Teacher Week '13: Taming the Wild!

This will be a shorter post, but today is about classroom management. Since I'm not a regular classroom teacher, this has become VERY simple for me. I use Class Dojo, which I HIGHLY recommend if you don't already use it.

I can set up separate classes for my groups (which are easy to edit since my kids are in and out). Then I can also set up positive and negative rewards. I give these from my phone and/or computer (whichever is closest at the time), and I don't have to worry about interrupting instruction.

There are two different sounds: one for positive and one negative. Students are quickly redirected by either sound. At the end of each group, students get as many Skittles or M&M's as they have positive points (negative cancels them out though). Simple, but they love it! And I love that I don't have to break the bank to keep them excited about coming to my room (even when we may not be playing games).

Okay, I promised pictures of my classroom, and I am delivering today! There's a LOT to be done, but I'm getting things ready. Then I can make it pretty next week.

I will be putting my CAFE board on that back wall along with some other posters. The white cabinet is in need of repainting (thinking a nice blue), and I will be getting rid of that filing cabinet, although I may move my other one back there. I also want to get stools for my table and send those chairs somewhere else.

This is my desk area. I added my para's chair to the other side so we both have work space. I'm also going to probably move this filing cabinet, like I mentioned above. I haven't pulled out any of the personalization (except for my Chick-fil-A calendar that never moved), so it's looking pretty sad right now.

Not sure why this picture is so fuzzy. I have NO idea what to do with that rolling white board thing. It's so big and awkward, but it was purchased with Title I money, so I can't just give it away. I use it some, but I mostly use the Promethean. I may just lend it to someone permanently. Any of my coworkers reading this, we can talk!

This blue bookshelf came with the room, and I realized last week that I could turn it on it's side like I pinned two years ago and make it a bench! It's also in need of a paint job and some cute bins to hold books. I will be taking this and the white rolling shelf home at the beginning of next week to paint. Can't wait to see how they turn out. Oh, and this adorable rug is from Walmart.com. Don't you love it? I bought it last summer!

That's my tour so far. I made more of a mess today than anything, but we have SEVEN workdays before the kids come back. I usually come back earlier, but our principal is giving us two of those days (the two we don't usually work) completely for us, so I decided to enjoy as much of my summer as possible. The only reason I went in today is because we had to meet and discuss our plan for an in-service about CAFE. This will be our second official year with CAFE and Daily 5 as a school plan, so we're working out kinks from last year.