Having Fun with Lining Up

My students have a hard time on Wednesday mornings. Right when they get there we have to leave for computer lab. If your computer lab time is as minimal and precious as mine, you will understand my urgency to get there quickly and not waste any minute that is scheduled!

I've been trying to have more fun in the classroom, so this is what I did 5 minutes before school started.

As the students filed in I played the mission impossible theme (thanks, YouTube!) The slide says "Your mission, if you choose to accept: Line up in number order with the following supplies. Spy supplies: Pencil and notebook for computer lab" and also "This message will destroy in 5 minutes. You must be in line before the bomb goes off!" The "bomb" was a countdown timer I got from onlinestopwatch.com. (They have a lot of different counters besides the bomb; alarm clock, egg timer, etc.)

The students unpacked, got their supplies and lined up in 3 minutes flat! Then we had to wait the other 2 minutes to see the "bomb"  go off. It was really fun for me and the students!

Management for Raised Hands- Free Posters!

Here are some freebie posters I use to help filter the many raised hands all day. You can see at a glance what the students need. It also helps students think if they're really asking a question or just have a comment to share.

Hope these will be useful in your classroom :)

Click below to get the posters!

Black and White Version

Color Version

Surplus and New Beginnings

I haven't written on the blog for awhile. I was loving my new class, excited for a new year, knowing THIS was going to be my year. My year to be less stressed, more organized, and a better teacher.

Then, I was blindsided by being surplused to another school in my district 6 weeks in to the new year. I was told on a Friday afternoon, taught Monday-Wednesday like normal, and then the district gave me a sub for Thursay and Friday. I then had to pack up my classroom while my students were trying to learn and continue their day. It was heartbreaking. Have you ever been in your classroom while there is a sub? It's not so fun.

With the help of my wonderful family I was able to get packed up and moved. I was moved to a nice school, still teaching third grade. I was put in a portable classroom, the only one at the school, so it wasn't ideal. I had to start teaching on Wednesday so I had TWO DAYS to unpack and set up my classroom. Needless to say, I am just now getting things set up exactly how I want.

Here's some pictures of the before:

A little scary? Yep. By the time school started it looked like this:

Not quite as bad! I'll have to take some more recent pictures when I get it just how I want it. 

All in all, it's been 3 months at my new school and I am settling in. It's hard to get to know the new teachers, especially being in a portable, but they are all so nice. The principal is great, which really makes a difference in the school atmosphere in my opinion!

I'm excited to start writing in the blog again and put the stressful past behind me!