Classroom Changes

Moving to a new grade-level has a learning curve. Here is part of mine: I didn't realize how much space the kids would take up! I know they are bigger, but it is different than I expected when they are all in a room. I did not plan well for this ! Rookie mistake! :)

My 26 precious babies were squeezed in too tight with my old arrangement, and I knew I had to make some adjustments for the sake of comfort and organization.

I had these lovely round tables at the beginning...I love tables, but I didn't have enough tables for the kids. Plus I couldn't be as flexible with the room arrangements.



But I traded them in for desks...They are still in groups, so it is working out great!



Ah, my beloved table!!! It has been my favorite place in my classroom ever since I started teaching, but it is was too large..



But this smaller replacement table has been great...



Now we are enjoying a more spacious classroom! It is crazy how a more comfortable, spacious environment helps the kids behave better.


In other news, I am so behind on blogging about some of the things we have been doing! Here is our Idioms Chart!



Also, here is an anchor chart that goes with a lesson from Tanny MccGregor's book, Comprehension Connections. It is one of my favorite professional books ever, and I would HIGHLY recommend it!





So, not my best poster but it makes the point :)

Itty Bitty Storage Containers

Don't you love these tiny containers? I sure do! My school's math coach suggested a fantastic use for these. Our district's math curriculum is Investigations Math, and it includes many games where the students have to roll two dice.

Problem: Sometimes it drives me crazy when the kids roll their two dice and they fly to opposite sides of the room...

Solution: Roll the dice in this cute container! (There really is enough room for the dice to roll inside there.)



I love keeping these tiny dice boxes in a tub and they are instantly ready to pull out for games! By the way, I bought these at Dollar Tree. A pack of 8 for one dollar! Can't beat that.

I also found these cute little colored ones at Staples, and I love using them to store play money to pull out for counting/games involving money. They hold a perfect amount.



I think purchasing storage containers is an addiction for all teachers, and I think these are especially hard to resist!