Another Year begins

I can't believe that summer is winding down already, and it's time to get back to work. In my last post, I talked about some thoughts I had regarding the start of this new year.  One being my request to Donor's Choose in order to beef up my reading spot, and make it bigger, and more condusive to big and small groups of all ages.  It's not completely funded yet, so if you or someone you know is willing or able to help I'd sure appreciate it. In the meantime, I re-organized my books, and sorted them for better access by the kiddos.  It's a simple sticker matching system which I hope at least helps the books stay in the right bin.  I am still playing with table arrangements, in order to better group my students. 

I am super excited about how the entrance to my room is looking though.  Some ideas (like the potato head parts) were from pinterest. 

Finally, about a year ago this time, I was sent a sampling of "Smart Fab".  I was asked to try it out, and give my thoughts.  But, I was returning from Maternity leave, and just didn't get around to it.  I used it this year in setting up my bulletin boards for the hallway. So, here goes.  I found pros and cons.  It is a very lightweight fabric, which cuts and staples easily, and makes for a nice backdrop on a bulletin board.  Because it's fabric, you can either stretch it tight, or manipulate it to get some fun movement.  It is kind of thin though; since my bulletin boards are still pretty new, and unscarred, this was not an issue for me. In my old classroom, where the boards were older than I, and marked up with markers, staples, and pencil holes, I'm not sure there would have been enough coverage without using multiple layers.  The colors are really bright: I'm looking forward to seeing how they hold up over the school year. And I'm curious about using the leftovers from the bulletin boards to weave with.  All in all, it's a fun find, which could have a lot of uses in an art room.  For that matter, I think it could be a good addition to a simple theater set. 

I think it's going to be a great year, I begin my 18th  year this August, and I gotta say, I'm still just as excited to get back and set up as I was the first year.  Here's hoping you can say the same. 

This board was created with 2 colors of Smart Fab-not completely happy with the draping yet, but that's a me issue, not the Smart Fab

Found the Horizontal/Vertical idea on Pinterest. 

Back at it Tomorrow!

Got my word "wall" all straightened back out

I section off my whiteboard to make room for Grade Level "Objectives" and vocabulary.

Gonna try to work with the Kindergarten Students on American Symbols-it pairs with the classroom objectives- I'll let you know how this shakes out.  I'm excited about the possibility, but realistic about how Kindergarten can go.

Tomorrow, I go back to school after a restful Winter Break.  This year, our school system did our calendar a little differently.  In years past, teachers went back a day before the students, and had a teacher work day.  This year, we got our work day the day after the kids left for Winter Break.  On the surface, not such a big deal, we still got our day, but it was a change in thinking.  I had a hard time stepping out of the current semester, and trying to prepare for the new one while I was still cleaning up my room after the previous.  I managed to get cleaned up, and as the day progressed, I got organized, and tried to prepare.  It was nice to get organized again, and I'm looking forward to another great semester.  We'll be preparing for the Spring Art Show, and I'll be up to my eyeballs in creating the yearbook,  so it'll be busy.

One Week In...

Daily Message: My answer to the "morning meeting" that is being encouraged in our district.

In order to integrate more reading/writing, I decided to get a subscription to Scholastic Art.

A lot of the magazine is a bit advanced for my babies, but who can argue with the elements of art pointed out in a work of art for study and discussion?  Look out 4th graders!

It's not too messed up, but my magnetic word wall has taken a few hits from the line standers this week.

One week into school (we went "balanced calendar" this year) and I already have a more "lived in" look to the art room.  Of course, we teachers spend all sorts of time before school starts making sure that everything is in order, looks wonderful, and is hopefully organized.  Funny, it takes the kids one rotation to bring me back to reality.   Honestly though, I can't complain.  I think the kids are loving the new art room as much as I am, and are working a little harder to police themselves at clean up time. 

New Year, New Projects!

This is my textbook/manual shelf, but I hate wasted space, so I have this as my "word wall".  I will pull words from it, and add it to the white board as we are learning or working with those words. 

That gianto cabinet has big doors, begging to be used.  So, one the one side the ice cream sundaes demonstrate my grading scale, and on the other, there are scissors and glue in each pocket.

I am very proud of my K/1 meeting spot.  I added the easel this year, along with the button lamp behind the chair.

Hard to see in the picture, but there are buckets spaced over the tables.  Each bucket has objects of a different color.  Kind of like a giant "seek and find". 

I don't know about the rest of you out there in blogworld, but about this time of year, I am a few days away from the end of my mid-morning naps, my afternoon swims, and my ability to eat lunch AND take a restroom break whenever I want.  It is time to go back to school, and I get super excited to see my school friends, and set up my art room.  Because last school year was so difficult with the construction in out school, I was super-excited to set up this year.  I have spent a lot of time on Pinterest, and actually making the things I'd been pinning for the classroom.  I love to surround the kiddos with bright colors, along with having a welcoming and safe place to create.  Here's the direction I'm going this year.  Anyone else have fun setting up for the new year?

Assembly Required

If you have a Harbor Freight near you, and you need/want a cart in your art room- may I suggest you go looking this month?  They had this cart on sale at my location for $47!!!!!.  I bravely took the box of pieces and our socket wrench set, and I spend my morning tightening bolts.  I thought they were manufacturing holes as I was assembling- there were a lot.  But, at the end, I have this nifty cart to put my Elmo on for demonstrations, I have space for the examples and the materials I need. And, I have a turn in spot for flat projects, until I have a chance to store them.  It will roll away when not needed, AND, because there is a "lip" or edge all around the shelves, I do not have to worry about someone knocking off my expensive Elmo.  (Not that accidents ever happen in the art room...)

Found this easel by "Melissa and Doug".  I normally would not want to order such a thing online, but I know M&D products, and knew it would be quality.  My plan is to put this in my K/1 corner for our discussions/lessons.  I can clip prints, and also make use of the white board.  There is a chalkboard on the other side, and the ability to have a roll of paper.  That makes it really adaptable, and allows this one thing to be used for many things- always a plus.

Up Up and Away for the Summer....

No sooner it seems than I settle into the new art room, and it's time to clean up for the year.  The easels had to go up, so that the cleaners can work their magic on the floor.  However, my hope is to purchase some bike hooks this summer, so that they can be stored more safely. 

MAIL!

Book station, card catalog, class cubbies, spiderman

Room to grow

I  love to get presents in the mail, and today, at school, my Pacon Prizes arrived.  It was a strange prize.  $100 in product sounds full of potential, and I'm not complaining, but the restriction was you had to order full cartons- Meaning not just 4-6 packs of paper, the whole box- so, the only thing my $100 would have bought in art supplies was a carton of popsicle sticks, which didn't seem, well, "prizey".  So, I opted for the organizational stuff, which did not come in cartons, and I ended up with 2 paper stations and a paperback book stations.  The white one will be for papers needed for lessons, the blue has one cubby for each class, and the green speaks for itself.  My thought is that even though the cubbies are small, they'll keep me on top of my grading for sure! Thanks Pacon. Oh, The yellow/blue drawers are not from Pacon, they are an old card catalog that I rescued.  We keep rulers, compasses, mirrors in them.  And Spidey's head is full of donated erasers.