New Classroom Transition Organization Trouble Shooting (Setup Day 3)

Today was more about tying up loose ends than starting new projects.  However, I thought of a few tips to share.

Problem:

Organizing by subject works best for me.

Scattered items. Part of what has made this transition feel overwhelming to me is the amount of "mixed up" items.  Of course when you change classrooms, it is rare for your organizational system to perfectly match the other teachers.  What worked for one person doesn't work for everyone.  Personally, I like to organize my materials by subject.  For example, I might organize my classroom into a games area, math area, and reading area.  I'm used to having my teacher's manuals also organized by subject.  At the end of day 3, my new ones are set up this way and that makes me happy!

One shelf won't work; I'll need to split them up.

The other teacher did not sort items this way, and as a result, it's been a challenge to know how much space I need to allocate to any given subject. Well, today I realized my math area was too small.  As a result, one of my "hubby helper's" jobs on Monday will be to move everything from one shelf to another.  This conglomerate of math and writing materials makes more sense split up.

Solution:

To prevent this from happening again, a rule I generally follow is to gather items into an area before really settling on their placement.  Start with an idea of the big picture, and then fine tune.  It is easier to move an empty shelf over than to start over (removing and refilling shelves).  

Today it's clear they need a bigger shelf

.

Yesterday I knew I had to purge toys.

Problem:

Those big books needed a big tub!  Now they're accessible.

Containers.  Similar to the above idea, with everything mixed up, it's hard to know which containers will be home to which materials.

Solution:
Create a gathering place for empty containers.  I started to find that there were some "like" containers, which made them stackable.  Then, as I started filling containers and finding that they were too small, I could just swap a larger one and put the smaller one in the empties pile.  And vice versa.

Problem:
Random pieces in the bottom of bins.  I've met some organized teachers, but none so organized that they can avoid this issue.  'Nuff said.

Solution:
Create a "misc" box.  Sometimes, if I'm near the spot where that outlier belongs, it makes sense to put in in the correct place immediately.  However, if it's on the other side of the room, it's fastest to have that miscellaneous box right near my current work area and pop it in there.  Then, when I move on to the next area, I bring the misc box with me, put the items in the area where they go, and continue filling.  I forgot to take a picture of my empties, or my metal cabinet that is pretty much all set now thanks to this strategy.

Once again, it's not pretty, but it's looking more organized after just 3 days.  I was even able to get everything off the floor (not off the reading rug, but it's a start).  Everyone teacher knows, you need to keep the custodians your friends, so I felt better leaving the area presentable for them.  

New First Grade Classroom Setup (Day 2)

Today I finished my second day of classroom setup.

I didn't feel right about posting "before" photos of the room.  I used to when it was my OWN mess, but I couldn't post photos of someone else's, haha.  Let's just say I have my work cut out for me over the next few weeks. 

Fortunately, I had my husband to help me.  During these first two days:

1. We sorted all the file folders that were spread across the counter tops.  Science and Social Studies are now organized into my crates.  ELA and Math will be a task for another day.  I need to get to know the curriculum better before I can tackle them, but at least they LOOK organized while I move on to other things.
2. The book bins are almost all organized onto the shelves where they will stay.  This includes books by genre and by reading level.
3. He started stapling up my fabrics to cover up the yellow (more on this in a later post).
4. I emptied out my new desk and started filling/reorganizing it.
5. I cleared off the toys/games shelf and filled it with other toys and games I found around the room.  I've come to realize there are WAY too many.  It does not look inviting.  I knew I'd need to cover it with a curtain before, and probably unveil one shelf at a time to my firsties, but I will also need to purge.
6. I cleared off a shelf near the front of the room that I was unsure about.  It's a great little shelf that is exactly the right height for many spaces; the question is what will live on it?  It used to be near the rug for calendar, but it seemed to make the calendar hard to reach.  I'd asked the custodians to move it to the front of the room, but it was too cluttered there.  Instead I decided to put it near my reading table.  I like how it looks and I've already started putting materials on it so I think it was a smart move.
7. I realized (at 2 am last night) that my metal cabinet would make MUCH more sense turned around to face away from the classroom entrance.  This way it will not only face my desk so I have my materials at my fingertips; I will gain a new magnetic surface.  I could put my schedule on it!  We turned that around and I've mostly cleared it out and halfway reorganized it.
8. We halfway cleared out the two closets and started reorganizing.
9. I asked my husband to sort through a pile of construction paper.  He asked if I wanted it by size (9x11 and 11x17) or color.  I said "size," knowing that his OCD would not allow him to mix up the colors.  I was correct; it's all perfectly sorted now!  
10. We filled a trashcan to overflowing (not something that comes naturally to me). 

 Next on the to do list:

1. All those "halfway done" tasks.
2. The leveled books need new labels.  This is not just for aesthetic reasons; many are torn and hanging off of their baskets. 
3. The shelves near my desk need sorting.  I'm dreading this because I'm scared of messing up an order of things (although I don't think there currently IS one).  I guess I just have to take a deep breath and go for it.  I'm not messing up someone else's order; it's MY stuff now so I need to live with it.  If I make a mistake I only have myself to answer to, so I'll just go in and fix it.  
4. Color printing some items (more on that later).  
5. Give my hubby the day off.  He earned it!  Between entertaining his family and having me home all day Tuesday, he needs a day all to himself.  He didn't even complain about going in so soon after they left, nor did he ask for a day, I just know he needs it.  He agreed and was appreciative when I told him I'd be on my own tomorrow.

It might not look like much, but I'm feeling a bit more settled.  The feeling of being halfway between two classrooms was really unsettling.  You know how it is; our classrooms are our second home.  Today was a big step towards feeling like this is MY new room.  It's not pretty, but it will be. 

Alternative to Organizing with Binders

When I got the curriculum overview (in other words, a list of topics) from my new grade level partner, it was clear how the curriculum is organized in first grade.  Compared to fourth, science and social studies strongly relate to each month.  My first step was to create some Pinterest boards so that I could collect all the ideas I was seeing in the blogs I was reading.  Now, two weeks later, my in laws have arrived safe and sound back in England so I'm taking the day to relax.  Tomorrow I'll be going in to start organizing my new classroom, so what could be more relaxing than creating some printables designed to keep me organized (haha).

I know many teachers love binders, however I have been using file folders for a number of years and I will probably never go back.  Young teachers beware.  I know binder covers are cute, and spines look very organized with coordinating inserts.  However, bringing a bag full of books, papers, and binders every day has caused damage to my shoulder that is only going to get better with surgery.  It's. Not. Worth it. 

Besides, you want cute?  I've got cute!


I used the Clipart Kids set from Educasong, one of my favorite TPT clip artists.  Then I created these hanging folder inserts.  Each month has one hanging folder for science and one for social studies.

Next, I created simple file folder tab labels that are color coded to go with each month.  Each topic in our curriculum has a separate file folder.

I even created covers for each hanging file.*  This way I can see at a glance what is coming up each month.  If the folder feels "light," it's off to TPT for some shopping.  In August I just need to make sure September and October are "heavy."  As long as I'm two months ahead, with a general idea of the year as a whole, I think I'll survive my first year.

[Update:  I've made the tabs available in my TPT store!  It's my first product listing as a first grade teacher, so if you like it I'd appreciate the feedback].




Credits:
 *Fonts from Hello Literacy and Amber Thomas, borders from Krista Wallden.

Echo Owl Puppet for Fundations

I haven't had Fundations training yet (though I am registered for early August) but I've already got my Echo.

A colleague told me that in Fundations, the kids chorally decode phonemes by repeating (/echoing) what an owl puppet tells them.  And its name is Echo.  Well, the teacher whose class I'm taking over didn't show me any owl puppets, so I assumed I was on my own if I wanted/needed one.

I've been entertaining my in-laws this week (they're here from England) and we brought them to Newburyport for the day.  I think we will all look back on it as the highlight of the trip.  We had fun checking out lots of the cute little shops, and one of those had puppets.

I didn't see owls at first, but then I saw a white furry thing with black spots and thought, "This is either a snow leopard or a snowy owl.  Oh, I hope it's an owl..." and sure enough.  The prettiest breed of owl, as far as I'm concerned.

Does my Folkmanis owl puppet look more like Harry Potter's Hedwig than Echo?  Of course it does.  Does that make me love it less?  Of course not.  When I got it home I was even more thrilled with it because I learned that the velcro on its wings is meant to pull them back so it looks as if it's perched.  Perfect for sitting with me to work on phonemes!

Not only am I changing the species of Echo, I'm changing the gender.  Apparently all white snowy owls are male, and the ones with markings are female.  So my Echo is a girl.  And I love her.

Edit:  I just did a search for Echo, and apparently I was wrong.

I'm not changing the species of Echo...she's on the official Wilson site!!  

I'm really surprised since the logo elsewhere for Wilson has been (I believe) a Great Horned Owl.  But now I'm even more thrilled.  I feel all official now, haha.  Not to mention I paid less in Newburyport than I would have on the site (they gave me a teacher discount).  Even the Folkmanis site seems to cost less, although I couldn't tell the shipping costs on Wilson's site. 

So there you have it, if you are thinking of buying an owl puppet, you can either go through Wilson, Folkmanis, or use my affiliate link for Amazon (yay free shipping!).  And it really is a beautiful, award winning puppet (apparently it made the list of the 1997 Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's products as well as the 10 Best Children's Socially Responsible Products).  It's soft and the swiveling head makes it even more endearing.  Time will tell how well the kids like her, but I have a good feeling.

Cute Pointers for Choral Reading

I've made my first creation for first graders!

When I observed my future first graders a couple months ago, I saw them chorally reading a Morning Message on chart paper.  Both their teachers used pointers instead of their own hands.  One was fairly basic, and one was a gloved hand that reminded me of Mickey Mouse.  I found those on Amazon.


I figured I could get the hands, or I could tie in the fish pond theme that has been resonating with me from the beginning.  What I really wanted was to find pointers with fish, frogs, and turtles.

But I couldn't.

Then I found this idea on A Cupcake for the Teacher.  She went to the craft store and made her own.

Oooh.

Have I mentioned yet that I love art projects?

So I waited for Michaels to have a great 4 hour flash sale, and went through their craft department.

First I looked through the wooden pieces, like Cupcake described, but I didn't find the cute animal figures she got.  I think she used Hobby Lobby, but they're not (to my knowledge) in my part of the country.  Plus I didn't feel confident I could get them to stick to a rounded dowel and stay put with just hot glue. 

Instead I looked through the Creatology felt stickers.  I figured they would be very easy to attach.  Unfortunately all I found was beach themed items.  Now, as much as I love dolphins, starfish, and mermaids, I refuse to mix a beach motif with my pond motif.  I don't want to breed misconceptions in my students' minds about all sea life being in the same ecosystem.  Next I thought MAYBE owls were a good option. 

But I had ideas about featuring Echo Owl for Fundations, so I really wanted to diversify a bit.

So instead I settled on cute zoo creatures.  I got the felt stickers, dowels, googly eyes (yes, I had to find someone who works there and ask, "Where can I find some googly eyes?"  Nevermind; they knew exactly what I meant) and thin ribbon.  Then I got some Model Magic just in case I had the time and drive to create my own pond creatures later on.

I'm pretty happy with how they turned out!

Twisting the ribbon just so took some time (the lion was an early attempt; the fox was where I mastered my technique) but soon the creation process became very relaxing while watching Hulu episodes of MasterChef Junior.  And of course the stickers had eyes already, but I felt the googly eyes added some movement and 3D effects that endeared them to me.  I'm excited about introducing each one to my class the first week of school!

I still have the Model Magic to try, but even if that doesn't work out, I think I'm set for pointers.

Starting First Grade Pinterest Boards

Because I'm a teacher in transition (moving from fourth to first) I started "secret folders" on my old Pinterest for my first grade finds.  I didn't want my followers' feeds to get cluttered with them, since of course they are interested in fourth grade materials.

However, since I have made this new Google account, blogger account, and TPT account, I started a new pinterest account as well.

I am debating whether to have monthly boards (probably) or thematic boards.  Maybe it would help me stay organized to name them with both, such as "September:  Apples."  Any suggestions?

[Update]  I decided that the best way to go is to name the boards by month and topic (our "themes" are really topics).  So far I like how it's organized.  I can for see looking for all my September stuff first, then moving on to the next month as the year progresses.  I've found a fantastic kindergarten board to follow:  http://www.pinterest.com/jeanniepartin/ which is perfect to start.  So they're starting to fill!  If you have a first grade Pinterest board, or can recommend someone else's, please leave a comment. 

Changing Classrooms and Saving Stuff

I've heard that hording disorder is hereditary.  My nana had it bad, my sister has it almost as bad, and I admit, I have a touch of it.  I'm not talking about collecting hair or used tissues or some of the other gross stuff you see on TV (I think my weirdest issue is that for some reason any sort of container is hard for me to get rid of).  And although my closets at home and school are nearly full, the "living space" is open and tidy enough.  But the idea of watching several barrels of my fourth grade tools being brought to the curb is one of those parts of changing grades that I was dreading.

The person who is coming into my classroom has been teaching full time for 3 years.  She has also decided that she wants lots of space in the closets, which meant today that she dumped shelves and shelves of whole binders.  I wish I was not in today to see it.

At least she had mostly prepared me for this ordeal.  She told me a few weeks ago that she did not want my anchor charts.  I have to admit I was offended; I feel like they were gold.  They've not only been loved by my own students (one year the kids told me "making posters is your super power") they have also been shared by many on Pinterest, so I know they're useful.  She said that she wanted to photograph some of them for reference, and get rid of the rest.  I told her that I'd take them.  I'll check that I have them all photographed for my blog, and either save my favorites or I could always hold a giveaway for them on my blog; that way I'd know they were going to a teacher who really wants them.

As for the binders that were dumped; I was ready for that too.  The key was all in a great little FREE app I stumbled on at random.  It's called CamScanner (for Android or iPhone) and it's basically a quick and easy document scanner.  Basically, you use your phone or tablet to take a picture of the document.  But then the genius is it auto selects the document (with at least 90% accuracy) so you just have to click the check mark to crop it.  It automatically skews it back into a rectangular shape.  Take another picture, and another, until you have finished a full set of, say, your invertebrates unit.  Then you can email the whole batch to yourself at once because it turns it into a pdf and it even zips it for you so that it's quick!  All my hard work is now saved digitally, not taking up any space, and the hard copies are there for her to (hopefully) use, or throw out.

We've been out of school for less than one week, but thanks to this document scanner and my dear husband who came to help me pack up my bulletin board decor, I'm nearly finished with my old classroom.  Pretty soon I won't have anything left up there to lay claim to, or any reason to go upstairs at all.