Classroom Decor... Chevron and More Chevron!

At the end of the last school year, I decided the upcoming theme of my classroom would be travel. Then came the questions- what kind of travel? Travel through the U.S? Traveling the continents? Would this include each of the continents all at once or would I rotate the decor on a monthly basis? I just could not decide!

Then I received a Creative Teaching Press email... they were coming out with a Chevron border! I quickly pre-ordered this in teal, royal blue, and lime green. There.... went my travel theme or so I thought. Upon returning back to school this year, we were informed that our Social Studies curriculum was moved down to 4th grade and we were teaching United States Geography. This reawakened those feelings of creating a travel theme. While the basis for my classroom is still calming colored chevron, I have touches of "travel" spread throughout. The deskplates are license plates, their jobs are written on a globe, and above the cubbies is a compliation of travel themed quotes and pictures (this might be my favorite part) all while a stream of airplanes is seen flying through the cabinets.

This is the entrance to my classroom. I cut the letters out on my Cricut using the Chalkboard Font's Cartridge. So a Cricut usually goes for between $200 to $300. I snagged mine up at a thrift store for $35 in Richmond. The wreath was easy to make and cost about $10 with craft supplies from Michaels. :)

This is the bulletin board outside my classroom. Instead of Angry Birds... they are happy birds. Look at what they are saying. :)

This cubby area is what you see when you first walk in the room. It is also my favorite part. Read the quotes if you can!

Room setup. Notice we have lots of windows.

This is what was on their desks for Open House. Out of 25 students, 24 arrived with their parents. A great turnout I'd say! I plan on putting up the template for the Meet the Teacher note, Parent Survey, and Student Survey up on TeachersPayTeachers for free ASAP. I blocked out my email and the student's name. The goodie bag was not mine, I found it on another blog a while ago and I hope to link to that blog soon. Lastly, in the top right is a magnet with my email on it so that a parent can place it on their refrigerator for quick reference.

Views of the classroom....

It's hard to see but the far right lined up against the wall is my library collection. There are blue chevron labels on each the baskets. I hope to put these up on TPT soon.

Add captioThe back bulletin board... there is a custom made Homeworkpoly, Boggle from TPT, and Cupcakes from TPT around the Calendar. I will link the sellers within the next week in case you are interested. :)

Notice my failed "Readbox" hiding in the corner, I need to redo it. I had cut out the letters too large. The chevron curtain is hiding my teacher books.

Everything set up for Open House!

Travel alphabet.

One of the comfy reading areas.

I plan on making a few changes for overall... I am pleased. :)

Leave in the comments below what YOUR classroom theme is this year. Did you do the same theme last year or do you seem to change every year?

First Post! Blog Basics.

So... judging from the title you can immediately infer to things: I am a teacher and I love coupons. Both of those would be true. :) Other things about me... I am an avid fan of Arts & Crafts projects, many of which you will see in the following pictures. I wish Michael's Arts and Crafts had a credit card or a rewards program. I would be their #1 customer. Another thing which I hope will be evident through my posts is that I love technology. I still remember sitting on my father's lap playing Bear Goes to Space. A year or so ago, my parents cleaned out the computer room and we found the floppy disk with that game. Not the 3 and half inch floppy disk but the actual huge floppy disks. Whew. On my blog I hope to share a few of my favorite things- teaching, crafting, couponing, and technology intergration.

This will be my third official year teaching- although I would like to round up to four. ;) I came in as a long term substitute my first year. Originally I had wanted to finished my Master's Degree before accepting a job, however, a trip to the my university's college fair soon changed that. I met some of the most amazing school principals and even some superintendents! Of course the opposite was true- some districts did not seem the least bit interested and instead of becoming upset, I realized that their schools were not for me. I wanted someplace that would accept me as a new teacher- knowing that I had an abundance of knowledge yet to learn but also acknowledging that I was young and full of energy- eager to please and teach.

I am happy to say I have found that place. I have even made some amazing friends along the way. Being a brand new teacher was scary in fact down right frightening. Luckily, I made a friend who I will call Mrs. C and she took me under her wing. When Mrs. C left after being my teammate, I was devasted and expected the end of the world. However, I placed with an amazing teacher who despite being new to my school, was not new to teaching. She would help me "fine tune" my skills all while encouraging me to be dedicated to my students. Year later, I  have yet a new teammate. Am I scared? Of course. But I do have confidence that this year will be the best yet. As I continue with my teaching, I really feel like I am a making a difference. With that being said, I have also learned that I never teach the same lesson twice- there is always room for improvement or a difference in the class makeup. One other realization also has come to mind. My principal told us about two weeks ago that the kids are not "my students" but rather "our students". I will try my absolute best to not only keep that in mind but also act on it. If I have a great lesson that I know works... it is my duty to share it. If I see another teacher's student sad in the hallway, it is my duty to stop and talk to them to make sure they're alright. In my... our hands is the well-being of "our students".