Past Classroom Pics

Well, I'm actually going to go do some work in my classroom tomorrow since they (supposedly) FINALLY finished cleaning our hallway today.  (fingers crossed.)  Dude.  I went up yesterday to empty my car (you can't imagine all the junk I've bought), and there were like SIX custodians sitting in the lounge.  Don't get me wrong.  I LOVE our custodians.  (Well, most of them.)  We have been lucky to have 3 AMAZING custodians in the 5 years I've been there, and I'm hoping this last one will continue to be with us.  They always move them around or run them off.  The kids LOVE them, so it's always tough when they leave.  Anyway.  SIX of them just sitting there!  LOL.  But yeah.  I knew they hadn't gotten to our hall yet because there were still roaches.  LOL.

Anywho, I searched through my files and found a pic of my old classroom and some before pics of my current room from last August, so I thought I'd share.  I  plan to take new "Before" pics tomorrow and then will update my progress.

It's fun to look back and see how my classroom has evolved over the past 5/6 years (this will be year 6)!

My old classroom (when I taught 3rd grade).  I think this photo is from my 3rd year teaching.  Must have been taken at the BOY b/c of the bulletin board with their names.  Names are written on surf boards and beach balls!  :)

I knew I wanted a beach theme from the get go.  I LOVE the beach.  I think it's the Pisces thing??  :D

I got that striped rug from Joann's (6 years ago, sorry) in their dorm/college section.  I remember it was 50% off.  I actually just passed it on to my student teacher from last year for her classroom.  But have you noticed how overpriced their dorm stuff is these days?  Even at 50% off, I can't usually afford it now.  

The palm trees were made by my cousin, and she also helped me rig my beach umbrella to hang from the ceiling.  :)  I still have both of those in my room.  

This is my class from 2 years ago.  This picture was taken right after I read "My Teacher is Having a Baby" and told them I was pregnant.  :)  This is a view of our whole group area in front of the Smartboard and the entrance.

You can see that the door to my classroom is open.  I am a big fan of keeping my door open all day (unless we are doing a science experiment or other noise-inducing activity).  Unfortunately, with our new safety measures, we are asked to keep our doors shut and locked at all times!  :(  Sometimes I forget, but for the most part, we are shut off from the rest of the world.  Oh well.  It's a happy little world we live in.  :)

To the right of the door is my Listening Center for cds and cassettes.  Do you still use cassette tapes?  If so, isn't it funny how the kids have no idea what they are or what "rewind" means?!  LOL.  Above that you can see my giant flip flop with hooks that hold my bathroom passes.  They are the keychain sized "Ugly Dolls."  Oh, they don't take the bathroom passes with them to the bathroom.  ICK.  They put it on top of their desk so I know who's out of the room.

Typical conversation in my classroom:

Me: Where's ______________ (insert student name)??
Students: He went to the bathroom.
Me:  Well, he sure didn't ask permission!
Students:  Yes, he just asked you, and you said yes.
Me:  I did?
Students:  Uh huh.
Me:  Oh.

LOL.  Please tell me this happens to you!

This is a view of my classroom library last August when it was *almost* finished.  I ended up changing the layout a couple of times to accommodate the book boxes for Daily 5.

This is a "before" pic from last August.  I left that May for maternity leave, so my amazing long-term sub packed up most of my room for me.  The bright little squares you can see on the cubbies on the left are where she labeled what she packed in each cubby! See?  Amazing!

Another "before" from last August.  Please know that I do not like my teacher desk/computer in the middle of the dang room, but that's where the "drop" is for the network connection, and they refuse to move it.  So I'm pretty much stuck.  Though my teacher area gets a little smaller each year b/c I HATE that it takes up so much space right at the front of the room!

"Before" pic from last August.  Yes, that's my car seat and my mom in the background holding baby boy when he was about 2.5 months old!  Poor little guy, but those were the days when he could sleep anywhere!  (Miss those days.)

"Before" from last August.

"Reader's Beach,"  AKA our class library.  (The fire marshall made me take down the hanging lights.  Boo, hiss.)

My "wall of clocks."  A parent gave me the 4 small clocks a few years ago, and I finally came up with this as a way to use them!  Each one displays the time of a city in another time zone.  We know what time it is in Tokyo, Los Angeles, Texas, New York, and London.  When the kids leave at the end of the day, you can hear them all ticking, LOL!  I can't tell you how many of my co-workers come in to talk to me and are like: "What is that SOUND?"  LOL.

"Before" from last August.  This year, I think I'm just going to have a boy helper and a girl helper each day.  I'm so tired of keeping up with the jobs.  I always have one or two kids who are ALL OVER their jobs, but the others forget, and I am tired of reminding them constantly.  :)  The clocks are different now; they are labeled with Recess, Lunch, and Specials, and the clocks are "set" to the appropriate time for each.  They hang next to my "wall of clocks."  :)  My listening center is just below this bulletin board, so that's what the Tic Tac Toe is for.  Can't wait to recover this board with the aqua glitter wrapping paper I got at Michael's!  :D

I really wish I had some more/better photos!  I know I do; they must be on my computer at school.  I'll see if I can dig some up.  :)  I hope this at least gives you a little view into my classroom.  Can't wait to get in tomorrow and get to work because I'm excited about all the new stuff I've made!