One more week!

Hey friends!!! I just wanted to remind you that Google Reader will be closing down on July 1st! That means you have ONE week from today to transfer your google reader data to a new feed so you can read all your favorite blogs in one place! I'm using bloglovin. If you are too, you can follow me quick and easy by clicking the photo below! (I also have this on my sidebar for future reference!)

 

If you haven't created an account yet and want to learn how... it's so easy! Check out my good friend Katie's "how-to" by clicking her blog button below....

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Classroom Set-Up {then & now}

When I saw that Little Miss Glamour Goes to Kindergarten was throwing a linky party on how our rooms have changed with teaching experience, I got so excited I wrote this post immediately! (Hence, why I'm up past 1 am!) I'm going on my 5th year of teaching kindergarten and have been in the same classroom all 5 years! After my first year of teaching, we had a change of administration and with that came a goal for school improvement! To start off, that summer of 2010, all teachers were ordered to "de-clutter our rooms" (aka: THROW AWAY THE JUNK!) So that's just what I did. Then we were allowed to paint our classrooms, so I did that too! My principal hated the rickety, wooden tables in my room, so she got me beautiful, green tables that were sturdy and easy to clean! I also got a new easel and through the years, have really gotten better at staying organized, keeping clutter to a minimum and creating (and finding) awesome classroom decor for my room! Well enough of my jibber-jabbing... take a look for yourselves! 

My first year of teaching (2009-2010) to My 4th year (2012-2013)

BEFORE

Note the boring walls, old rickety tables and boring table signs... (all before pinterest and this blog!)

 AFTER

EXACT same view of my room during my 4th year of teaching... pretty color on the walls, new tables, chair pockets made by  my mom, pretty table signs I made and matching table tubs for supplies! =)

BEFORE

This was where my writing center was my first year of teaching....

 AFTER

Here is the exact same view but this area is now my calendar area! (I LOOOOVE my new rug thanks to donorschoose!)

 BEFORE

These next two photos were my calendar area my first year of teaching...

Here is that same wall now! It's my word wall/small group area on the large whiteboard and the smaell board is my writing board and listening center.

 AFTER

Close up of my writing board....

This wall is also part of our writing board...

 BEFORE

This is how I used to post my standards...

 AFTER

Here is how I post them now!

 BEFORE

My letter of the week board (before we were told to stop letter of the week)

 AFTER 

Here is the same wall this past school year!

 BEFORE

My tiny little word wall....

Old computer station....

 AFTER

Here is that same corner NOW. =)

Here is what my computer center looks like now!

 BEFORE

Old library station...

 AFTER

My new library station! (That little book shelf didn't stay there... I eventually moved it  b/c it was too cluttered for my liking here.

 BEFORE

Look back to the right side at my flat file and how messy that area is (my first year)!

 AFTER

Now look at this beauty! So organized and loving it!!!

I get so excited looking back at these b/c I can't wait to start decorating my classroom (I know... I'm a big nerd!)

So click on the link at the beginning of this post to go see other classroom transformations!

Sincerely,

#TeacherTalkTuesdays

Our "QU" wedding....

Playing duck duck goose, while waiting for the buses on our field trip!

I taught the kids how to play simon says when we were learning how to act out the meaning of simple verbs... they loved it so much they played it out on the playgrounds!

One of my little guys brought this in for me on teachers appreciation day and I about cried.... it was one of the most thoughtful gifts I have received!

This went with my crayola crayon picture =)

Another sweetie brought me these flowers <3

"Smarties" were in the jar (LOVE the creativity!!!)