Classroom Pictures as of 12:40 This Afternoon

First things first - did you enter my giveaway?
Now onto the real reason I posted... At lunch today I wasn't feeling good.  Something is going through the staff and I just wanted to sleep during lunch - of course I didn't, but I did hide in my dark classroom to just relax (and then took pictures).  I have one of the last lunches of the day, and with an early dismissal at 1:30 I just tried to make it until the kids went home - then I clocked out before the staff meeting and went home to take a nap.  What a difference sleep makes.
So, over the past month of school some of the things that I created this past summer are working wonderfully, and others had to be changed.  Here's what's working for me.  

 My making connections poster is something that I use every Monday morning.  We preview the story and I just use post it notes to stick on my poster.  The kids write their connections in their composition book behind their vocabulary definitions.

 After reading time (which happens to be right before lunch) we have our first choice time of Daily 5.  I guess my picture didn't include the choices that I wrote on the board.  The kids took their numbers (these numbers are from the Math It Up board that someone wonderful posted - and I can't remember who it was) and make their choice.  Today their choices were Listen to Reading on the MP3 players, Computers - AR tests and Internet 4 Classrooms, Boggle (Word Work), and Work on Writing (if they hadn't finished their personal narrative from last week).  Some of my students were gone to music - so that's why I'm missing some of my 32 numbers... yes, 32...

 Kids love the Bucket Filler area.  By the end of the week it will be filled with kind notes - they collect them out on Friday afternoons.  

 In the back of my room I have 4 cabinet doors.  On this one I have Sentence Starters specifically for my ELL learners.  On our inservice day we had a presentation and one of my coworkers typed up the different responses for us to post.  

 Then I have a couple of Word Work things posted all week long - this cabinet has our Spelling patterns for them to add to the lists in their binders.  It's from Ladybug's Teacher Files.

 This cabinet has my Boggle Board.  Remember how I made a cute one this summer with alphabet flashcards?  Well it didn't work space wise in the classroom.  So I made up a grid, laminated it, and stuck it on the cabinet.  Now every Friday afternoon I change it for the next week.  This week we are reading "Escape" - part of the story of Charlotte's Web, so I chose the letters that will make up Farm Animals from that Boggle website that I posted about way back when.  In their binders they have a Boggle sheet in a sheet protector that they write on with their dry erase markers.  On Fridays we see who came up with the most amount of words.  

 Next to Boggle I have a version of Math It Up.  Same thing - not much room to display my big tri-fold.  Live and Learn... I just write numbers on the grid on Monday, and they can use the different operations to come up with as many problems as possible.  

 Here's my back wall with pictures - if you see something creative on the wall pictures that you like it's most likely from Ladybug's Teacher Files - I also added those pull out drawers on the work table.

 We finished up Unit 1 of Social Studies, so now we are onto our first unit of Science - the pocket chart changes with the different vocabulary words of the unit.

 Then here is my VOICES board that I showed you last week.  See, lots of PIES.  

 Here are our Region Maps - you can't see the cute colored paper on the backing because they take up the entire board... the entire board... I just realized that I hung one of their maps upside down on the wall, or else they painted on the wrong side of CA.  

 I love my mirror - it has also helped when I have to check my teeth for lettuce.  :)  The kids are really good at moving their magnets and taking a clothespin when they leave.  

 I decided to use post it notes on my calendar - even more of a time saver.  

 I used to have my birthday dicuts in a pocket chart, but then I couldn't see all the names... so now they are just stapled up.

Yes, lots of pictures - it was a photo dump type of day.  Hope you are having a good one!  

Boggle Game

Another summer project is complete!

Today I worked on my class' Boggle game.  Once again - same classroom, same amount of wall space... I wanted to have this game available for kids to play during our Daily 5 Word Work time, so I used a Tri-fold display board.  Just like the Homeworkopoly board, I want to be able to fold it up when it's not in use.  

This was my inspiration for the project.  I know some people have put it up on actual bulletin boards, others use auto drip pans for a huge magnetic board... so many options.  The link goes to the terrific blog (Create, Teach & Share) that has the student worksheet (bottom right corner), and also an alphabet set.  I was trying to avoid laminating letters, so instead I used 2 sets of alphabet flashcards from the dollar store.

Here's how I set it up:
Left side - Title - These are part of the letter set that Create, Teach & Share has as part of her Boggle board.

Display board - I divided the middle section into 16 sections - 4 x 4 rectangles, then used velcro on the back of clothespins to hang up the letters.  I was able to cut the velcro pieces in half to make them go farther.  Originally I was going to put the velcro on the back of the flashcards themselves, but thought that by using clothespins it would be easier to take the letters off/on at the end of the week.  

Right side - The top has the class directions, then the rules to the game, then how to score their words, and finally the student worksheet.

Directions:

Use your dry erase marker and write the letters on the sheet protector of your game board.  All week try to think of words during Word Work time.  We will see who can figure out the longest word on Friday!

How to Play:

•             The letters in the words must be connected in the same order in the grid.

•             The letters can be connected by an edge or a corner.

•             The word doesn't have to appear in a straight line. It can be tangled around.

•             Each letter in the word must uniquely appear in the grid. For example, if the word is ERASE, the letter E must appear twice in the grid. The word can't just loop back and re-use the same E.

•             Words must be at least 3 letters long

•             Words cannot be a proper noun, such as a name or place.

Score Your Words

•            Less than 3 letters= 0 pts (invalid boggle word)

•            3 letters = 1 pt

•            4 letters = 1 pt

•            5 letters = 2 pts

•            6 letters = 3 pts

•            7 letters = 5 pts

•            8 letters or more = 11 pts

Some other odds and ends:
*I copied a class set of the student worksheets, and these will go into sheet protectors in the students' binders for easy access.  That way they can just add to their lists as the week goes on.  
*I'm planning on having my class helpers change the letters on Friday.  When looking for the rules to the game, I found this website.  It not only had the directions and scoring that are above, but also has tons of printable boggle sheets that will actually form words.  I figure that I can print these out, create a binder that I can choose from, and then my helper students can change up the letters for me into the specific order that these experts know will create words.
  
Just so you know I just threw random letters up on the board as I tested the space plan - not a lot of words can be created from this set up.     

Well that's about it for this project.  After I took the picture, I put clear contact paper on top of the paperwork parts, and it is now ready to be used at school.  I love checking things off my to do list!

Hope you had a great day!
Sincerely,