Flexible Grouping FREEBIE

I'm back from visiting my new niece, Elena. She's so wonderful; it was hard to leave. There's nothing like a newborn baby snuggling up and sleeping on your chest. While I was there, I got to visit cousin Amy's nautical themed classroom. That was so much fun! I can't wait to see your final pics when your classroom is finished, Amy! Keep checking back for those.

I've been working away on my classroom this week. I have to finish soon because starting Monday we have meetings, meetings, meetings. We also have a brand new teacher on our team this year, so I'll be busy helping her. 

This year I have 28 second graders! That means my middle name will be Flexibility. For reading groups I usually type lists of who is in each group, but when I switch a student's group I sometimes almost always forget to update the cute, colorful list. And you know that drives kids crazy! So this year, I'm going to have more flexible grouping and an easier way to shuffle kids around. Here's what I created to help:

 I'm obsessed with this border I created. I've used it on every sign in my classroom!

 I'm going to write all my students' names on clothespins and pin them to the signs. The signs will be hung together with some sort of ribbon.

 Grab a free copy for your own classroom. Click on either pic to download. You'll get a zip file of images for Groups 1 - 8. You can copy the images into a document to re-size them for what you need and print. Mine are about 4 in x 7 in each. Let me know if you need more groups and I'll make them.

Big News: New Grade!

So big big news! I will be teaching fourth grade this year. 

 Feeling very excited about the change and I am looking for classroom input.   I have chosen a nautical theme.  It has been tricky finding accents which are fourth grade appropriate, so I have started to create a few on my own.  

I created this by cutting up a laundry bag and hanging it in the book corner.

I have a huge open space above my eight classroom windows.  Several teachers frame the space with a border and then display vocabulary words as they are introduced.   I went shopping in hopes to find a nautical border but came home empty handed.  Figured it was time to be crafty! Made the flags and tied them to twine.  It actually adds tons of color and life to my plain space.  Now the Math word wall is ready to be filled with vocabulary.