Extreme Makeover...Classroom Edition

I have been eating, drinking, sleeping and dreaming around the preparation of my classroom this past week!  I am pretty sure that I should have just moved a sleeping bag in for the night to save myself some time! BUT...I am proud to say...I am about four banners, a few labels, and one front door decoration away from having the entire classroom rockin' and rollin' for my sweet second graders next Monday! {OK, so basically...I still have some work to do but it is getting there...wait...is that the hallelujah chorus I hear?!?} 

In all seriousness, it really hasn't been that bad and has actually been a tremendous amount of fun pulling it all together. I must say, I have had some crazy amazing helpers!  About 10 of my cross country kids came on Thursday to cut and cut and CUT!!!! {They must love me is all I can say!} :) They were so wonderful and a few of them even came back on Friday asking for more! Are they CRAZY?!? And of course my super duper crazier than I am Mother has been there every step of the way! She is a craft genius and adds her little touch of spunk all over my room. At times I have to pull out the teacher voice on my own mother and say "No Mom...We are DONE!" I swear she has more energy than my 18 kids put together and would go for days! I just love her!  

Now, before I show you pictures, let me just say... I. Need. A. CAMERA!!!! My dear old friend bit the dust a few weeks ago and I have been using the phone on my BlackBerry {a.k.a. "crackberry"} religiously! Although I love my dear BlackBerry, the pictures...well...not so much! So, please don't let the crazy lighting stand in your way of enjoying this little peek into my classroom and contrary to what you may see in the pictures, I do not actually have a layer of dust three inches thick surrounding my room. On some of these pictures, I swear the lighting makes my classroom look like is 100 years old! BUT...that is not the point now is it?!? :)  So, enjoy these little snapshots of my teaching world and if you are planning to rock out with your students this year, I hope that some of my ideas can assist you in your decorating needs!  

Classroom Tour
Our Guided Reading and small group math area! I am pretty excited about this cozy little spot and the fact that I have such a large area to display strategy posters and content vocabulary. I am using my glitter clothespins to hang posters, anchor charts, vocabulary words ect. to make it easy to change things up!
 Up close and personal! 

"In the Spotlight" {still missing a title} bulletin board that will feature social studies and science content words for the week. Yes, the camera actually "flashes" thanks to my mother! I told you...she is overflowing with awesomeness {wait...is that a word?} :) And no, the camera will not be flashing 24/7...180! It is a special occasion kind of flash!

Beboppin' Birthdays...Ready for my students' pictures!


Our math area:
The majority of my math instruction is small group {most of the time by ability level}. I supplement my instruction with math tubs and I also include something that I call "Pump Up...Power Practice".  I will post more about this later. Basically, it is a drill and practice type of activity where the memorization of basic skills (addition facts, subtraction facts, time, money, place value) is heavily enforced and constantly reviewed. The students get to choose which manipulative (dice, dominoes, puzzle pieces, dice shakers, math chips, etc.) they would like to use to complete their activity. These activities build the students' confidence by enhancing their abilities. They love, love, LOVE to get pumped up about math during this time!


Student Work Area + Chapter Book Library

Our Classroom Library
Our little library has several parts. The chapter book rack that you saw earlier, books leveled by topic (in the colorful buckets), and our books in the spotlight (red shelf). I am using a clothespin checkout system this year to reinforce proper care and return of books in our classroom. The students will clip their clothespin on the basket that holds their book. When they are ready to return the book, they place it back into the correct basket and remove their clothespin.

 I also have a leveled book library in my classroom. The students get to choose a new book each day  to take home for nightly reading practice. You can download my book bin labels HERE!
Rock Star of the Week Wall
I still have a little work to do here, but you get the idea. The students picture will go in the frame and I will highlight some of their "Rockin' Work" below. 
ipod Cubby Numbers
You can download these little cuties HERE!

Classroom Shots

My jammin' guitar is going to say "Rock and Roll in Second Grade"


A little peek at "THE RUNWAY!"



Outside Wall Display



The students will be creating their very own Hollywood Star to add to the wall.

Well...that is it! I am getting so close to being completely finished and ready to ROCK OUT! I hope that you have enjoyed the little tour of my classroom! Happy Sunday sweet bloggy friends!

21 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness!!!! Your room and theme are absolutely adorable/amazing/colorful/fun.....WOW! Your room like needs to be in a magazine or something:)) Super!!

    4th Grade Frolics

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  2. Wow, it looks AAAAmazing! Love those ipod cubby numbers...it's the little things that "make it" don't ya think? Super cute theme!

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  3. Your room is incredible! I need you and your team to come help me! Awesome job! Your kids are so lucky!

    Rambling About Reading

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  4. So cute!!! I am jealous you still have a week before school starts (I start this Wednesday) and that you only have 18 kids (I have 29 on my list SO FAR). AWESOME JOB!!
    Kristin
    A Teeny Tiny Teacher

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    1. I was thinking the same thing... We started sooo early and I have 27 on my roll... I would LOVE to do this but would need much more "condensing" to accommodate so many kids!

      I LOVE your ideas! I need to borrow you for about a week.. lol

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  5. Your room looks fabulous!! Great job! I love your theme. Super cute. You have some lucky students. :)

    Would you mind describing how your students check out the leveled books for nightly reading homework? I adore your idea, and would love to "borrow" it! I am wondering about the logistics of it though. Do the students choose a new book on their own each day? Are those leveled books ONLY used for the nightly homework?

    Thanks SO much in advance for your help! I really appreciate it.

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  6. Your classroom looks awesome! Thanks for sharing! I haven't started setting mine up yet, but I sure am excited to do so!

    Mrs. Lopac Teaches...

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  7. I love the idea of the students putting a clip on the basket where their books came from! That is SO SMART! Thanks for sharing!!

    Marvelous Multiagers!

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  8. I love your classroom!! It looks awesome!! I think my favorite is the alphabet letters on the records! What a creative idea!! I recently added some Rock n Roll word wall cards to my TpT store! You should check them out!

    http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rock-n-Roll-Word-Wall-Cards

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  9. Your classroom is fantabulous! It makes me so so so excited and motivated to find my own full-time teaching job once I graduate next year!

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  11. Thanks ya'll...you are just WAY...WAY too kind!You really know how to make a girl smile! :)

    Amanda...check out an earlier post where I described my book bin. If it does not answer your questions, I will be more than happy to provide you with more information!

    http://shenanigansinsecond.blogspot.com/search/label/Classroom%20Library

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  12. Love all the photos of your classroom. It looks incredible. I bet your student will absolutely love it. Check out my jungle themed classroom. Just got finished and school starts Monday.

    http://mrsgoodwinsgrade2class.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-classroom-is-ready-to-go.html

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  13. You classroom looks wonderful! Very inviting!

    Here are my pictures:

    A Teacher's Treasure

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  14. I LOVE your room!! All these adorable classrooms are making me eager to get in... we *might* be able to on the 17th--can't wait!!

    Question: How did you get your green corner to stay up?? Love that you added clothespins... it will be so easy to change things out!!

    Karen :o)
    Mrs. Stamp's Kindergarten

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  15. Wow - I have to say how much I love your room. I was actually googling some ideas of how to update my room. I just moved into a REALLY old building and of course got the smallest room of all. I walked into it today and just about cried. Your room has given me some fabulous ideas - thanks!

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  16. Your room looks fantastic.... I would love to know where you got those cute chairs for your reading center? I teach middle school and they look like a great addition to one of my center stations.

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  17. Where did you get your red spotlight shelf?

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  18. We are doing a rock and roll theme this year. Thanks for the inspiration!!

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  19. What do you use the runway for?

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