organizing a few more things...

Teachers reported to work today. Of course, at my school we generally see a lot of each other in the week before because so many people come back for part of a day or two to get a jump on classroom set up. It was really nice to see everyone -- and naturally, there was a lot of talking and a few meetings and a bit of planning, so I didn't get as much done in the classroom as I'd hoped. Alas.

But! I shall persevere.

Today I tried to focus on books, the library part of our meeting area and a bit of our calendar math stuff.

[click on any image to enlarge]

This is how I've organized my children's books. It's behind our classroom door as it's opened. It makes my little organization heart happy, but it also really shows that I need to reduce this by a good 20% or more. I just do not need this many books. Once I cull my collection, I'd like to give it away. Any suggestions for where/how to donate?



This is my favorite quote about six year olds. I post it at our Back to School night and share it with the families and kids.



This is the beginning of the calendar area -- it still needs a place to share birthdays, the 100 chart, and I'd like to do a different schedule this year. You might be able to see it here, it's a small, thin blue pocket chart. I'd like to have a schedule that has larger words and pictures this year so it's visible from farther away.



Here's a quick comparison on the library/meeting area, because I mentioned last time how much I wanted to get some plants and things into the room to make it feel better. Here it was last week:


Here it is today. So much better. I'm quite pleased.

The curtains on the two shelves on the right will come down after the first week or two, and it will have about eight other book baskets. The shelf on the far left I've set up to hold teaching tools for Guided Reading, so I may keep that curtain up. The shelf next to it will be multipurpose. I have some kid reading tools there and dictionaries on the bottom shelf, as well, I have my Assessment binders, so it's going to be a place for kid tools as well as my own.


So, now I'm going to do something of which my good friend, not!Angela Lansbury (girl, will you just pick a name already?!), approve: I'm going to sit down to try to let my brain rest for a little while while I watch James Blake (♥) play in the first round of the US Open.