So Soon!

My students come FRIDAY!! If you didn't catch that....this FRIDAY!! 3 days from today! OH SNAP!! I'm excited and nervous so I guess the best word to use in anxious. And I know it's only going to get worse from here!

I've been putting so much time/energy/effort into my classroom and I finally finished it today (ok, 99% done). Thanks to my amazing parents and some wonderful friends, my room looks AMAZING, if I do say so myself.

Yesterday was my first 'official' day as an employee of the school board and we've got a week packed! Everyone was moaning a little bit about summer vacation being over, which I would have joined in on just a little bit had I even gotten a summer vacation. :/ Oh well! This makes the 4th week the 8th grade math department has been together in various workshops and I am SOOO glad we get along so well! I am super pumped about this year!

Here's my classroom!! I think my 8th graders will love it and the bright colors may make math seem a little less dreadful (fingers crossed!) I know there are a lot of pics...sorry!

Storage and Learning Log bins

view from front right

Storage and 10-drawer unit where students will turn in assignments

School information board...love the newspaper for background. Will post sports' schedules, bell schedules, etc. 

Where I will right the agenda for in class and homework. Made with electrical tape! (7th hour is honors) 

Filing cabinets and textbook storage. That's one of the posters I wrote about previously! 

Top 5 for 5 Wall & tissue paper pompon balls (they're all of my ceiling!)
http://designdazzle.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/how-to-make-tissue-pom-flowers.html

SmartBoard (with some border added) and ELMO on my technology cart. 

Absentee assignment pickup area...found a similar idea on Pinterest and loved it! Mine are stuck together with Velcro 

view from front left

Awesome firework valances that a wonderful friend of mine made! The colors go perfectly with everything in my room 

Awesome math clock, school motto, and my adorable hallpasses...you can't see the red M 

My desk area and the sweet teacher toolbox two of my friends made me for my birthday! The beach ball is for my 1st day of school activity. It's covered in questions and we'll throw it around the room with each student answering a question. I will provide my answer as well so they can get to know me more :)

view from back right

view from back left 

Like I said....I LOVE IT!!!! :)

Y'all Enjoy!

Erin

Ok so I just need to start this post of with...YYYAAAAYYY!!!! Today was definitely a great day! After my part time job calling to tell me that I didn't have to come in, mom and I decided to hit the town and try to knock some of my items off my "To Get" list. And boy did we get some stuff!!

Before I graduated, we ordered a poster set from NCTM. Well, today became laminating day for those intriguing gems! They look amazing and I really hope my students enjoy them since they are not the typical boring math posters. Below are pictures of the finished products :)

I cannot begin to describe how much I love them!!!!

For my "Bearkit 411" bulletin board, I found these 2 borders (I'm not sure which I'll be using) and these adorable paw prints. I feel like this part of my room is coming together nicely!

For my "Look WHO's Top 5 for 5" I plan to use these cute owls (not too many so it doesn't look kiddie). I love these colors though and with the bookshelf I intend to put on the back wall, the bright colors will POP. The adorable pennant borders will be used on my Word Wall bulletin board to pull all of the bright colors from my Top 5 for 5 area, along with the few other owl items I have, together. The little frames will be used to house the picture of each student who goes on the Top 5 for 5 wall. I think it will make a really cute border around each student's face and will help to make them feel even more special.

The blank poster below will have my classroom rules written on it. After rummaging through all of the elementary school type posters, I finally found something I can use and look how awesome! Gotta love dear Aunt Sally!! And Days of the Week binder clips?? Hello organization when running copies!!!

Overall.....IT WAS AN AMAZING DAY!!!

Y'all Enjoy

The Summer Before

This is the summer before my first year of teaching. As many of you may know, and may even be experiencing right now, I am excited, anxious, stressed, and nervous...all at the same time. There is so much to do that I find myself daydreaming about bulletin board ideas and what's the first thing you say on the first day of school (suggestions would be nice).

Let me introduce myself. My name is Erin McCown and I graduated this May from Louisiana Tech University with a B.S. degree in 6-12 grade Mathematics Education (with a second concentration in Physics). It's a mouth full but I am so excited!!! I want to show students how math is something to be loved, not feared.

So far this summer, I have bought some teaching supplies as well as classroom decor, decided on how I want to decorate one of my 2 bulletin boards, decided on how to incorporate the owl items I have bought, decided on how I want my Top 5 for 5 wall to look, and decided on how I want to check homework. I feel like I've done a good bit of brainstorming but then I worry because I have not put much into motion. I am so ready to be able to start moving into my classroom...hopefully then things will start rolling!!