My Prison Cell for Nine Months.....just kidding

I usually do not post pictures of my classroom. I at one point was doing a classroom blog but I don't have time or will in the future. I am still teaching a BYUI class as my spare time job. I teach a new course this semester. I wished that they would leave me in one course that I like but I guess I will go where I am needed and maybe it is divine inspiration and one of the students needs me. I am just going to think that. :)

I decided to go back to my beach/Hawaii theme for my room. I love the bright colors and it makes me happy. My teacher friend gave me a little kid's pew from her mom and I put it back in my reading area. I can see fights over that. I put pillows and beach towels under my counter for independent reading time along with some dollar tree lanterns that have an LED light. Nice and cheap. Not sure how long they will last.

I am covering the book shelves eyesore with some ocean-like curtains. This year Brayden will be in my grade level. I really wish he was in my class but I can't have everything. I have some good kids and some struggles possibly. I hope I last another year.

 This is my A.R tracker board. I write their names on the fishies. Then when they get at 25, 50, or 75 percent of their goal. They move their fishie off the cabinet to the wall by a hawaiian cutout shirt that has where they are at. As a fourth grade, when the students make their targeted goal by the end of the tri, we have a themed party. Oh ya!

 I bought those battery operated lantern bulbs at Abbotts on clearance. The cheapo lanterns give off more light than those.

My hula skirted table. Ha. Love my name. I made that. Oh and this year, I have a desk. I have not had a desk since the school opened so I broke down at the end of last year. Maybe because it was super heavy. I had 5 of my boys bring it down the hall. Did I tell you that I have tons of boys in my class this year? 16 boys and 11 girls as of right now. My list changes as we try to even out our special needs students. This year is going to be a great year. We have a new principal to break in at our school. I am excited and I think the rest of us were excited for a change of pace. Education is like that.

We also are now gearing up for the smarter balance test that is aligned with the common core. So there's a lot of anger towards from the uneducated people and non teachers out there. The common core is just another name of standards that we have been teaching for years....many, many years. It is better than what we had in Idaho. The students have to actually start to reason, deduct, and think. They can't just sit there and take up space like some do. Anyways, that is just my thought. I just teach the kids because that is what I like to do. The government red tape is just a blurb for us. The kids are what matters and sometimes people lose that. My kids will be better prepared in the long run: socially and academically.