Bulletin Boards

I wish I had thought to take pictures of my bulletin boards sooner.  We had some really cute displays earlier in the year.

"The stockings were hung by the chimney with care..." My kinders made stockings (complete with TONS of glitter) to hang on our fireplace.  Ours was the only classroom to feature a pink Christmas tree! 

Winter Street Scenes.

This is our hallway bulletin board.  I used my Cricut to make the Let it Snow sign and bird.  The kids did the rest, cutting shapes to make buildings and using sponges to paint snow.   I love the way they look together in a group!  The lights were left over from our Christmas Gingerbread Friends display.  (I really wish I had taken a picture...)

Literacy Stations for next week

My teaching partners and I use the term "Stations" for our small group literacy work.  We use the term "Centers" for our Developmental Centers (Dramatic Play, Building, Library/Literacy, Math, Discovery, and Sand Centers).  During our Literacy Stations students work in small groups to practice target skills and are done during our 90 minute Literacy Block.  Developmental Centers are at the end our our day.  We stagger our Stations time within the Literacy Block so that our awesome Kinder Teaching Assistant can run one of the stations. One station is teacher led, and the other three are student/parent volunteer led (I have parent volunteers helping with stations on Wednesday and Thursday).

Here are my stations for next week.

I got this pocket chart in Target's Dollar Spot a few years ago.  I use it to organize my Stations.  Each day the yellow cards move down one pocket, with the bottom moving to the top spot.  (The paper at the bottom explains how to rotate the cards in the event of my absence.)

Reading Station.  Led by our teaching assistant, students will read this week's on level reader.  They will then complete the response sheet by writing words onto the "jewels" in the treasure chest. 

The reading response form above is from this book.

Group Listening Station.  After listening to the story students will complete the form below.  The basket holding the forms is another Target dollar find.

The Listening Station record sheet came from this book.

Literacy Station.  Students will practice beginning and ending sounds using these activities.  The file folder game is by Carson Dellosa (I think) and the other two are from Mailbox.

After students have completed the above Literacy activities they will complete this page from a Teacher's Helper magazine.

Writing Station.  This week the students will  create sight word spelling cards.  Using multiple  colored pencils, they will write and trace the words on index cards.  These will be strung on yarn and used as a reference tool when writing.

Math Literacy Station. We sneak a little math into our literacy block.  Students will examine, compare, and sort shapes.

 Once students have had an opportunity to interact with the shapes, they will complete this page (from a 2009 Mailbox).  In addition to working with shapes, students will practice writing numerals & shape words, and work on following written directions. (This is the station I usually lead.)

Penguins

My students had fun learning about penguins.  We researched the different breeds and habits using books and the Internet.  They had fun sharing their knowledge of penguin facts by writing a collaborative 'report' and making a Are You Taller than a Penguin? poster for the hallway.  We made penguin crafts -  stencilled penguins and penguin Valentine bags. 

Are you Taller than a Penguin?  The K - 2 kids in our hallway were excited to find out if they were taller than the largest penguin; the Emperor Penguin.  (Most of my kinders were not!)

We cut an oval out of a piece of black paper (folded length-wise) to create both the wings and a stencil for sponge painting a white penguin belly.  Once the paint was dry, the oval was cut along the fold line and glued on as wings, and other penguinish details were added.

I love how cute these little fellas turned out!  The wings are a black oval glued onto the back of the bag.  Everyone was excited about making these to collect their Valentines!

Classroom 2011 - 2012 Tour

I love to look at pictures of other teachers' classrooms.  I like to see how they arrange student seating, learning centers, etc.  (Is it any wonder that one of my favorite HGTV shows is House Hunters?)  Here are some pictures of my classroom.  I hope you enjoy them! 

View from the door.  The bins are part of our Math Center.

Another view from the door.  The round table is our group Listening Station.

View or our Meeting Area as seen from the doorway.

I purchased these carpet samples from Menards.  What a great investment these turned out to be!  My Kinders are better able to listen and learn in their very own spot.

My teaching easel and bulletin board.  A lot of learning takes place here!  I love pocket charts!  The three small ones on the top left are used to organize student partners and small groups.

This is our January "Clothesline."  On it hang the letter and picture cards for our current unit.  Written on the mittens are sight words, decodable CVC words, and seasonal words. The papers on the bottom line are the I-Charts for expected behaviors during various parts of our day.  (This idea was adapted from The Daily 5.)

February Clothesline

My students sit at tables.  I like the flexibility of tables.  The purple bins hold shared crayons and the little white baskets hold pencils, pink erasers, scissors, and glue sticks.

Library Center.  The white baskets hold leveled books, the laundry basket in the lower left corner holds big books, and barely visible on the right are tubs of picture books.

Sand Center

Building Center (also our cubby area)

Dramatic Play Center

Math Center

opcorn Words Skill Spot.  This bulletin board has our sight words from the reading series written on shaped paper.  I found the little popcorn tubs at Target's Dollar Spot and filled them with popcorn shapes I cut from white craft foam.  Each has a sight word on it.  My students enjoy reading and matching the popcorn kernals!  The classy table (a 1970's relic from my parents' basement) has a little door that opens to reveal more sight word activities.

Independent Listening Skill Spot

Computer Skill Spot

Discovery Center.  Right now this houses things like Legos, puzzles, and a few science tools.  I hope to someday make this more of a Science Center.

Another view of the Discovery Center

Skill Tubs that contain activities for independent and partner skills practice.

Magnet Skill Spot

The very creatively named "Cart Skill Spot"

My Small Group table.  I love this table.  The shape lends itself nicely to working with small groups of students. Behind it are cabinets that hold my Math (the two directly behind), and my Literacy materials. 

My Small Group table.  I love this table.  The shape lends itself nicely to working with small groups of students. Behind it are cabinets that hold my Math (the two directly behind), and my Literacy materials.