My 1st Visits to My Classroom

   I got to visit and spend some time in my classroom this past week, super EXCITING! I was very lucky when I arrived at my room and learned the previous teacher retired. She left me practical everything. I feel extremely BLESSED!! When she left, she packed up the classroom and now I’m in the process of getting it back in order for the school year. While trying to straighten up my room, I had to do something on a bulletin board to pretty-up the room. I put up my calendar and birthday chart and I think it looks fabulous! 

 I bought my bulletin board items from Creative Teaching Press.

Teacher Door Sign

        I finally made a teacher door sign. I've wanted to make one for some time now and I just got done. At first, I tried to make one with paint but that did not work out the way I wanted it to. So, I tried a second time with success.  I used a piece of thin wood, 12x12 in size. I added scrapbook paper and glitter paint. I made the letters using my Cricut, which is amazing!! =) After it dries,
 I'll add a ribbon to hang it on my classroom door!

"I Can" Statements

       I remember when I was in school thinking “why am I learning this?” Now, of course, I know why- STANDARDS!

I was TpT and saw another awesome idea for posters for my classroom. I searched CCSS for 4^th grade and found “I Can” posters for the students.

*"I Can" 4th grade math standards (FREE):

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-Standards-I-Can-Wall-Posters-4th-grade-Math-368017

*"I Can" 4th grade ELA standards (FREE):

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/4th-Grade-Common-Core-Teacher-Reference-Guide-with-Student-I-Can-statements-783745

     I’m hoping this will help them understand “why they are learning this.” I think that it’s cool that the students can see where their learning & instruction are coming from.

     I made it my own from the resources above from TpT.  I used the exact wording then, copied and pasted it into Word and, of course, added cute border. After everything looked good, I printed the statements on 11x17 paper.

Examples:
-ELA

-Math

      After I laminate them, I will buy shiny star cut-outs. All these standards can be overwhelming, so I will put the stars by the standards that will be learning every week. I hope the stars will cut down on any feelings of being overwhelmed/ anxiety. 

     My whole objective is that students will understand why they are learning certain skills. I also like that I can use these “I Can” statements as a tool to help them self-assess their progress on any given standard.

*The polka-dot border is from (FREE):

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/BordersFrames-BIG-DOTS-Free-Commercial-Use-Graphics-179718 or visit: 
http://frompond.blogspot.com

*FREE font from: 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hello-Fonts-Personal-Non-Commercial-Use-301730 or visit: www.helloliteracy.blogspot.com

Critical Thinking Statements

     I saw this on TpT and thought it would be perfect for my classroom. They’re critical thinking statements.

You can find the original here: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Critical-Thinking-Language-Sentence-Frames-Say-What-Aligned-to-Common-Core-347609 
or visit: www.helloliteracy.blogspot.com

I cut the borders off of each poster and put colorful paper behind them. I want them to scream “LOOK AT ME!”  I created the first poster that says “Critical Thinking Statements.” After that, I laminated each poster for durability.

I still haven’t decided what pattern I’m going to do. I was thinking 1x8 or 2x4. I’ll decide when I finally get in my classroom. 

I’ll hang them up before school starts but, I plan on using an anchor chart so the students know when and how to use the statements. In the original product, there is an example of an anchor chart. 

I used FREE font from here: 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hello-Fonts-Personal-Non-Commercial-Use-301730 or visit: www.helloliteracy.blogspot.com

Cricut

      For graduation, my mother bought me a Cricut!!!!! Like, Oh my goodness! I LOVE it! I’ve made a couple of things for my classroom.

I think I’m going to make a door sign with this. I’m going to paint the back a light yellow or pink to match the polka dots. I also need to add a period at the end of Mrs.

  

I was inspired by Pinterest to make these signs. They’re labels for drawers. I love the “Read” file so I don’t have to immediately read things from my mailbox.  

FREE fonts from:  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hello-Fonts-Personal-Non-Commercial-Use-301730 or visit: www.helloliteracy.blogspot.com

Behavior Clip Chart

     I wanted to make a behavior clip chart for my classroom. I found several ideas on Pinterest and TpT but nothing really said “WOW” to me. So, I downloaded polka-dot borders and cute font to make my own!

I made the clip chart in Word and sized all the borders to match. I printed these off and laminated them for durability. I need to get some book rings to put it all together. I will post a picture when it's setup in the classroom! ☺

You can get the polka-dot borders here (FREE): 

 http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Polka-Dot-Frame-Freebies-223419 or visit: http://msfultz.blogspot.com/

You can get the cute font here (FREE):

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hello-Fonts-Personal-Non-Commercial-Use-301730 or visit: www.helloliteracy.blogspot.com

                                        

Common Core Files

     I was on Pinterest the other day and I was inspired to make Common Core files. I created files for Math and ELA (English Language Arts) for 4th grade. I separated each subject by the main thread.

For Math I did a hanging file folder for:

1.    Operations and Algebraic Thinking

2.   Number and Operations in Base Ten

3.   Number and Operations- Fractions

4.   Measurement and Data

5.   Geometry

For ELA:

1.    Reading: Literature

2.   Reading: Informational Text

3.   Reading: Foundational Skills

4.   Writing

5.   Speaking and Listening

6.   Language

*Example of my Math hanging folders: 

Then, in each hanging folder I have a set of manila folders for each standard or groups of standards depending on the content. I also pasted the standard on the front of the folder.

I plan on using these files to store lesson plans and master copies that match each standard. ☺

I used FREE font from:   

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hello-Fonts-Personal-Non-Commercial-Use-301730 or visit: www.helloliteracy.blogspot.com