Exploring a new frontier...INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOKS!

I had a great first week of school!  I love seeing and meeting the kids for the first time, and I look forward to getting to know them.  Since I have been teaching at my school for quite some time (I'm one of the "veterans"), sometimes the kids have already heard about me from their friends or siblings.  However, here's one thing that my former students weren't able to talk about - Interactive Notebooks!  On the third day of school, we began setting up these bad boys, and so far, the kids are really enjoying it!

To start, I had committed to creating INBs since last spring.  Therefore, when we were asked to check over the school supply list for the new school year, I was able to add a composition notebook and a 3-pack of tape OR a 3-pack of glue sticks (absolutely NO white glue...ew!).  I was also able to use my remaining EEF funds to buy composition notebooks and tape from Office Depot.  I was so happy, because I teach 130-140 kids (it's still up in the air with schedule changes), and I only had to give about 10 notebooks to students!  One student even brought me a notebook to "pay" me back!

Then, I explained to the students that their notebooks are theirs to keep, and they would be able to decorate it any way they would like.  I gave them a warning, however, that I would be checking them regularly, so they better not have anything written inside or outside of it that is not "school appropriate".

Our school has changed it's bell schedule, and we now start 12 minutes earlier than in the past.  Therefore, I printed out our bell schedule so that the students can tape it in the front cover the their notebooks.  On the first page, I showed the students "Numbers About Me", and explained that they should decorate it using numbers that are important in their lives.

*Side note - mine looks cute right?  However, um, my birthday is wrong!  Lol...I was getting ideas from someone else's, and I accidentally wrote down the wrong year!  Haha!  I'm glad that I can laugh at myself :)

The next few pages are the Table of Contents (TOC) pages and Words Worth Knowing (WWK) pages.

In hindsight, I wish that I didn't use marker to make lines on my TOC pages, but oh well!  I had the students make 4 TOC pages and 8 WWK pages.

Finally, page 1 - My classroom info page.  Again, thanks to Sarah for the idea!

Class Information

Inside my class info page!

Pages 2-3 was my INB Expectations pages.  Sorry about page 3...I wasn't finished with my "give me five" page before taking the picture!

INB Expectations and "Give Me 5"

Inside INB Expectations page

Pages 4-5 were the learning styles pages.  Again, Sarah has some great ideas!  I haven't had a chance to draw my study tips...I'm such a slacker :(

Learning Styles...not finished yet!

At last, pages 6-7 I had the students complete a multiple intelligences inventory.  Before showing them my completed inventory, I had the students try to guess which one was my strongest.  Many of my kids weren't able to guess that I have a strong logical-mathematical intelligence...they were mostly guessing verbal.  I guess I talk to much?

And that's it!  I have had positive feedback from my students, ranging from "I like being organized!" to "Are we going to have arts and crafts day everyday?"  When I told them "math day" was going to be the next day, they didn't seem too happy.  Oh well...can't please everyone!

The Difference a Day Makes...

In addition to this blog, I've decided to also do a 180 blog.  What is a 180 blog?  It's where you write or take a picture showing each day of the school year.  My 180 blog is called The Difference a Day Makes.  Check it out here.

Classroom Reveal!

I know it's not Tuesday, but I'm linking up with Blog Hoppin's Back to School Tour:

We have been in school for a week already, and boy, I am exhausted!  For the past month, I've been preparing myself to for going back to school.  I've been busy getting my classroom ready, helping with new teacher interviews, and lesson planning.  A few posts ago, I promised that I would have pics of my classroom...here you go!

I love how my room turned out!  The color I picked out is bright and cheery, and most of all, it makes me happy :)

Classroom Tour (WARNING - a bunch of pics ahead!):

The bulletin board outside my room...a superhero theme!

My door!  When putting up my bulletin board, I didn't realize it was going to match my door sign :)

I'm trying groups this year...wish me luck!

The student workbooks we will be using in class.  I have about 130-140 kids this year...I've decided to buy another crate for the extra workbooks...see how they are bowing?

My Table of Contents Poster for our Interactive Notebooks

Student supply area

A close up...I'm crossing my fingers that the kids put things back where they belong!

Our school requires students to sign-out/in when leaving the room, and sign-in when your are tardy to class.  To the left is my make-up box where the kids will look up the date they are absent to find the handouts/work that was done on that day.

My "Words Worth Knowing" bulletin board...by the end of the year, I look forward to seeing this board filled up with all the new vocab words my students have learned!

My whiteboard...

This bookshelf holds my organizing bins for Essential Questions labels, "I Can" Statement labels, "Words Worth Knowing" labels, and expo markers.  The cart is where I will put my students' make-up tests and graded work (there are two drawers for each class).

My supply shelf!  The two white organizing drawers to the left hold my rulers, protractors, scissors, markers, colored pencils, and crayons.  The other two organizing to the right are for my groups.  Each group in my class has a drawer assigned to them with supplies so that we don't have to spend so much time getting supplies together.  The purple and green cloth bins hold all my bulk office/school supplies such as pencils, erasers, tape, highlighters, glue, etc.

My desk.  It's clean now, but pretty much by the end of every day it looks like a hot mess! 

My filing cabinet and teacher supply area

I hope you enjoyed a tour of my classroom!  I wish everyone luck on a brand new school year :)

August Currently...

Hi, all!  I'm super excited to linking up for the first time with Farley @ Oh Boy 4th Grade for this month's Currently!

Listening/Watching:  Twilight:  Breaking Dawn Part 1...don't judge me!

Loving:  My new clothes!  My BFF and I went shopping in New Orleans yesterday, and I bought the cutest stuff!  Last week, we shopped, and I bought two super cute maxi dresses.  She asked me why I didn't wear one of them when we went to NOLA...naturally I said, "I'm not going to wear them until school starts!"  

Thinking:  Planning out the new year and using interactive notebooks.  I know it's going to take A LOT of pre-planning and major classroom management, but I feel up to the task!  Now, I have to actually plan out what will be going in my lessons!  I can do it!

Wanting:  Some new Chuck Taylors!  You can pretty much wear them with anything!  You know...like these:

Chuck Taylor Low Tops!

Needing:  To finish getting my classroom together...it is a HOT MESS!  I finally finished painting it...yay!  Now, I have to unpack all my stuff and organize!  One of previous posts shows the before...I'm waiting until I am 100% finished with my classroom before I post any pictures.  I plan on finishing by Thursday...stay tuned, and wish me luck!

1st Day for Me and Kids:  My official 1st day is August 8th, but I've pretty much been going to the school regularly for various reasons the past couple weeks (working registration, painting my classroom, helping with interviews for a couple positions we still have to fill, etc.).  On Wednesday, team leaders have to be present for New Teacher Orientation at our school.  We have teacher workdays August 11-15, and the kids will have their 1st day on August 18th.  

That's pretty much it...if you're already starting school this week, good luck on the new school year!  For the rest of y'all, enjoy the rest of your summer!