Teachers Pay Teachers today and tomorrow.  Be sure to stop by my shop for 20 percent off of everything during these two days!

I have just added a new file of Portfolio printables and it is included in the two day sale!  Click on any of the pictures to take you to my shop.

There are covers for Pre-K, preschool, and kindergarten.  The pages cover handprints, self-portraits, family pictures, letter recognition, sight words, and more!  Just print the pages you wish to use.

  

I like to use bingo daubers with these pages.  You could also have students color the circles of the letters they know.

 Most of the pages have both color and black and white versions, you can choose which to use depending on your ink and printing situation.

There are lists for Pre-primer and Primer sight words.

You can choose to do pages once or several different times during the year to track progress. I like to place the pages in a binder, so I can also add other student treasures.

I love to read your comments.

Eilis

Book Talk Tuesday: I'm a Little Teapot

I'm linking up with Mrs. Jump's Class today for Book Talk Tuesday.

Today, I want to share a "magical" book in my classroom read aloud collection.  I'm a Little Teapot by Iza Traponi has an amazing ability to draw in and calm down every child.  I use it at the beginning of the year to help the children transition and focus for carpet time.  Later in the year it is one of those class favorites that everyone wants me to read.

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 I sing the words on the pages along to the familiar tune for this wonderfully imaginative book.  The children always love "traveling" to China, Mexico, and even space along with the characters.  They never tire of "finding" the tea pot in the jungle towards the end of the story.

Here is a link to Iza Trapani's page for some classroom activities and printables.

Blessings,
Eilis

A Happy Find for my Classroom Floor

I'm linking up my back to school find with Kickin' it in Kindergarten's Teachers Be Shoppin' Linky.

I found these 23 inch interlocking foam floor squares for 3 dollars each at Five Below.  Five Below is kind of like a dollar store.  Everything they carry is either 1,2,3,4, or 5 dollars.  It is pretty new to me, but I thought it might have something for my classroom.  Did it ever?!!!  I bought 25 (they are sold individually), so I can either set them up in a 5x5 square or a 4x6 rectangle.

I had similar foam squares in a previous classroom but they were in primary colors.  (They came in sets and were a little better because they came with strips to make the outsides straight.)  I love having a square for each student to sit in at carpet time.  Plus, these will cover a lot of the ugly fraying seam in the carpet of my classroom. And, these squares are in the colors that I am using in my classroom this year!  Happy Teacher.

If you are interested in seeing my Target and Walmart back to school finds from last week, check HERE and HERE.

Blessings,

Eilis

Free Printable Tally Race to 30

I was inspired to make this printable by a Roll and Tally to 100 that I saw on Tales from a K Classroom. Sara offers a treasure trove of free printables on her blog!  I was unable to print her "50" version, so I decided to create one for tallying to 30.  I will have two students take turns rolling a die or number cube.  Each player will draw the appropriate number of tally marks on his/her recording sheet after rolling the die.  The winner will be the first person to reach 30 (or more).  I will be laminating this for use over and over with dry erase markers.  I love simple math games.

Click HERE to print my free printable.

If you print this, please leave a comment.  Hope you are enjoying the rest of your summer!

Eilis

Free Printable Nonsense Words to Throw in the Trash

Walmart has these cute little trash cans in their Back to School section.  They are intended to be pencil holders and cost a dollar each.

I couldn't resist making some Real and Nonsense Words to use with them.  Just click the link if you would like the free printable words.  I printed mine on colored card stock. The kids will put the "real" cvc words in the pocket chart and the "nonsense" words in the trash can.

The Pocket Chart is from Target's Dollar Spot.

If you find this helpful, I'd love for you to comment here!  Facebook likes are also appreciated!

And. . . . Dr. Jean's Free Webinar is today.

Eilis