~ Archived
Photos ~
I was going to
just delete these photos, but it was requested that they be brought
back,
so here they
are!

~ 2003 -
2004 ~
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This
is the view from the doorway looking towards my new Teaching Wall.
The Computer Center is right there to the left as you walk in with 2
dinosaur computers from the 80s that we still use, and 2 newer ones from
the 90s. I like the dinosaurs for practice because the kids can't
mess them up.
In front of that is
the Puzzles & Blocks Center. Behind them are the 5 Center Tubs.
Behind this divider are two tables. One we use for Math and the
other we use for Morning Meeting. Then the wall in front of the
Morning Meeting table is the Teaching Wall. The corner to the right
of that is my Reading Table. (same place as always) |
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Closer view |
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The
Teaching Wall is attached to strips that were built into the classroom.
This is where we have
Morning
Meeting. |
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This
picture is of something that's never made it to the site. This is my
built in bookcase for all my teacher resource books. You can see on
the top of the shelf paper boxes full of units and the first row of
shelves is my units that I've begun putting into binders for easier
access.
In
front of this shelf, you see my Magnetic Letters Center (on the front of
the desk, back of another desk, and the back of the small filing cabinet.
On top of the desk facing the camera are tubs with supplies for my
students to pick up and take to where ever they're working. Each tub
contains crayons, scissors, and glue. Beside those are a can of
extra pencils, a cup of hand-held erasers and then small books on a
turnstile. Beside that is my Reading Center.
To the
left of the shelf, you see our TV/VCR combo. |

2001- 2002
This is
my new classroom. It's a very nice, large room in a brand new K -
2 building. My classroom is one of 4 in the Kindergarten wing.
It has built in cubbies, a large built in
bookcase
and cabinets, a walk in storage closet, a sink, a water fountain, adjoining
restrooms, and several Internet connections. So come on in and have
a look around. :)
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This is
our kitchen area. It's probably the part I'm most proud of.
I LOVE having all these cabinets and counter space. It has a built
in sink and water fountain. We added the table, a microwave, a toaster
oven, a slow cooker, and a refrigerator. When we have snacks or cooking
projects, this is where they're done. I also purchased my own paper
cutter and book binder, so they sit on the end of the counter as well (along
with the 3-hole punch). This gives them a permanent place to
stay where they're always readily accessible. And the table also
does double duty as a Center sometimes or a place for work to dry.
Stored on
top of the cabinets are part of my units. I store them in copy paper
boxes. Each unit/theme is stored in a box (or two or three) and labeled.
Everything that goes with that unit is in the box except for reproducibles,
etc. They're stored in a binder or file and left where I can easily
access them so I can add things as I find them. |
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This is
the west wall of my classroom. The bookcase is mainly storage space
for misc. books that aren't part of a unit/theme and aren't being used
in the reading center. The tubs are filled with excess books and
tapes for the listening center. The green shelf was made for me by
my husband and it stores our puzzles on top, and our blocks on the bottom
two shelves. The red beanbag is part of the listening center.
I bought a big crate that stores the books and tapes that aren't part of
a unit. The tape player, book, and headphones sit on the crate. |

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This is
the corner of the west and south wall. This is my reading table.
All guided reading instruction takes place here. We call them reading
groups, but actually most of the instruction is one-on-one. The children
are facing me, with their backs to the class. This serves two purposes:
one to better keep their attention, and two, so that I can keep an eye
on the rest of the students as well. I purposely keep the wall blank
as not to cause a distraction. However, there's all the stuff in
the cubbies and on the counter to contend with. :) The little
cubbies to the left hold all my construction paper and photocopied materials.
The hanging files on the counter contain the individualized and group materials
for my students. That's the only way I can keep myself sane!
:)
I use SRA
Reading Mastery I & II (Direct Instruction) as the backbone of my reading
program ... along with lots of other stuff. |

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This
is our Apple Tree. I use it at the beginning of the year for
discipline. Each student has an apple with their name on it.
They are on the top two rows. On the next 7 rows are larger apples
with consequences. If their apple is moved to that row due to
infractions, then they receive that consequence. The first two rows
are warnings, the next is lose 1/2 recess, then all of recess, then
time-out, then parent contact, and last, possible office referral.
By second semester, the tree is really not needed for most students.
For those
students who don't get
their apples moved during the week, they get a trip to the Treasure Box on
Mon. morning. By the end of the year, I had so many students not
getting their apples moved that I started doing "Special Treats" instead
of the Treasure Box. The Special Treat might be a cupcake, a Blow
Pop, or something extra special.
The tubs
on the floor hold our Take-Home Totes. These are activity totes that
I made to encourage parents to work with their children at home.
They span many different levels and skills. Most totes are brown
envelopes with directions that have been laminated. Inside the envelope
is an activity. It might be a puzzle, a game, a file folder activity,
a book with an activity, etc. There's always either a written activity
for the children to complete with the help of their parent, or a response
form for the parent to sign.
Each tote
is numbered, and I keep a "check out" list on a clipboard for organization
purposes. The TA checks the tote back in and makes sure that all
pieces are returned. |
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And this
is my desk area. The computer and printer take up most of my desk,
so there's not much else that goes on here. We're now required to
do all grades, report cards, etc. on the computer. You can
see 3 of my 4 filing cabinets that are full of files on every kind of unit/theme/skill
preK-2 that you can think of. The TV/VCR sits on a rolling stand,
also made by my husband, with locking storage underneath for my video collection.
I use headphones with the TV most of the time so that I can use it while
others are continuing to work. Occasionally, it's used as incentive
for students to complete their work and sometimes I use it for instruction.
I've purchased videos to teach sounds, etc. for that purpose. I've
also used it with the Letter People videos.
It just
so happened that when I'm using my pocketcharts, which is daily, that you
can't see my desk from the doorway. Often, this turns into a good place
to hide on my planning period or after school! ;) Also, the corner
isn't quite so junked up now (this was right after I moved in at the beginning
of school). I now use that space between the wall and the storage
cabinet to hang my song charts and even more books/tapes. They hang
on an extension rod that runs from the wall to the storage cabinet. |
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This picture
is basically the back side of the hub of the classroom. If you were
standing in my classroom, the reading table would be to your right and
the kitchen area to your left. In the foreground of the picture are
the students' desks. I have them all pushed together to form a long
"table." So, as I'm teaching a "reading group", there might be students
at their seat completing individualized seat work. Their desk area
is basically a "Quiet Zone", that's why I have it situationed close to
the reading table. They are however, allowed to whisper.
Behind their
desks, you see the Reading Center (with the two yellow chairs) and beside
that more puzzles. They are housed in some of those nifty stackable
and snap-together crates that you can buy at Office Depot. They come
in different colors and they coordinate great with my yellow, green, blue,
red color scheme.
On top of
the crates is our Mailing Center that I put in place in Feb. The
Center was made from a wine box that came with the dividers already in
place. I just added contact paper to the outside and name labels
to each cubby. Beside that, you'll see the Writing Center.
That's the place set aside for the students to write their messages that
go in the mailbox.
You can't
see it very well, but at the end of the Writing Center table, there's a
utility box with letters for using in the pocketchart. I'm adding
a close up of both the letters and the chart to the
Literacy
Connections page. So you can see and read more about those there.
Here, you
can see one of my pocketchart stands. I use several pocketcharts
at once, so I have them back to back on each stand. I hang them using
the grommets provided, then I pin the excess material so that it doesn't
flop over.
You can't
see it, but on the back side of the Reading Center and the puzzles, is
a 6 ft. long, 2 1/2 ft. tall shelf painted blue. My husband made
me 2 of those. The blue one holds my math materials, and a red one
holds my Lang. Arts materials. I used these as a room divider, along
with some other shelves to partion off the main hub of the classroom.
That hub is in front of the Teaching Wall (white board). There's
a round table there where the students sit and work. That's where
we start our day off with Morning Meeting.
You can
also see the easel to the left. It does all kinds of jobs.
The side you can see has a flannelboard. The other side has a magnetic
chalk board. It also comes with a very strong magnetic strip of wood
with 2 pegs so that it turns into a Big Book easel. I've recently
discovered that the moveable strip of wood works very well for holding
my short writing chart that we use both for Daily News and for Writing
Workshop. |
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This is
a close up of the Reading Center. In the background, you can see
children working at the table that's the "hub" of our classroom. |

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This picture
shows my math manipulatives. I love collecting neat things for the
kids to use as counters and I sometimes make matching work mats for them
to use with them. The chart on the left (on the side of the storage
cabinet) shows how I keep up with which student has completed which Center
for the week. When they've successfully completed their Center, they
get an apple sticker. They complete 5 Centers weekly. (This
picture was taken at the end of the school year, so things are, shall we
say ... a little askew! :)
In the foreground,
you can see the edge of the table. This is the hub of the classroom.
Lots and lots and lots of teaching and learning goes on at this table,
and in this particular spot in the classroom. After we finish Morning
Meeting here, we do some kind of thematic unit activity. I usually
leave the children working here while I start pulling reading groups at
the reading table. The TA (when I had one) would monitor the children
working here, as well as those completing Centers and doing seatwork.
The children get to make the decision (most of the time) what activity
they're going to work on and where they want to work on it at. As
long as they're getting their assignments completed and are actively engaged
in learning, I try to leave as many choices open to them as possible. |
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This picture
shows the Center tubs. Each tub contains a Center. Sometimes
I have to have alternative activities in the tub for one or more students
who need an alternative for the assigned Center. To the left, you
can see the letters for the pocketchart, then a tub with File Folder Activties,
and in front of that my roll of butcher paper. I ordered this from
Lakeshore, I believe, and I love it. You just pull off the length
of paper you need and cut! Below the Center tubs are my math materials.
The cubby in the shelf to the left holds hanging ziplock bags with my laminated
math mats, number charts, etc. Stashed underneath those are slates
and white boards along with chalk and old socks for erasers. |
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This picture
shows my Language Arts materials in the red shelf. On top of the
shelf are tubs that contain classroom supplies of crayons, glue, and scissors
for those students who don't have their own. Beside that you see
the clipboard and pencils for Writing the Room, then the painted coffee
can with my collection of pointers and glasses (hanging around the rim
of the can) for Read the Room. Beside that is a deep basket with
Bingo stampers for doing Dot-to-Dot and an extra supply of pencils.
In front of that's the collection of cassettes that we use in the blue
basket (Frog Street Press and Mr. Al mostly). Then the
tub with Lang. Arts File Folder Activities, baby wipes, and my own devised
table-top chart stand :) with our month poem on the chart.
|
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This
is a close up of the pointers. You can also see the extra dowels
that I'd purchased to make new pointers with. My husband cuts them
in half for me and I add novelty pencil toppers to match my themes.
They just stick right onto the end. I can get two pointers from one
dowel. You can see the apple one that I made in the can. The
seasonal/thematic ones go in the box with the themes. I want them to
be "new" when I pull them out so the kids will enjoy using them, rather
than leaving them in the can year round. |
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This is
the "Teaching Wall"! :) I have a magnetic white board that I mainly
use for hanging stuff on. Starting in the top left, you'll see my
pocketchart calendar (Love it! ... it's so much easier to change now),
my "All About Today" calendar that includes everything including the weather;
days of the week chart, underneath that our "piggy bank" which we add to
daily depending on the date. (Ex. 27th would contain 27 cents)
I stuck magnets to the back of coins and that's what we use. We talk
about trading in smaller coins for larger coins, etc. Then we have
our months of the year chart and then student names. On the right
hand side, I have large coin shapes and their value. Above the board
the ABCs, below the board 1 - 10. I use the chalk railing for thematic
books, and the boxes are magnetically attached for student work.
On the other side of that, you see our completed 100th Day of School chart.
We colored in a square each day of school until we reached 100. You
can't see them, but below the board are the kids' Book Boxes. |
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This is
the "Teaching Wall"! :) I have a magnetic white board that I mainly
use for hanging stuff on. Starting in the top left, you'll see my
pocketchart calendar (Love it! ... it's so much easier to change now),
my "All About Today" calendar that includes everything including the weather;
days of the week chart, underneath that our "piggy bank" which we add to
daily depending on the date. (Ex. 27th would contain 27 cents)
I stuck magnets to the back of coins and that's what we use. We talk
about trading in smaller coins for larger coins, etc. Then we have
our months of the year chart and then student names. On the right
hand side, I have large coin shapes and their value. Above the board
the ABCs, below the board 1 - 10. I use the chalk railing for thematic
books, and the boxes are magnetically attached for student work.
On the other side of that, you see our completed 100th Day of School chart.
We colored in a square each day of school until we reached 100. You
can't see them, but below the board are the kids' Book Boxes. |

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This is
our Computer Center. We have one Pentium computer and the other two
are from the 80s. But, I use them all. I even like the old
computers because I can put my students there working on some of the old
"practice programs" and not have to worry about them messing something
up. The newer computer we have to monitor more. The kids have
made it do some things that I couldn't even fix! :)
And to the
right side of the Computer Center is the door leading into the hallway. |
Well,
that's it. Hope you enjoyed the tour! :)
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visitors since 11.11.03 |
6/16/02
last updated 6.20.09
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