New school year & classroom digs!

WHOAA!!!  The new school year has been a blur of craziness!  I switched grade levels from 1st to 4th grade reading and I love 4th!  I am so thankful I got this opportunity, & didn't realize how much I missed fourth grade.   I miss my firsties, but still see them around the school & have even popped in on a couple friend's first grade classes, they are too cute!   My new teammates make fun of me when I call my fourth graders 'friends'....haha!   I didn't realize fourth grade teachers don't do that.  It's so weird getting used to the fact that they don't need as much guidance.   

I keep forgetting to take pictures of different activities, so here is my (very late) classroom tour.  

The kids have started using the book recommendation board!  Also, I know that 'student' is missing the e just keep forgetting to change it!

We did a small group poetry activity and I hung up awesome work..it was awesome seeing the kids looking for their work & listening to the buzz around the room zanier it, they were so proud!

The students get a 'just right' reading counts book on Fridays at the library & have the week to read it & take the reading counts comprehension quiz & whatever grade they get I use as their weekly reading counts grade.  The reading log is a pain in the bum with parent signatures & all that jazz, so this is my way of keeping the kids accountable for their weekly reading.  Working smarter, not harder (:

Reading skills board

Reading area...the kids love it!

Picture books organized by genre

View from my desk to the back of the room

Another view 

Also, my birthday was the end of August & my team surprised me with a cake, roses, a gift card & decorated my door!  It was so sweet of them!  They definitely spoiled me!

I will post more pictures soon!  

Also, does anyone have any tips for spiraling prefixes, suffixes, & poetry?   

Toodles!

    -Tally