Organization That Has Worked For Me

Some of you have been posting what works for you in your classroom to keep you organized so I thought  I'd share too.  Here are a few things that have really helped me!!

The first item is for my Daily 5 storage.  I found the shelf and bins at Target.  I have my Daily 5 activities in gallon zip lock bags.  This is also where I keep two laptops with Bookflix for the kids.

The labels have fallen off but will be back on!

I found this at Target and LOVE it!  I had to order it online and it was a tad expensive but it has worked so well in my class.  I store all of my guided reading supplies here.  Each drawer holds my reading group lessons.  I also store markers, tape, wipe off boards, alphabet letters, etc here.  It's right behind my jelly bean table (yes I call it that).

Behind my desk I have boxes that store materials I need for the upcoming weeks.  Each one is labeled with a subject.  This is where all of my photocopies for the upcoming weeks go.

It's a bit messy but it's the end of the year!

On my door I have this pocket chart that I got at Really Good Stuff.  This is where I keep my math, spelling, and word work lessons.  I also keep the kids science notebooks here.  It's easy for them to grab their work.

Next up...my books for each theme.  I put my books in labeled white bins.  It's easy to just grab the bin and put the books out for the kids to browse.

I dislike filing cabinets!!  I just find they don't work for me and I've always LOVED binders.  I have binders for each month with the themes labeled on the side.  SO much easier!

I've been told I'm some what obsessed with binders!

For Daily 5 I was looking for an easy way to collect papers.  I wanted to find a way so the kiddos weren't up and walking around to hand in papers while  I was in a reading group.  Each bin has a done folder.

Last but not least, I bought these to store writing supplies the kids would use on a regular basis.  They know right where to go when they need something!

ALMOST 2nd Graders!!

Here are my ALMOST second graders!  Students be adding their beginning of the year and end of year picture to their yearbooks.

And They Lived Happily Ever After...

And they lived happily ever after...


Gosh, I'm hoping that's how it ends!!  With so much left to do...  The kids (and me) are beginning to get that summer itch.  Our last day is June 13th.

We've been working on fairy tales this week.  We read Kate and the Beanstalk and wrote the beginning, middle, and end of the story.

Today, the kids listened to The Three Little Pigs.  We brainstormed a list of what they'd build their houses out of. Here are a couple of examples.

Our Babies

Here are a few more pics.  I just can't put my camera down!! We're so proud of these little ones.

Our New Arrivals

Here's what I saw this morning.  So exciting.  Our little guy from yesterday hasn't hatched yet but I'm hoping he will today!

OhHhhhh, and here's our new little arrival this morning.  He hatched during the night!

And the most important part....THE NAME.  A name has already been picked for the little one still inside the egg.  Mrs. Paradis, our ed tech, had the honor and came up with Patti (everyone should name a chick...especially the first you've watched hatch)!

The best part, I'll continue the tradition of putting one in a box.  Last year all I had was a fry box but this year we'll be adding Patti to a McChicken box for a candid pic!

Finally Patti makes it out of the egg!

Take a Look

Can you see it?  This is what we noticed this morning when we got to school.  We've been waiting patiently and have been watching ALL day but this little guy hasn't hatched yet.  We've heard his "peeps" all day and have seen other eggs moving around.

I'm sure they'll hatch tonight while no one's here!!

Dino Number Stories

Here are a few examples of the Dino Number Stories the kiddos completed.

This Makes My Heart Melt

An option during Daily 5 writing is 5 on a List.  The kids have to write 5 items that go with the topic given.  One was 5 Things You Need at School.

Of course you need a desk, books, pencil, and crayolas...but wait, what does the last one say?  Mrs. Lyons, right?  This made my heart melt!

I'm not sure if he was thinking literally he needed me to teach or if this was a heartfelt gesture.  I'm going with the second one!!

Mother's Day Crafts

OH MY!!  I feel like my head is spinning around and around.  Assessments, grading, crafts...AND OH the rain this week hasn't helped.  The kiddos are restless and so am I!

Now, if you have a student in my room and you don't want to know what we did for Mother's Day this is your time to look away!!  This is a sneak peek into what we're making.

I decided to make the tins again.  I came up with this idea last year and the kids loved it.  If you go to crafts you can get a more detailed post of what I did.  They wrote The Top 5 Reasons they Loved Mom.  Students added the sentences to their tins and decorated the top with a pic and gems.

We also made bookmarks, which I found from another blog.

I decided to do thumbprints too.  I baked them and they painted them a metallic silver today.  I think they came out pretty cute.

Here are a few examples of their work.

They'll be wrapped up and sent home on Friday!!  HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

Egg Diagram

We're continuing to work in our Chick Science Notebooks.  We learned more about our chick eggs, drew, and labeled the parts.

Chicks Can, Have, Are

We read From Egg to Chicken.

Then we completed a worksheet Chicks Can, Have, Are. Here's our work!!

How Many of Your Kiddos Can Blow a Bubble?

Today we celebrated Letter B.  We celebrated bubbles and bubble gum.

I read Bubble Bubble by Mercer Mayer.

We then focused on BUBBLE GUM....so exciting!!  The kids practiced with their bubble gum and told me the steps they took in order to blow a bubble.  Only 3 of my kiddos could do it!!  

Here are pics and the worksheet I made to go along with this activity.

How to Blow a Bubble

Chick I Wonders

We began our new unit on Chicks by writing down our, "I wonders..."  After brainstorming as a class, the kids worked in their Chick Notebooks and wrote down "I wonders" they had.

Dino Time Periods

The kids learned about the different periods dinosaurs lived in.  They worked in groups to create the environment for each period.  Here's their  work.

End of the Year Alphabet Countdown

It's hard to believe we've begun our end of year countdown.  The kiddos brought in their favorite animals for letter A.  Some animals even seemed to complete work today  Here are a few checking in with me!!

Tomorrow we'll be celebrating letter B with blowing bubbles and bubble gum!