i have been...

working my butt off!!! (don't you wish that actually worked? i mean, if that were true, after the time i've put into my room this week, i'd be nearly invisible!)

i was moved from 2nd grade to 5th grade, so i needed to revamp my room and decor. (somewhat for the older students...but mostly for me.)

so, here's a tour of my room...

i finally made some banners and my sweet hubby helped me hang them up. i've also started collecting vintage globes. see the giant one in the middle? given to me by a fellow teacher.

my check-in chart. students pull their card out when they arrive. (quick and easy attendance) i also plan to use this chart in some way to monitor bathroom breaks. i used to use it for my 2nd graders in order to track behavior, but i think my 5th graders will laugh at me if i ask them to turn their card.

my writing center. i ordered 3 more inflatable globes to fill in this area a bit more. i wanted a theme that would last for a few years...i'm not much for picking a new theme each year...so i went with maps/globes/travel.
spelling station. monthly books. estimation station.
my classroom rules. simple and sweet.

also, my "skills board". i will record standards being taught and vocab for each subject. i sectioned it off with electrical tape, and my kind friend, sarah, cut the titles out with her cricut.
homework board. i just covered a piece of foam core board with dry erase paper. sectioned it off with electrical tape and labeled with scrapbook stickers.
thanks to my pinterest obsession, i made a quote to go above my main board. all letters were purchased at 50% off from hobby lobby.
part of my reading area. you might recognize the canvas i made. the little frames will showcase photos of my students of the month.
i covered two of my bulletin boards with old book covers. (again, thanks to pinterest.) it might be hard to notice, but there are 12 bulldog clips hanging on the board. students will display work they're proud of and swap it out weekly.
my favorite pic!!! remember the dark blue couch from above? the one with the babyish circus animals and dots? my final project today was to make a slipcover for it. (i used 2 clearance tablecloths from target.)

i must admit, i was rather bummed when i found out about my grade level switch. but, after working in my room all week, i'm finally starting to get excited about my new kiddos! (although i'm still in denial that they come back next wednesday.)