3rd full week back and end of September!!!

I wanted to post last Friday but I was so tired.  Last Friday, I went home to eat supper and then went back to school and came home around 9 pm or so.  Then the weekend just flew by as I was getting centers ready and then Monday came and now it's Saturday.  But I said I wanted to post what my desk looked like by each Friday so here goes.  Here is what my desk and behind my desk looked like by 2:45pm Friday, September 20.



When I left around 9pm, this is what my desk and behind my desk looked like:



That night, I decided to start to organizing some of my math materials so that it would be ready right away for the students to use in the lessons.  This is what my table looked like:

 Some of the lessons require me having bags of counters that have 5 to 10 counters in each bag for EACH student.  So I decided to start to make those bags so I could have them on hand.  

I just need to make bags with 9 and 10 counters in them.  I use little baggies from Dollarama to keep the counters in.  

 Two years ago, I bought a few of these little storage boxes from Walmart and I put these small geometric shapes in them.



 But I decided to put some other math materials in the baskets.  I use my 2-sided counters a lot so I put 10 2-sided counters in each little container so I can hand them out quickly and I don't have to count them.  


I also counted out five of the unit cubes each in different colours and put 4 groups in one container.  My students sit in tables of four so I can just hand out one container and each student just picks a colour.  We used these the other day when we were doing work on the five frame and it was so nice to actually start an activity quickly using math materials.

I decided to put 4 different coloured unit cubes and 1 die or 2 dice in little packages for when we play either math games or any type of board game that needs counters and dice.  I have one container that has the baggies with 1 die and another container that has the baggies with 2 dice.  I need to make labels for the containers and then my students can take a baggie when they play a math game or another type of board game.



Here are my new Read Around the Room sticks.  I saw them at Dollarama and I knew the kids would love them.


And why did I think the students would love them?  THEY LIGHT UP!!!!


I needed to find something bigger to hold my student's Draw & Write Books.  I was going to put my card stock paper in this but decided not to so I had this dish rack just sitting behind my desk.  It was perfect.


I know all teachers will be able to relate to my next problem...too many pictures books and the need to keep them organized.  I had my pictures books on this great book shelf behind my desk and last year I did section them off into authors and/or themes.  But it was just so messy looking and I wanted to get them organized a little better and get at them a little better.


Once again, the dollar store saves the day.  I purchased the magazine holders that I use for my students' book bins and started to use them for my picture books.  For the larger books that can't fit into the holders, I just fit them in between the holders by their author and/or theme so the books will still be together.  I still have to get a few more of the holders for the bottom shelf.  




Once I finish organizing the books, I will make labels for each box with either titles or authors and/or themes on them.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Enjoy!

Kemble :-)





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