classroom!

Well my students think I live in my room and that I sleep in our classroom reading bathtub!  They are so funny!  I am loving my class!!!  I really believe that my class is the best!!!  Woo Hoo!!!!  Today was the first day we had them all together.  It was a hectic day but the students were really good!  I was so proud of them.  We had a couple of tears but they seemed ready to learn a lot!  I finally remembered to take some pictures of the room!  So here it is!

This is our calendar board!  The other board on the left is going to be our phonics board.  I will put the letter of the week along with pictures that begin with the letter sounds.

The cat in the hat watches us learn!!!

This is our reading section.  We have lots of books and a wonderful bathtub to read in.  I love watching my students get in there to read!!!!  I think they really like it too!

I made this banner for our colors. 

This is our behavior chart.  Everyone starts the day on green.  They move down for doing the wrong thing or they can move up to blue for doing something really good! 

I am happy with how my classroom has turned out.  I was worried about it because it is small and narrow!  Its working really well and I think the students are enjoying it as well...and that what is all about!!!

another good day!

I am falling in love with these students!  They are just so fun and FUNNY!  I had 6 again today.  I am starting to think maybe we should do this every week!!!  Its nice!  The group today told me many times that they loved kindergarten!  I told them I did too!  No one cried this morning (not even in the other classes)!!!  I got called "teacher" a lot today.  I thought it was cute but I did keep on correcting her...my name is important. :)  By the end of the day she was remembering Ms. Brown!  I do have more funny stories today!

We were going to lunch today and we had a walk because our building is separate and we have a different route because of some new doors in the main building!  The students were chatting a little and I was listening and laughing!
Student: "I love Kindergarten so much."
Me: "I am so glad that you are beginning to love Kindergarten.  We are going to have such a good year."
Student: "I don't ever want to leave Kindergarten.  I don't even want to go to the high school!"
Me: "I don't think you are going to have to worry about going to high school anytime soon!  You still have a few more years before that!"
I am glad that are learning to love school on the first day of their schooling!  I hope they will always love it!

This was my favorite of the day...
The students were working on a little craft and I started to take some pictures of them working.  I want to make a video for each student at the end of the year.  They were cheesing for me and as I took one girl's picture she asked, "Ms. Brown are you going to put these up on facebook?"  I first laughed a lot and then I said, "No I don't think I can do that.  I don't think your mom and dad will like for me to put them up."  Then others joined in and told me that their mothers were on facebook too!  She then said, "Well, my mom is going to want to see these pictures!"  I told her that she will be able to see them soon. 
I find it really funny how she already knows about facebook.  I am excited that students are learning more about technology.  Oh how I wish I had more technology in my classroom.  I think these students would LOVE a smartboard!  Maybe one day soon!!!

So...day 2 went good...I hope day 3 is as good as the other 2!!! 
So far...KINDERGARTEN ROCKS!!!!

day one is done!

First day was great!!!!!  I was worried this morning about not doing something or forgetting to do something but I got there early and got some of it knocked out so I didn't have to worry about it any more.  The kids came in so sweetly!  I only had 6 today.  One that didn't come to orientation didn't show up today either.  They were sooo quiet!  I didn't have any cry...PTL!  I did have one to throw up at lunch though!!  EWWW
I just can't do that!!!  It wasn't much or bad.  We got her cleaned up and then continued our day.  She wasn't sick I think it was just something she was eating.  Our bear hunt went so good.  The 4 kindergarten classes read the book in our pit and then went around the school together.  They were very excited about it but did so good walking in a line and being quiet in the hallways which the big kids were learning.  I hope tomorrow is as good as today was!!!!  I get to do everything all over again!  I am excited about the year!!!

the night before kindergarten

The night before Kindergarten and all through her mind raced thoughts about what else needs to be done and how she can't wait for the day to come!
Tomorrow is the big day.  I actually have 3 big days.  Tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday I will have 7 each.  7 beacuse...i lost 2 students today.  So I didn't have to get so worked up after all!  I am back to 21 now.  I am sure tomorrow I will get another or at least this week! 
I feel like I am ready.  I feel better having some lesson plans done and just knowing a little bit more of what is going to happen this week.  I am sure it will not all get done but I am excited about it!  I thought I would feel more nervous but I don't!  Thank goodness!!!! 
I can't wait to get to know these kiddos better and have fun and teach them so much! 

This was my first day of school I think my 5th grade year.  I really wish I had a jumper like this to wear tomorrow! 

one of the best things about this jumper is that it had the name of my school on the school house.  the second best thing about this jumper is that my teacher had the same one!  i wanted to be a teacher so bad even then!!!

welcome to kindergarten class of 2023!!!

scratch 21...make it 23

Well today was the day....orientation!!!  I was ready to see their faces and meet each student.  I had a lot to do in my room so I went to school on a mission.  I worked for a little bit then....found out I got another student.  I really started to panic because I didn't have enough room for this little kinder!  I didn't have things made and just wasn't prepared!  It was my fault because I knew I would get more!!!!  I frantically made more copies and my assistant made another packet.  I then had to figure out how to move the tables around so more students to fit!  It was a little insane!  I didn't have things put away either so I just started putting things just out of the way or really just out of sight!  I quickly changed clothes but then realized I didn't write their lunch numbers.  I was afraid the whole time of missing something important to give to them!  Thank goodness I walked in LeAnn's room to find her writing their numbers down.  I quickly did it and then it was time...3:00.  I felt very calm and prepared.  I hope I looked and acted that way to all the parents!  They came in slowly which was good.  I had about 2 families at a time in the room.  I was very thankful to have my assistant too!  I couldn't have done it without her!  I was able to introduce myself to the students and chit chat a little and go over a couple of things with the parents.  The kids didn't speak up much!  They were looking all around I think just taking it all in.  I hung some things from my ceiling and they just looked and looked at them.  I had a couple want to start playing.  They seemed nervous and quiet...but I am sure that will change very soon!  One student's mom told me that he was very scared because his big sister had been telling him stories about kindergarten and school like that the 4th graders will put you in the trash cans!  I told him that we didn't have to worry about it because we had our own building just for Kindergarten!!!!  After I had met a couple of families and lady came in and told me she had just registered and that her daughter was going to be in my classroom!  I thought to myself and really wanted to say it out loud that there was NO WAY she was in my class.  I already had one added this morning....there is no way I can have 23....I don't have room for 23 in this small class....she has to be mistaken!!!!  But...nope...she was mine!  I just have to tell myself that she is in my room for a reason! 
I am so excited to get the year started.  I feel really good about what is ahead of me this year!  I know God has great things planned for each child, me, and my assistant!!!
Tomorrow on the to do list is....PLAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

here we go!

Kids come this week!!!  It hit me today!  Eek!  I have a lot done but I keep on thinking of more to do.  I have been in workshops and trainings for the past couple of weeks.  I have felt just overloaded with information!  There is so much to being a first year teacher.  I am very very thankful to be going through this with another first year teacher at Grover in Kindergarten with me!  I am glad to be able to feel overwhelmed with her!  We have bonded a lot!!!  Thanks LeAnn for already being a good friend and I am glad we have one another!
There is so much I want to do in my classroom but I think I might have to work it in as the year goes.  A few things I am excited to be doing though is...

1.  Meet Slush!  He is a stuffed wolf (who is our school mascot) and he will listen to a lot of my kinder friends tattles.  I am sure he will fill me in on the things I need to know in the afternoon. 

2.  Chance Tickets.  Every day each student will start with 3 chance tickets.  After their second warning and the student moves their clip to yellow the student must give me a chance ticket.  Every warning after that they must give me a chance ticket as well.  At the end of the day if the students have any tickets left then they can put them in a container I have.  On Fridays I will then draw out 2 tickets and those students cards I drew will be able to pick a prize out of a bigger prize box.  I have to get some things for this though.  I am thinking some candy bars, Homework passes, and some other special things I can think of. 

3.  Mystery Reader.  Each week I am going to have a mystery reader come to my classroom and read a story.  This can be a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, etc.  I have decided that if I don't have a lot of response then I will invite people from the community or school.  I think this will be fun and exciting for the students.  I am going to save some special books for those mystery readers just in case. 

4.  School Tour.  LeAnn and I have decided we want to tour the school in a fun way this year for our students.  We have heard of different ways to do this using books but we have decided to use Eric Carle's Brown Bear Brown Bear book.  We will read the story then read a little note that the animals have escaped and we have to go around the school to find them.  We have not gotten this all planned out but we are going to go to the cafeteria, media center, gym, office, assistant principal, principal. 

Tomorrow is orientation!  I will hopefully get to meet all of my 21 kindergartners and their families.  I still have a couple of boxes to go through and some cleaning to do but other than that I think I am ready to meet them.  Tuesday is our last teacher workday so I will really have to work on some lesson plans and just prepare myself to be the best teacher I can be this year.  Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday will be a staggered entry.  I will have 7 each day.  That will be nice!  Then I will really have to prepare myself for Monday when all 21 come! 

I am excited about what God has planned for me this year.  Please keep me in your prayers!!!!

Smarty Pants!

I have had this idea in my head for many years now!  My sister told me about it when she was in college and so I have always thought how fun it would be to use them in a classroom.  I think they are so cute!  I hope my students will feel very special and honored when they receive smarty pants!

 I just cut out the pants from blue paper.  I drew on the pants with a sharpie and then stapled the two sides together.  I didn't draw anything on the backside but you could!  I will then put smarties in each pair of pants.  I have also made a cute bucket to put them in.  Its already at school though (so no picture).  I painted the same pants and wrote on it, "Ms. Brown's Smarty Pants."

Ta da!!!!!

My plan for use of these is when a student has made a 100 on an assessment or has done something smart of course!  I hope to pass these out a lot!  I love to tell my students they are little smarty pants.  A lot of times the kindergarten students I have worked with before didn't think it was a good thing!  Now since they are getting a reward when I call them a smarty pants they will feel so special!

Kindergarten's 3 R's: Respect, Resources and Rants: Warm Fuzzies

This is the teacher I want to be! (this is a awesome blog as well! i have found some great ideas here!)
Kindergarten's 3 R's: Respect, Resources and Rants: Warm Fuzzies

classroom decor inspiration

I had never thought of doing the whole classroom "theme" because I had been given so much stuff from my aunt and from another teacher at the school I did my student teaching who both recently retired!  But....my church has a fund raiser every year for missions called the "Parade of Tables."  This year I wanted to do something I could also use in my classroom one day.  So Dr. Seuss became my inspiration!  I decided I was going to focus on The Cat in the Hat.  I started collecting stuff and making stuff and I fell in love with it all. This was the first inspiration....

My uncle is a awesome carpenter and he cut it out of wood for me then I primed it and then painted it.  I painted both sides of it.  He stands a little over 5 feet tall.  I think my students will really LOVE him in our class watching over us!

So my classroom has become very seussical!!! 

I have been excited to find a lot of posters, stickers, signs, and books.  I will be sharing some more pictures and other projects I have been working on soon!

hello blogging world!

I have been inspired to blog from some amazing bloggers I have been following for quite some time now.  I have been real excited about starting in my first classroom teaching position at a local elementary school teaching kindergarten!!!  God really answered prayers and placed me at the school I wanted to be at and the grade I wanted to be in.  This summer I have been working so hard in my classroom to make it fun,inviting, and fresh!  I feel so proud of what I have been able to accomplish that I want to share some ideas with fellow teachers and whoever else cares to see and read what I have done.  I am excited to share and hope you will enjoy!