1st Grade Geometry

Like most #teacherbloggers and #teachersofinstagram, one of my favorite things about teaching has always been creating engaging lessons. I enjoy taking what is needed from an objective and finding creative ways to make the content memorable for students.  It's what pushed me into the role of instructional leadership.  As an Instructional Coach, it's only one piece of my job but certainly still my favorite.

Recently, I was able to write the lessons for our first grade team during their geometry unit. There are so many amazing teacher created resources at our fingertips. That being said, I speak to teachers regularly about knowing the demands of their objective (TEKS) before searching for resources. Creating these lessons for our first graders allowed me to put that practice into play!

Using a formula of  TEKS study + our Madeline Hunter Lesson Cycle + Amy Lemon's Magic of Math Geometry Unit and Amy McDonald's Regular and Irregular Shapes Math Mini Unit ... our firsties had a great time!

Anchor Charts

 

I used a combo of the vocabulary cards from the Magic of Math Unit linked above as well as a few of my own to create each anchor chart.  You can download a copy of the 

roll, slide, stack labels here!

Student Work

  

Board Crush!

I am SO grateful for all of the amazing ideas out there in the teacher world!! I am visual. So, following teachers on Instagram is like the best thing ever.  And oh my word...the bulletin boards.  There's just not enough wall space for the number of perfectly precious displays out there! 

At the beginning of the year there are so many wonderful ideas for back to school.  The challenge for me...how do I do them ALL and still match our campus theme.  This year, we decided that our campus theme would be Walker Tribe...black and gold with arrows! I was sold! 

But wait what...did you SEE the sets put out by Michell Griffo from Apples & ABCs this year. I had serious Board-Crush!!  I was so inspired that I had to figure out a way to make them fit our theme. With a few tweaks, I had the hallways all set.  

The Inspiration...(Board-Crush!)

The Result!

Another Beautiful Board...

...In Black & Gold!

I am so happy with how they turned out and I still get that little smirk that you get when you pass your crush, each time I see them in the hallway! 

Board Bonus: I also set up this little photo background during Back to School.  

Work Hard, Play Hard, & Be Kind

Happy summertime teacher friends!!! I hope you had a fabulous school year.  I'm so giggly to be able to share a new freebie with you.  But first a little backstory...

Like many campuses, every year my school selects a building theme.  This past year we chose a game theme and our slogan was "Work Hard, Play Hard, & Be Kind!" 

Our team does a wonderful job decorating and our students always love coming back to see what we've done with the building.  The foyer was decorated to match our theme announcement and each grade level hallway decorated in a specific game!

school foyer

(excuse the blur...bleh!)

Now the goodies...

I love, love, love the way our staff works together.  We have an awesome rapport!  One tradition that we implement, every year, is Affirmation Bags.  Each staff member has a bag that we place in the lounge or bring to faculty meetings to be filled with kind notes from other staff members.  It's amazing.  Somehow you always seem to have your "bucket filled" with just the right note on just the right day! Of course our affirmation bag has to match our theme for the year.  Check out our game themed bags that I made this year!

Striped bags from Amazon.

 I just love the way they turned out!

You can snag the editable labels in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store. 

Hello, World!

I know, I know! It's been a hot minute right...and oh the life changes.  There have been a handful.  But I am so excited to be re-motivated, re-freshed, and well re-blogging!!

I do have a new job title and I'm no longer with my firsties. {insert tear emoji} I have settled into a new role as an Instructional Coach.  I am now working with K-5th grades in all subject areas.  Much like teaching 1st Grade, it is both challenging and rewarding.  I'm not going to lie...my 5th grade math skills aren't quite as sharp as my 1st grade literacy skills.  Luckily, I work with a talented group of teachers that make it a bit more manageable.  And of course, I learn a bit more every day.

The new role did mean I would have to move out of my classroom and into an office.  And since my target audience would be adults...I decided to take full advantage when it came to the decor! Check out my office reveal...

I am always inspired by Kate Spade's style and used that for my inspiration and look. 

Rug: Rug USA

Couch: Ikea

I purchased the desk from Craigslist and had it painted locally.  It's my favorite piece!

I found the zebra chair on a neighborhood online garage sale.

I didn't need a dry erase board in my office as much as I needed an organized schedule.  The vinyl chalkboard calendar was a fun solution.  I use chalk markers to change out the dates and activities.

Vinyl calendar: Amazon (Ordered 6)

Curtains: Made from Target flat sheets

Chairs: Online Re-Sale

Pillow Fabric: Hobby Lobby

Quite often, I end up with teachers on my couch just looking for a little escape! (Plus I feed them coffee!)

Wall Prints: At Home

Gold Arrow, Gold/White Pillows, Pillow Fabric: Hobby Lobby

I love having a Keurig in my office.  I was so excited when they came out with white!

 Flowers & Chevron Tray: Home Goods

Pink/Black Mason Jars: Walmart

Coffee Mug: Michaels

White Frame: Hobby Lobby

I added Devine Peel & Stick Wallpaper from Target to my Walmart shelves to fancy them up a bit.

Decorative Boxes: Home Goods

Hashtag: Target (Sprayed with Gold Glitter)

Black/White Vinyl Polka Dots: Hobby Lobby

Chandelier Canvas Hanging: Joss and Main

I'm always adding to this space.  But for now, it makes me smile!

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and getting some much needed R&R and of course...plenty of giggles!

Classroom Reveal...Burlap & Black

Ok well it's not technically my classroom BUT I did create the sets.  In fact these pictures are actually a combination of 2 different classrooms in my building that used my Burlap & Black decor.  I am loving the results.  Ms. Durbin (whom I'm uber-excited is my daughter's teacher this year) from 3rd Grade's a Hoot wanted a change of pace from her bright owls...and well since I am no longer in a classroom myself {more on that in a future post} I had to get my decorating fix some way... so I volunteered to make her set. I am super happy with the results and well she says it feels so "zen!" Fabulous! Disclaimer: Please excuse the blurry pics.  Had to count on the iPhone for this one.

Calendar

      

Table Numbers & Name Tags

Clip Chart and Hall of Fame

Student Book Boxes & Leveled Library

(Bins from Walmart)

Daily 5 & CAFE Board

Welcome Sign & Subject Headers

How cute is the little valance! It was made using burlap and black ribbon! (No sew!)

Other Decoratives!

(Fabric & Burlap: Hobby Lobby)

(Door Sign - Painted Canvas w/ Printable burlap sheet: Walmart)

All of this burlap business makes my southern heart happy! 

You can pick up your Burlap & Black Decoratives in my Teachers Pay Teachers store here!

See this post about the available Burlap & Black products!

     

Burlap & Black

Well I avoided going to Mardel for as long could.  I had convinced myself that I did not need to see all of the new wonderful decor and did not need to add more to my already too large border obsession.  Then it happened.  I was actually going to grab a few supplies for an upcoming staff development.  A quick trip turned into a 2 hour browsing session of the newest classroom decor...just like I KNEW it would!!  I left completely inspired and abandoned my plans for the rest of the day to start a new classroom set.  This is what did it...

Oh that burlap! I won't actually have a classroom this year but I was too in love to just let it go.  I immediately began creating.  I was sharing my new endeavor when my friend Misty from 3rd Grade's a Hoot asked to take a peek.  She was in!!...ready for a classroom makeover.  Goodbye sweet owls...hellooooo BURLAP & BLACK.  Now that the sets are complete I can not wait to see how her room turns out.  Check it out.

And a few coordinating accessories...

You can pick these items up in my TPT store.

Just in time for the sale!

Back soon with pics of the burlap classroom, a birdie giveaway, staff development goodies, and my new office!

College & Career Week...

I've always shared my door decor for our college / career week...Generation Texas round these parts.  But I have to say that I think this year is by far my favorite!! I went round and round with ideas on what to do. My 1st grade team is hashtag obsessed. It all started with that Timberlake/Fallon video!  After that, we just couldn't stop.  #firstgrade #this #that.  It has become #quiteentertaining.  I combined that with the selfie craze to come up with our design. So cute.

I just set out my camera and called them one at a time to take a #selfie! They were hilarious!  Then they typed their name and what they wanted to be when they grow up.  I have GOT to save these pictures till 2025 Haha!!