Summer is slipping away.

I can’t believe that it is the middle of July already and summer is almost over. I feel like I have so much to do before the little ones come back to school. At my school they only give us 10 days before school starts to get into our classrooms. My friend that teachers at a different school can get into her room all summer. I’m super jealous of her. I  always go the very first day to get my key and I always get everything done but it would be nice to be able to go in and out during the summer. This year I am a little nervous about getting everything done.  This summer they are finishing adding a new wing our building. With the new wing opening this fall a lot of us had to pack up our rooms and move to a new classroom.  So I have 10 days to unpack all my boxes and decorate my classroom with a new theme. I don’t know about you but a new theme means a lot of laminating and cutting out. I have been having bad dreams that the kids come on the first day and I am so not ready for them. I just keep telling myself that it will all be ok. I have been trying to do as much as I can at home to be ready. I laminated a lot of stuff before school was out to cut out over the summer and I brought home paper to start making decorations. Our school wide theme this year is Space so I put my hubby to work making  a spaceship for me to put in the hall. It was nothing that I thought it would look like but it turned out great.  I did have to help make the aliens look friendly. When he first made them they were a little scary.

 

I have also been working on Monster Math Key Words posters that I will be posting to tpt very soon. I think the monsters pass as aliens so I am using them for my math board.  I also have a freebie I will be posting with back to school forms. Click here to go to my tpt store. I would like to know if you can get into your school all summer or do you have a limited to get ready for the first.

Here goes nothing!

Thanks to Tara, I have been able to take the plunge, too.  I am very excited to learn as we go.  Like Tara, I am a first grade teacher, however I have been teaching for 10 years.  Together we have struggled through a masters degree program, National Board Certification and numerous conference presentations.  We both have a passion for technology and incorporating it in our lessons.  We believe that children should be active and learn using hands on methods.  As Tara said, "We hope you come along for the ride."

Taking the Plunge

This past school year I have been totally addicted to teaching blogs. It takes up so much of my time but I have found some really great ideas. I’ve finally decided to take the plunge and start my own blog with my friend Vicki. I can’t wait to start sharing what I have been doing in the classroom! This school year will be my fifth year in first grade. I teach in Ohio and this will be our first year adopting the Common Core. It should be a fun and interesting year and I hope you come along for the ride.