Student Resolutions

Every year I have my students write New Year's resolutions.  I think it is important to instill long term goal setting in my students.  Even if it's only for a month!  When we talk about resolutions we focus on how to achieve the goal. This year my students were really insightful and very self aware.  I was so pleased with the final product.   (They were almost all super cute.  It was so hard to narrow down the images.  I know the words are difficult to read.)

She wants to better on her extra curricular activities.  (Her words not mine!)



She wants to be less shy by starting conversations with people. 




She wants to focus on following directions and talking less.




Loved the artwork!




He wants to get along with others.  (What a great goal!)



She wants to get better at studying at home. 
She was very proud of her artwork.

Enjoy,
EmilyK   

4321...Clutter!

clutter...Clutter...CLUTTER!
This post is part of the Clutter Free Classroom Project. 
Read more here.
Every fall I swear to myself I will be organized.  Every year after winter break I realize I let it get away from me.  Hopefully this challenge will help!  
Antoinette has opted out of this challenge.  She is feeling a little overwhelmed right now. :)

A little background info about my classroom:
-It is the 4th classroom I have been in since I have been at my school.  It will be my long term classroom, unless I change grade levels. (YEAH!)
-I have to keep my teacher desk and the half round table. Principal says!

Here are the pics of my clutter: (Forewarning there are a lot!)

My pen organization!



My desk top.  There are layers. 
For those of you with a clean desk every Friday,
 as Antoinette would say sarcastically with a laugh and a smile, "Bite me."



Look a clear spot!

My laptop table.  In my classroom last year I didn't have one of these. 
I don't know if I like it.  This one I could get rid of, if I wanted to.

Mentor text bookshelf.  A new purchase from this fall.



Behind my desk.  This is stuff I still haven't unpacked from the fall.
Do I REALLY need it?



Still more stuff behind my desk.



I thought this would help my desk clutter.
Does it look like it helped?



There is even a bin under my desk of papers to be filed.
Seriously!?!

Inside the desk I have to keep.

I swear in August this looked great...



This is a deep drawer.  I just can't figure out how to use them correctly.




This is the back of the deep drawer.



This is the student work turn in station by the end of winter break.



My tall coat closet.



room decor

My purse goes in here somewhere.

I have tons of buckets. 
They hold things like name tags, labels, sticky clips, etc.

The dreaded bottom shelf.

The good news is, I just close the door.
Clutter all gone! 

This is the cabinet above the sink. 
Where do you store a year's worth of Kleenex?
And the other part are Pringles cans.  (I will post about those another time.)

Craft storage, Pringles cans, and left over science kit supplies.

An unclear pic of the labels I have on every cabinet and drawer.

Class library storage.
And a shout out to Ladybug Teacher Files for the awesome crayon storage idea!

Scissors, writing, and glue.  Custodian says it can't be in their desks.

I bought these thinking I could use them.
I don't know what to do with them though?

My nemesis- the half round table.  My students use the mini laptops here.

Math manipulatives storage.  It doesn't scream organized like I hoped it would.

More math manipulatives. As well as the side of the Science kits.

That globe.  Where do you store it so it won't be in the way?

The most organized corner of my room.  :)

Seasonal decor storage.  Looks horrible, but is very functional.

The other half of my classroom library. 

Where I store my printed resources. 
I would LOVE to go paperless and just have it electronically. 
That takes lots of time though.

I have two file cabinets, a 4 drawer and a 2 drawer.
These are labeled and organized.   

What do you do with the stuff kids give you?

Look at how organized my copies are!  Shocking.

My poster storage.  It seems like this awesome unit should keep me organized.



But, I discovered this set of student newspapers where I didn't expect them to be.
I have been searching for them since NOVEMBER.

As you might be able to see, I have my fair share of clutter.  I would really LOVE your help.  To be honest these pics really did bring to light that I have a problem with clutter.

Best of luck decluttering your space!
EmilyK

Native American Cupcakes

   My sisters and I decorate cakes as a side business.  So after finishing a cake, I sent the picture to some of my co-workers.  My friend Tracy responded back with, "Why don't we have our students decorate cupcakes with Native American dwellings on them."  I was a little hesitant, but thought it was a very creative idea.  So we decided to provide the cupcakes for our 5th grade students and they would bring in the extras for decorating their dwellings.  Overall, the project turned out well.



Isn't it cute!  Notice the tree.



I love this fire pit!



This one is a mud hut. 



I love that this student used the whole cupcake.

An interesting use of crackers for walls.

 The students thoroughly enjoyed decorating the cupcakes.  Since this was the first time, there are some things I would definitely do different.  First, I would have a model for them to see.  I know that sounds like a no-brainer, but I didn't have one for them.  Second, we brainstormed some ideas of items to bring, but I pretty much left it up to them.  Next time, I will probably provide a list of items because some things did not turn out very well (like tortillas).  I look forward to doing this again next year.  Hope you enjoyed the pictures of some of the students cupcakes.

Antoinette